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Tag: scholarly communication

Searching for data on Indigenous and ethnoracial identities

Our goal in developing the guide on Indigenous and ethnoracial data was to contribute to building and designing equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist data communities - Data Librarian Kevin ManuelExposing the complex history of data collection and the Census of Canada

Looking for data to support research on racialized people and Indigenous groups in Canada? It might be worth a long scroll through the history of the Census of Canada–its origins, practices, terminology and evolution as it defines, in part, how we view and explain Canada. 

Data Librarian Kevin Manuel, with co-authors Data Services Coordinator Alexandra Cooper, Queens University Library, and Data Services Librarian Rosa Orlandini, York University Libraries, recently had their 2022 research article “Who is counted? Ethno-racial and indigenous identities in the Census of Canada, 1871-2021” published in the open access journal International Association for Social Science Information Service and Technology (IASSIST) Quarterly’s special issue on Systemic Racism in Data Practices.

Outlining obstacles researchers face when looking at datasets, the authors review the Census’s modifications to terminology and the ways in which it has asked entho-racial origin questions, noting that “the collection of racial, ethnic, or Indigenous data has changed throughout the years and from Census to Census.”

Since 1871, the Census has been used to collect socio-demographic data, and as a tool to understand where, how and who lives in Canada. Information collected is used to help direct funding for resources and inform policy. However, who is included and how, has significantly impacted the snapshot(s) of Canada, and has created obstacles for researchers working on understanding Indigenous and racialized groups, and their experiences.

Going back to the beginning, Manuel et al., examine when and how Indigenous and entho-racial identities started to be included, and how. In 1911, the Census began collecting information on new settlers, but excluded racialized and Indigenous groups. As it evolved, data collection expanded to include ethno-racial groups and with it changes to terminology and questions. Terms, at different times, included: place of origin, racial origin, ethnic origin, ethnic or cultural group, but distinctions between these terms has not been clearly defined. While expanding, confusion regarding what that meant, remains.

For researchers looking to the Census for data specifically on Indigenous groups, understanding its history is equally important. It wasn’t until 1986 that questions related to Indigenous identities were asked separately from racial and ethnic origin questions. Previous to 1986, questions regarding Indigenous identity appeared under ‘origin’ as ‘Indian.’ A term in which immigrants from India would have also related.

Further confusing datasets, the Census required Indigenous peoples to follow ancestral lineage, but how varied from year to year. For example, in 1941 and 1951 respondents could mark ‘Indian’ or ‘Eskimo’ based on their father’s origin. Other years, ‘origin’ was based on maternal ancestry. 

It is important to note that today Métis, Inuit and First Nations are recognized as Indigenous peoples. 

As a data librarian, Manuel is all too familiar with the complexities and systemic racism present in collecting, finding, researching and understanding how data is organized, as well as how it varies between sources and from country to country (there are no international standards).

“It is challenging for researchers comparing Census data over time to examine Indigenous and ethno-racial data as the classifications have changed significantly from the colonial era to the present,” says Manuel.

To help address some of the issues in researching historical data, Manuel, Cooper and Orlandini created a ‘Data on Racialized Populations’ guide available publicly on the Scholars Portal.

The guide is “a curated list of datasets that include ethnicity and race variables which can be used to facilitate anti-racism research in Canada,” and is intended as a starting point for researchers.

“Our goal in developing the guide on Indigenous and ethnoracial data was to contribute to building and designing equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist data communities,” says Manuel.

While the guide provides an invaluable resource, there remains much work to be done in identifying and understanding systemic racism in data collection and bringing about change. In addition to this work, Manuel is the program co-chair of this year’s IASSIST 2023 Conference. The theme of the 2023 conference is Diversity in Research: Social Justice from Data. 

In continuing to work towards building more equitable data communities, the conference’s theme intends to address issues in data collection, and shine a light on obstacles faced in searching datasets. “We hope to achieve greater inclusivity of presentations and discussions about data that is collected regarding people that are marginalized, and set a precedent for embedding more diversity in our conferences going forward,” says Manuel. 

 

Data Librarian Kevin Manuel is hosting a presentation and discussion (Feb. 16) during Love Data Week titled: Who is counted? How to use the Census of Canada timeline to search for ethno-racial and Indigenous identities

Learn more and register

 

 

Research Profile Development Workshop for Graduate Students, March 12th

Do you want to enhance your online research profile? Are you planning to apply for a research grant or a job, or want to be ready when you do?

Then Register for the Research Profile Development Workshop for Graduate Students March 12th, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. in SLC 508.

Research profile development is an important part of modern scholarship, for applying to jobs and grants as well as submitting papers for publication. Online profiles can aid in mobilizing your research and accomplishments so others can easily find them.

  • Guest speaker Philip Mai from the Social Media Lab will discuss the importance of online research profiles.
  • Learn how to populate both your research ID using ORCID and an online research profile using Google Scholar in a hands-on workshop with Toronto Metropolitan University librarians (bring your laptop).

This lunch and learn session, specifically for graduate students, is brought to you by the Toronto Metropolitan University Library in partnership with the Yeates School of Graduate Studies.

Ryerson graduate students from all disciplines are invited to attend. This series qualifies for Future Smart, so bring your passport to be signed.

A light lunch will be served. Space is limited, so register early! Please bring your laptop and be prepared to work on your profile.

Please contact l2mutic@ryerson.ca if you require any accessibility or dietary accommodations to ensure your inclusion in this event.

Fair Dealing Week: Copyright Review 2018

Happy Fair Dealing Week!
Why are we celebrating this week – especially in Canada?
Fair dealing defines important users rights allowed by Canadian laws. These user rights give Canadian citizens the ability to use fair dealing as an exception to the exclusive rights of copyright holders to control the copying and distributing of their content. Without fair dealing, this exclusive right could mean that, other than an insubstantial amount of a work, the work could never be copied without the permission of the copyright holder. User’s rights in the form of fair dealing mean that some copying is allowed without permission – for certain socially valuable purposes and for short amounts of a work.
Have a look at Student Life without Fair Dealing to get an idea about how important fair dealing can be in an educational environment. Without fair dealing you would not be able to do many of the things you do everyday as a student – use an image in an assignment that you are handing in, share an article with your group project team, photocopy a chapter you need from a library book so you can read it at home.
Luckily for students and educators some of the copying of works that we do in our learning and teaching are covered by fair dealing. For example fair dealing purposes include private study, research, criticism, review and education and parody and satire. Much of what students and educators do on a daily basis would be really really hard without this user’s right. Student and faculty ability to do effective research, use content in criticism and papers, teach and share information would be seriously inhibited. Fair dealing is really important because it allows a freer flow of information to happen in an educational setting – it promotes learning and scholarship. So celebrate Fair Dealing – it is a user’s right that Canadians should use, not lose.
This year celebrating fair dealing  is especially important, because it is 5 years since the scope of fair dealing in Canada was expanded to include education.  After 5 years the government calls for a review of the new Copyright Act, which will happen this year. The website Fair Dealing Canada gives you an opportunity to tell your story of how fair dealing helps you educate others or be educated. Add your story there and help convince the government that this user’s right is very important to your education.

Fair Dealing Week 2018 Event on February 26th

The week of February 26th is Fair Use/ Fair Dealing Week – an annual event to highlight, celebrate and educate about fair use in the United States and fair dealing in Canada and other jurisdictions.  As part of our celebration of Fair Use/Fair Dealing Week, the Library is hosting a panel discussion, Copyright and Education: 2018 Update

At this panel presentation, the speakers will review significant legal developments in the areas of fair dealing and copyright, which impact on the educational ​use of copyright materials.  This includes the recent ruling in the Access Copyright v. York University case, as well as the federal government’s current ​ review of the Copyright Act.  These developments will be of interest to instructors, faculty, and librarians​​, and others l​ooking ​to ensure legal compliance with copyrighted materials in the classroom.  Participants will also learn about the available supports at the Library to ensure copyright compliance, including the Library’s One Stop Course Reading Service, Open Educational Resources and Creative Commons licensing.

Date: Monday Feb. 26th, 2018

Location: SLC508

Time: 2:30-4:00pm

Speakers:

Julia Shin Doi, General Counsel General Counsel and Secretary of the Board of Governors

Carol Shepstone, Chief Librarian

Ann Ludbrook, Copyright and Scholarly Engagement Librarian