Data & Mapping Resources for social work 570

1. Data and Mapping Resources for
Social Work
Michele Hayslett & Natalia Lopez
http://www.slideshare.net/mhayslett/sowo-570
Fall 2016

2. Outline
• Why mapping?
• Describe & contrast three tools
– PolicyMap
– Social Explorer
– OntheMap
• Demo three tools

3. John Snow, 1854
• Map of Cholera fatalities by location in 1854 outbreak
• What conclusion can you draw from this map?

4. How Are Data Useful?
Census Bureau’s Stats In Action video:
New Orleans Smoke Alarm Outreach Program

5. What counties in North
Carolina have high
poverty rates and high
concentrations of older
buildings?

6. Step 1: What are the variables?
What counties in North
Carolina have high
poverty rates and high
concentrations of older
buildings?

7. Step 2: What is the appropriate tool?
• Map of counties in North
Carolina with high
poverty rates
• Map of median year of
building
CHEAT SHEET
Social Explorer =
Census Data
Policy Map =
Policy Data
OnTheMap =
Labor Data

8. Step 2: What is the appropriate tool?

9. Step 3: What is the appropriate data?

10. Step 4: What is your geography level?

11. Tracts:
4,000
range: 1,500-8,000
Block Groups:
1,500
Up to ~3,000
Blocks: ~ 100 people
Census Geographies Are Based On Population
As population changes,
so do Census Geographies.
“The boundaries of legal entities
are changed due to legal actions,
whereas statistical entities may
be changed by appropriate
reviewers to reflect population
growth or decline, or because of
revisions either to visible or legal
features used as boundaries or to
Census Bureau procedures.”
[Emphasis added.] Source:
http://www.census.gov/dmd/ww
w/glossary.html

12. American Community Survey
• Since 2010, the decennial census is now short
form only.
• ACS began in 2005 and provides annual data
• For this assignment, use 5-year ACS data
(largest sample size; smallest available geo’s)

13. Pay Attention to the Universe
Often tables describe a smaller group than the
total population. Be aware of what group your
data summarizes.
Examples:
Marital Status
Population 15 years and
over
Educational Attainment
Population Age 25+
Poverty
Pop “for whom poverty
status is determined”
Remember, layers ≠ cross-tabulation!

14. Step 5: How do you want to present your map?
Look at two variables using side-by-side:
http://www.socialexplorer.com/bb309191a4/view
Contrast two variables using swipe:
http://www.socialexplorer.com/4b9d5179f8/view
Export map as image:

15. Social Explorer
http://guides.lib.unc.edu/go.php?c=23608911
Map Examples:
Swipe layout: http://www.socialexplorer.com/6563bb64eb/view
Side by side layout: http://www.socialexplorer.com/fe5939326c/view
• Select data source
• (Take or Skip the tour)
• Zoom to your geography
• Click Change Data at upper left to select your topic
• Select the variable you want (remember to scroll down to see
all variables)
• Click Change Map Layout icon ( ) at bottom center to
switch to Side by Side or Swipe map

16. Let's try that again!

17. Step 1: What are the variables?
We're creating a series of maps for
our report on single mother
households in North Carolina:
• Map of poverty among single
women with children
• Map of women ages 25 and under
receiving Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF)

18. Step 2: What is the appropriate tool?
• Map of poverty among
single women with
children
• Map of women receiving
SNAP
Social Explorer =
Census Data
Policy Map =
Policy Data
OnTheMap =
Labor Data

19. Step 2: What is the appropriate tool?

20. Step 3: What is the appropriate data?
Sometimes the
exact data you
want will be
unavailable

21. Step 4: What is your geography level?

22. Step 5: How do you want to present your map?

23. Policy Map
http://guides.lib.unc.edu/go.php?c=23609349
• Zoom map to your geography
• Select a variable
• See your map
OR
• Click on 3-Layer Maps in the header
• Zoom map to your geography
• Select the layers to add
• See your map

24. OnTheMap
http://onthemap.ces.census.gov/
• Search for and select your geography
• Click on the Perform Analysis on
Selection Area link that appears in the
map
• Select the type of analysis you want,
the year(s), and the job type
• Click Go to see the map and browse the
data

28. Questions OnTheMap Can Answer
• Where do young workers live who are employed in a specific geographic
area? >>Area Profile Analysis
• Where are the workplace destinations for workers living in a particular
community or neighborhood? >>Destination Analysis
• How do specific employment areas compare in terms of worker origin
patterns, worker ages, monthly earnings, and industry-sector
employment? How are these areas changing over time and among
different demographics? >>Area Comparison Analysis
• What percentage of low-wage workers live and work within a city, versus
those who commute to a nearby city? >>Inflow/Outflow Analysis
• How many workers that earn $1,250 or less a month live along a transit
corridor and work downtown or in some other area along the same
corridor? >>Distance & Direction Analysis
• How many potential customers/employees live or work near a candidate
site location? >>Paired Area Analysis

29. PolicyMap
Data
Demographics
Income & spending
Housing
Lending
Quality of life
Economy
Education
Health
Federal Guidelines
Analytics
(Map Features)
Years Varies
Format Mapping, Tables & Reports
Special Apps 3-layer maps
Downloading
Maps: .png (through Print screen)
Tables: varies; see Complete List of Data, aka
data matrix
Documentation
For the data sources:
https://www.policymap.com/data/our-data/
For tutorials:
https://www.policymap.com/support/
Download-ability:
not if marked
Proprietary in the
data matrix, linked
from this page

30. Social Explorer
Data
Census (by residence location)
• Demographics
• Housing characteristics
• Education
• Employment & occupation
• Income & poverty
• Veterans
• Foreign-born…
Crime
Health
(Map Features)
Years
• 1790 to present for Census data
• Variable for other data
Apps Mapping & Tables
Special Apps Side-by-side & Swipe layouts
Downloading
• Easy
• Maps >> slides
• Tables >> .xls, .csv, .sav, .dta/TAB, .sas
Documentation http://www.socialexplorer.com/help
Side-by-side
• Maps independent of
each other
• Display two different
geographies, variables,
years or viz types
• Can link them w/
chainlink icon to
zoom/drag together
Swipe
• Same geography
• Swipe to see
different variable or
different year.
Layout Options
Note: not all
variables in
Tables are
available in Maps

31. OnTheMap
Data
Labor force & industry
Demographics
Employment & commute flows
Income
Experience
(Map Features)
Explore data by where people live or work
Years Varies by state; program began in 2002
Format Mapping, Tables & Reports
Special Apps 3-layer maps
Downloading
• Easy
• Maps >> .pdf or .png; .shp, .kml, .csv
• Tables >> .xls, .pdf, .html
Documentation
http://lehd.ces.census.gov/applications/help/onth
emap.html#!getting_started
Each type of analysis links to a more specific guide
Exclusive source
for combination
of E.S.C. and
Census data