4.2 Sources of migration data, information and knowledge
Evidence on different migration phenomena are derived from different sources. This often requires considerable resources, infrastructure and IT/knowledge as you will learn in the next activity:
Activity 4.2 Strengths and weaknesses of migration evidence sources
Imagine you’ve overheard a colleague say the following:
With the evidence pyramid in mind, and using Table 4.2 to help you, consider the following questions to assess whether this ‘knowledge’ is correct:
- What type of data would need to be collected and where would you source it from to determine whether this statement is correct?
- Who would use this information and for what purposes?
| Type of Data | Definition | Source | Collected by | Migration Evidence collected | Used by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statistical | Numerical and mostly describe quantities | Censures Household surveys Labour force surveys Arrival and departure reports Financial reports Tools: Questionnaires (online and offline) | Government officials Academics International Agencies (eg IOM, UNHCR, ILO, OECD, World Bank) | Number of immigrants in country Socio-economic characteristics Emigration figures Drivers of Migration Impact of migration (especially remittances) | Policy Makers Academics |
| Administrative | Provides records on administrative output | Administrative Records on Entry Visas Residence permits Work permits Tools: Data collection software systems | Government Officers | Migration Flows Reasons for migration | Government Officials Policy Makers Academics |
| Qualitative | Non numerical and describes qualities and characteristics | Case Studies Ethnographic Studies Narrative Research Tools: Interviews, focus group discussions and observations | Academics Policy Makers | Lived experiences of migrants Individuals Perceptions on various migration dynamics | Academics Policy Makers Entrepreneurs |
| Innovative | Emerging sources of migration data | Big Data IOM displacement tracking systems Tools: Digital technologies | Policy Makers Academics Entrepreneurs | Migration flows Economic and social Impacts of migration | Policy Makers Academics Entrepreneurs |
All migration stakeholders can make use of open data sources from:
- World Bank
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- UN Global Migration Database (UNDESA)
- European Union Open Data Portal
- National Bureaus of Statistics
- Central Banks
4.1 Migration data, information and knowledge