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Exploring the U.S. Census gives social science students and researchers the tools to understand, extract, process, and analyze census data, including the American Community Survey and other datasets. This text provides background on the data collection methods, structures, and potential pitfalls for unfamiliar researchers with applied exercises and software walk-throughs.
List of contents
I. CENSUS FUNDAMENTALS
1. Placing the Census in Context
1.1 What is Census Data?
1.2 Application of Census Data
1.3 Role of the Census in American Society
1.4 Criticism of the Census
1.6 Conclusion and Next Steps
2. Dive into the Data
2.1 Introducing data.census.gov
2.2 First Steps in Data Exploration
2.3 Chart a Clear Path with Advanced Search
2.4 Other Sources for Census Data
2.5 Census Research Reports
2.6 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
3. Census Geography
3.1 Geography Matters
3.2 Census Geography Hierarchy
3.3 The Primary Trunk
3.4 Exploring Census Geography with TIGERweb
3.5 Other Geographies - The Branches
3.6 Revisiting TIGERweb
3.7 Geographic Reference
3.8 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
4. Subject Characteristics
4.1 The Census Universe
4.2 Residency
4.3 Population Characteristics
4.4 Housing Unit Characteristics
4.5 The Labor Force
4.6 Derived Measures
4.7 Exercises
4.8 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
II. THE PRIMARY DATASETS
5. The Decennial Census
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The Census in the 21st Century
5.3 The Data Collection Process
5.4 Decennial Census Data
5.5 Exercises
5.6 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
6. The American Community Survey
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Fundamentals of the ACS
6.3 ACS Variables
6.4 Exercises
6.5 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
7. Population Estimates Program
7.1 Introduction
7.2 PEP Fundamentals
7.3 PEP Datasets and Variables
7.4 Applications for PEP Data
7.5 Exercises
7.6 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
8. Business Datasets
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Navigating Industries with NAICS
8.3 Data for Business Establishments
8.4 Labor Force Statistics
8.5 Exercises
8.6 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
9. Integrating Census Data into Research
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Writing With Census Data
9.3 Making Geographic Decisions
9.4 National Trends and Historical Context
9.5 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
III. ADVANCED TOPICS
10. Mapping and GIS
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Creating Maps Online
10.3 Introduction to GIS
10.4 GIS Exercise
10.5 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
11. Census Data Derivatives
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Measures of Population Distribution
11.3 Measures of Income and Inequality
11.4 Means and Medians for Aggregates
11.5 Geographic Derivatives
11.6 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
12. Historical Data and Microdata
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Historical Census Data
12.3 Microdata
12.4 In Conclusion - What Next?
12.5 Review Questions and Practice Exercises
About the author
Frank Donnelly is a geospatial information professional whose practice blends the service-based and organizational skills of an academic librarian with the subject knowledge and analytical methods of a researcher. He has served as the Geospatial Data Librarian at Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY) in midtown Manhattan since 2007, where he helps members of his university navigate geospatial and census data sources. He holds the rank of Associate Professor in the library and manages a GIS lab where he and his graduate students: provide research consultations, teach workshops, process and create data, and maintain a repository of GIS data. Frank was an early proponent of free and open source GIS software in academia and has introduced hundreds of people to GIS through his workshops and tutorial manual. He has written several academic articles, technical papers, and reports that utilize census data to study socio-economic and demographic trends and provide information to researchers and policy makers. Prior to becoming a librarian he worked as a planner and data analyst in the government and non-profit sectors. He holds Masters Degrees in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington, and Geography from the University of Toronto. You can follow him at his blog At These Coordinates: https://atcoordinates.info/.
Summary
Exploring the U.S. Census gives social science students and researchers the tools to understand, extract, process, and analyze census data, including the American Community Survey and other datasets. This text provides background on the data collection methods, structures, and potential pitfalls for unfamiliar researchers with applied exercises and software walk-throughs.
