Health, Standard 04/05/2005 Community services, Standard 25/08/2005
Definition:
Whether a person identifies as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, as represented by a code. This is in accord with the first two of three components of the Commonwealth definition.
Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin
Supplementary values:
9
Not stated/inadequately described
Collection and usage attributes
Guide for use:
This metadata item is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) standard for Indigenous status. For detailed advice on its use and application please refer to the ABS Website as indicated in the Reference documents.
The classification for Indigenous status has a hierarchical structure comprising two levels. There are four categories at the detailed level of the classification which are grouped into two categories at the broad level. There is one supplementary category for 'not stated' responses. The classification is as follows:
Indigenous:
Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander origin.
Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal origin.
Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.
Non-indigenous:
Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin.
Not stated/ inadequately described:
This category is not to be available as a valid answer to the questions but is intended for use:
Primarily when importing data from other data collections that do not contain mappable data.
Where an answer was refused.
Where the question was not able to be asked prior to completion of assistance because the client was unable to communicate or a person who knows the client was not available.
Only in the last two situations may the tick boxes on the questionnaire be left blank.
Data element attributes
Collection and usage attributes
Collection methods:
The standard question for Indigenous Status is as follows:
[Are you] [Is the person] [Is (name)] of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?
(For persons of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin, mark both 'Yes' boxes.)
This question is recommended for self-enumerated or interview-based collections. It can also be used in circumstances where a close relative, friend, or another member of the household is answering on behalf of the subject. It is strongly recommended that this question be asked directly wherever possible.
When someone is not present, the person answering for them should be in a position to do so, i.e. this person must know well the person about whom the question is being asked and feel confident to provide accurate information about them.
This question must always be asked regardless of data collectors' perceptions based on appearance or other factors.
The Indigenous status question allows for more than one response. The procedure for coding multiple responses is as follows:
If the respondent marks 'No' and either 'Aboriginal' or 'Torres Strait Islander', then the response should be coded to either Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander as indicated (i.e. disregard the 'No' response).
If the respondent marks both the 'Aboriginal' and 'Torres Strait Islander' boxes, then their response should be coded to 'Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Origin'.
If the respondent marks all three boxes ('No', 'Aboriginal' and 'Torres Strait Islander'), then the response should be coded to 'Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Origin' (i.e. disregard the 'No' response).
This approach may be problematical in some data collections, for example when data are collected by interview or using screen based data capture systems. An additional response category
Yes, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...
may be included if this better suits the data collection practices of the agency or establishment concerned.
Comments:
The following definition, commonly known as 'The Commonwealth Definition', was given in a High Court judgement in the case of Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 46 ALR 625.
'An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives'.
There are three components to the Commonwealth definition:
descent;
self-identification; and
community acceptance.
In practice, it is not feasible to collect information on the community acceptance part of this definition in general purpose statistical and administrative collections and therefore standard questions on Indigenous status relate to descent and self-identification only.
