1990. ÉVI NÉPSZÁMLÁLÁS 28. Az adatfelvétel és -feldolgozás összefoglaló ismertetése (1995)

BEVEZETŐ

INTRODUCTION In the 120 years history of Hungarian censuses the Central Statistical Office always strived after designing census topics, data collection and processing methodologies in line with the requirements of the given epoch. In the framework of historical statistical activities of the last decade, volumes on the methodology of the 1869—1949 censuses have been published. With respect to the 1960, 1970 and 1980 censuses, special methodologic volumes came out subsequently to the respective data processings. The results of the 1990 census are contained, among others, in 19 county volumes and a separate volume on the capital, as well as in a summary data collection on the country as a whole. Besides, socalled thematic volumes on the main topics (demography and educational attainment, employment and occupation, household and family, dwelling and building) have been published. Other special publications have dealt with the nationality, ethnic and mother tongue composition of the population, the commuting habits of active earners etc. Present volume contains the methodologic description of the 1990 census, looking over the various phases of the preparatory works, programme designing and census operations; it also provides information on the data processing and the ways of publication, as well as on the basic findings of the postenumeration survey concerning the reliability of data and some characteristics of the censusrelated financial operations. The volume also deals with the definition of the concepts used in the census publications. Another way of assisting data users — institutions and individual researchers — in evaluating the census results, consists in presenting the methodologic problems necessary to the correct understanding of data. Furthermore, this publication aims at summing up the census documentation providing users with supplementary assistance on the one hand, and summarizing all experiences exploitable in the next full-scope census, on the other. The informations are completed with the presentation of the relevant legal regulations on the census, the description of the types of data, the comparison of the content of our census with former Hungarian censuses and international recommendations, as well as with the programme of the last census of selected countries and other documentations. 6