title: Federal statistics in a complex environment:  the case of the 1980 census.
abstract: A discussion of the 1980 U.S. census is presented.  The authors suggest that the taking of a national census is not just a statistical exercise, but an exercise involving ethics, epistemology, law, and politics.  They contend that conducting a national census can be defined as an ill-structured problem in which the various complexities imposed by multidisciplinarity cannot be separated.  "The 1980 census is discussed as an ill-structured problem, and a method for treating such problems is presented, within which statistical information is only one component."
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D019352:Censuses; D003625:Data Collection; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D009656:North America; D011154:Population Characteristics; D012106:Research; D014481:United States
keywords: Americas; Census; Census Methods; Data Collection; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Interdisciplinary Studies; North America; Northern America; Population Statistics; Research Methodology; United States