Ray C. WallingGovernment Documents InternNumeric and Spatial Data Intern
Resource Demonstration Today we will discuss online resources that might help you answer census related reference questions.Resources to be discussed include:
For those participating, you can go to the following web page for links to the resources being discussed: Government Documents Center Website:http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/hiscenpub.html
Can I help you?
I need to find a statistic/map for…
Where do I go from here? Break the question down into facetsWhat resource meets the criteria:- Map vs. Statistic
- Coverage of Decades
- Coverage of Geographies
- Coverage of Topics
- Ability to do complex searches
- Speed
“I’m looking for…” Answers with Census Resources Part I: Statistical Search
I’m looking for… “I’m looking for recent information on the number of people by age and sex for census tracts of Flint, MI. Can you help me?” – Student Question in Early June
Breaking Down the Question Break down the question- Decade
- Geography
- Census Tracts of Flint, MI
- Question Topic(s)
Try: American FactFinder, Social Explorer, or NHGIS
American FactFinder Website: http://www.factfinder.census.govCoverage- Decades: 1990 and 2000
- Geographies: Detailed
Other Qualities- Creates detailed maps
- Capable of very complex queries
- Average Speed
American FactFinder Summary Files (page 2-3)Many ways to download informationCensus glossary availableAlso provides the: American Community Survey, Puerto Rico Community Survey, Annual Population Estimates, Economic Census, and the Annual Economic Surveys
Social Explorer Website: http://socialexplorer.com Coverage- Decades: 1940-2000
- Geographies: US, State, County, Census Tract, (2000 Congressional Districts)
Other Qualities- Can create maps quickly
- Not able to create queries
- Quick in general
Social Explorer Problems- Public version has gaps in coverage
- Pre-defined variables are not always consistent over decades and in representation
- Only downloadable in MS Excel
NHGIS Website: http://www.nhgis.org/ Coverage- Decades: 1790-2000
- Geographies to 1900: US, State, County
- Geographies 1910 onward: Detailed
Other QualitiesMany ways to download information
Excuse Me… “Excuse me, can you help me find the population of Chatam County, GA around 1790?”
Breaking Down the Question Break down the question- Decade
- 1790
- Excludes: American FactFinder, Social Explorer
- Geography
- Question Topic
- Speed
Try: Historical Census Browser
Historical Census Browser Website: http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/ Coverage- Decades: 1790-1960
- Geographies: State, County
Other Qualities- No U.S. totals
- Quick, low quality maps
- Quickest of the online services
- Quick comparison over the decades
- Not for complex queries, limited data
Excuse Me… “Can you compare this data from 1790 through 1860?”
“I’m looking for…” Answers with Census Resources
Excuse Me… “Can you help me find a way to compare the population in Chatam County, GA to the other counties of the state for 1790?”
Breaking Down the Question Break down the question- Decade
- 1790
- Excludes: American FactFinder, Social Explorer
- Geography
- Question Topic
- Type of Data
- Map for easy comparison across the state
Try: Historical Census Browser
HELP…………………………….. “I have a presentation at 2pm and need a map showing the number of people of Hispanic origin in Chester County, PA in 2000.”
Breaking Down the Question Break down the question- Decade
- 2000
- Excludes: Historical Census Browser
- Geography
- Question Topic
Try: Social Explorer
HELP…………………………….. “Can you provide a comparison map to 1990?”
Find me….. “Find me a map of the median age of the population of counties within Michigan for 2000. I have to be somewhere in 10 minutes.”
Breaking Down the Question Break down the question- Decade
- 2000
- Excludes: Historical Census Browser
- Geography
- Question Topic
Try: American FactFinder
“I’m looking for…” Answers with Census Resources Part III: Guided Practice
Sample Question #1 “I work for La Comunidad Hispania of Kennett Square (borough), PA and want to find out average family size of Hispanic families vs. the community average for 2000.”
Break down the question- Decade
- 2000
- Excludes: Historical Census Browser
- Geography
- Topic
- Family size by race (complex)
- Exclude: Social Explorer
Try: American FactFinder (Summary File 2)
Sample Question #2 “I want to trace the decline of slavery in Pennsylvania after the Gradual Abolition Act of 1780 until the Civil War (1860).”
Selecting the online resource Break down the question- Decade
- 1790-1860
- Excludes: American FactFinder, Social Explorer
- Geography
- Question Topic(s)
- Type of Info Needed
- Statistic (over time)
- Probably Exclude NHGIS
Try: Historical Census Browser
Sample Question #3 “I am trying to figure out the areas of the continental United States with the most number of people without education in 1940”
Selecting the online resource Break down the question- Decade
- 1940
- Excludes: American FactFinder
- Geography
- Areas of Continental United States
- Thought: Might be good to have a detailed map
- Exclude: NHGIS and historical census browser
- Question Topic(s)
Try: Social Explorer
Sample Question #4 “What was the estimated number of volumes that the University of Michigan Libraries had in 1850?”
Selecting the online resource Break down the question- Decade
- 1850
- Excludes: American FactFinder, Social Explorer
- Geography
- University of Michigan
- Intuitive: Since limited number of universities/colleges in 1850, probably can find it by a larger geographic group.
- Question Topic(s)
- Education>College>Libraries
Try: NHGIS (or Historical Census Browser)
“I’m looking for…” Answers with Census Resources
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