SOCii Research — Census & civic data
A-GIC: Methodology for an Independent Australian Census Layer
Why Australia needs an independent civic-data layer beside the ABS — and how A-GIC is built.
Official statistics are essential and slow. Both things are true. A-GIC is designed as an always-on civic-data layer that captures public sentiment and lived conditions between official releases. This brief sets out the methodology so others can scrutinise it before the first published wave.
Why this report is in review
A-GIC is in pre-launch methodology review. This brief is published for comment so the sampling, weighting and instrument design choices can be challenged before the first wave is fielded. Comments to the SOCii contact address are read and reflected in the next revision.
Sampling and panel design
Short, repeated panels rather than long, infrequent surveys. Stratified by ABS-equivalent SA1/SA2 boundaries where representative coverage is feasible. Quota top-ups in known under-represented strata documented at the wave level.
Instrument and weighting
Question instruments are versioned and published. Weighting is benchmarked against ABS where the variable is comparable; non-benchmarked variables are released with explicit uncertainty.
Release principles
Methodology and raw aggregates published every wave. No embargo. No subscription tier between the public and the data. The product surface is the interpretation; the data layer is a public good.
More research
All research →- SOCII-RT-001 · Resource tax
The Right 25%: A Public-Interest Model for Pricing Australia's Gas
A position paper proposing a non-deductible 25% levy on physical extraction volume × published benchmark price, designed to minimise avoidance surface area and end the cycle of underpriced resource exports.
Read - SOCII-DEF-002 · Defence & security
AUKUS at Scale: An Independent Ledger of Australia's Largest Defence Commitment
A standing, independent ledger of AUKUS commitments, milestones and disclosures — built so journalists, researchers and citizens can follow the program without losing context across multiple parliaments.
Read - SOCII-HSG-003 · Housing
AIM-HR: An Open Model for Australian Housing Reform
The methodology and public reference scenarios behind AIM-HR — an open-source model that lets researchers, councils and advocates test housing-reform options without relying on closed institutional analyses.
Read