Context: A census is the complete enumeration of a population or groups at a point in time with respect to well defined characteristics: for example, Population, Production, Traffic on particular roads. In some connection the term is associated with the data collected rather than the extent of the collection so that the term sample census has a distinct meaning. The partial enumeration resulting from a failure to cover the whole population, as distinct from a designed sample enquiry, may be referred to as an "incomplete census". (The International Statistical Institute, "The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms", edited by Yadolah Dodge, Oxford University Press, 2003).
Specific types of censuses include:
Register-based censuses - the enumeration of a population through the use of data from one or more registers rather than a statistical survey.
Rolling census - the enumeration of population over a period of time using multiple waves of data collection, each of which covers a proportion of that population.

Source: Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UNECE), "Terminology on Statistical Metadata", Conference of European Statisticians Statistical Standards and Studies, No. 53, Geneva, 2000

Hyperlink: http://www.unece.org/stats/publications/53metadaterminology.pdf

Creation: 2/2/2005 12:00:00 AM

Update: 2/21/2008 12:00:00 AM