Primary Research

Primary research is “fresh” data, generated directly from the source, usually for a particular research project. Ipsos Reid conducted the primary research segments of this report, which consist of the public opinion survey and the citizen grading exercise.

Public Opinion Survey

This survey consisted of two waves of telephone surveys in June and July 2008, each with a randomly-selected sample, for a total of 854 metro Vancouver residents.

Citizen Grading and Priority Setting

Hundreds of civic, non-profit, and business leaders and other informed citizens of our region were invited to participate in an online grading exercise. Over 1,000 citizens completed the survey. Without knowing the 2008 Vital Signs research findings, they gave 12 key areas a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F, and identified top priority issues in each key area that require attention over the next year.

Grader profile

Of the 1,070 residents who participated as citizen graders for

2008 Vital Signs:

• 66% are female and 34% are male
• 25% are between age 18 and 34; 51% are between 35 and 54; and 24% are 55 years of age or older
• 36% live outside the city of Vancouver in other parts of metro Vancouver
• 82% have volunteered within the past 12 months
• 11% participated as graders for Vancouver Foundation’s Vital Signs in 2006 or 2007.

Secondary Research

Secondary research examines data originally produced for a different purpose, usually by a different organization. For this report, secondary research sources provided indicators about the state of metro Vancouver in 12 key areas. Criteria for selecting indicators included: the availability of recent data for the Vancouver CMA and the expense of collecting it; perceived public interest; the possibility of future updates; and the relationship of the indicators to one another and the key area.

Vancouver Foundation worked with four organizations on secondary research for this 2008 report. The Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC BC) and the Regional Vancouver Urban Observatory (RVu) were retained by the Foundation to identify, research, and analyze secondary data sources for the printed report and the more comprehensive online version. They worked closely with Vancouver Foundation staff and a committee of volunteer experts from the community, known as the Expert Resource Group, to identify potential data sources and select indicators.

The Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) was retained by Community Foundations of Canada to undertake research for indicators being used by all 15 Vital Signs projects across Canada in 2008.

The SPARC/RVu research team, in collaboration with CSLS, sought out the most current information possible, and collected data from sources including Statistics Canada, BC Stats, regional data sources, libraries, TransLink, school boards, and various government ministries. Data was obtained through online searches, phone calls, and custom-run data requests.

The indicators rely as much as possible on data at the regional level. In some cases, data was only available at the municipal, local health area or provincial level. The research team made an effort to ensure the geographical context for each indicator is clear.