OUR EXPERTISE
A sample of the U.S. population, including some of your members and others
in your profession, responds to Census Bureau surveys every year, throughout
the year. But finding the information they collectively provide has never
been easy, until now.
With years of experience behind it, Decision Demographics can unlock the
power of Census data that lurks in computerized data files, from millions
of census forms collected every year. These forms are tabulated into many
standardized reports, but the answers you care about are still hidden.
Imagine having a Census report focused only on your profession; we specialize
in creating just that.
Tap Into Underutilized Data Resources
Some of the most powerful data resource from the Census Bureau are the
Public Use Microdata (PUMS) files. These are actual data records of census
and survey respondents that have been carefully prepared to protect the
confidentiality of individuals, yet can be organized to provide an almost
infinite number of tabulations. These public use files have long been
a staple of academic researchers because they help generate focused,
useful results about narrow targets. Targets such as the professions
you serve.
Save Yourself Time
In recent years, some groups have tried to increase the accessibility of
these powerful data files, recognizing that the average person finds
it difficult to access and use them. Tabulations can be made directly
on-line from a Census Bureau-sponsored website or through an interface
from the University of Minnesota. Yet, even for seasoned and knowledgeable
users of Census microdata, these are not quick and easy, point-and-click
websites.
Personal computers and web access alone does not make a complex subject understandable to a lay user. Having tax preparation software does not make you a CPA, nor does using a graphics program make you an artist. Do you and your staff have the time and ability to tap the power of these rich data? If not, let us help.
The Value of our Expertise
In addition to the tables and charts, with ProTrend-ACS you get the support
of experienced demographers; our staff have been helping professionals
like you use census data for over 30 years. We have worked with many
organizations, likely similar to yours; this helps us predict your issues
and needs. We can guide you through data analysis and warn you of potential
stumbling blocks. We can even help anticipate how findings may be received
within your own organization.
You are also the beneficiary of comprehensive developmental work supported by the National Institutes of Health, which underwrote much of ProTrend-ACS’s development through its Small Business Innovation Research grant program. As a result we have streamlined our workflow to be faster and cheaper for you, while providing a rich graphical report in multiple formats.
Demographic experts reveal a treasure trove of solutions on issues that you may never have considered.
Assist in defining your targets
We will guide you through the detailed data definition stage of your project.
Preliminary tabulations will guarantee that we will be profiling whom
you really want to target. For example, do you want to include part-time
workers? We may break out your target by industry groups to be sure we
are capturing only who you want. Sometimes the Census Bureau definition
of an occupation may differ from yours; adjustments in definitions can
narrow your target to just the group you most care about.
Clearing the hurdles of trend analysis
Census data have been available every ten years. The annual ACS has started
to supplant 2000 Census data. Will time trend analyses be comparing apples
to apples? Where are the traps? We will help discover what you can and
cannot directly compare, and devise strategies to bridge changes.
Putting in Context
We offer more than just tables and charts. We can provide top-line analysis
to jump-start your own evaluation. Get a demographer’s perspective
on what your data are saying. Could that be a baby-boom bubble or is
the share of 50 year olds growing for other reasons? How does the influx
of immigrant groups compare to your targets? We can help put these and
other issues into perspective for you.
Adjusting for data anomalies and quirks
We will guide you through some of the hidden data irregularities of Census
microdata. For example, when a respondent skips a question, the Census
Bureau applies an algorithm to fill in the blanks. While their methods
are sophisticated, odd and unexpected results do occur. For example,
we doubt there are actually physicians who only have a high school education!
Despite the high quality of Census data, it takes expertise to negotiate
underlying issues.
