The LS contains a great deal of information about household and family composition, but it is important to understand how these data were collected and derived if they are to be used correctly. This module is designed to explain the use of the LS for household and family studies.

After completing this module you should be able to:

• Ascertain whether the LS is a suitable data source for your household/family study
• Explain exactly what counts as a 'household' and a 'family' in the LS
• Determine the structure of complex households and families, as far as is possible given the information obtained from the census
• Specify the sample population for your study
• Specify the variables that you will need to extract from the LS for your study.