Survey on the Value
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The National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) has sent out a request for users and supporters of the U.S. Census' American Community Survey (ACS) 3-year data products to send letters advocating against defunding and discontinuing the creation of this data.
NHGIS notes: The 3-year data provide a unique combination of spatial, temporal, and statistical precision, enabling a range of high-value analyses that the other ACS products cannot support. With a sample three times larger than 1-year ACS data, 3-year estimates have considerably smaller margins of error and are made available for nearly twice as many areas. Compared to 5-year data, 3-year data provide a degree of specificity that is crucial for some time series comparisons. The 3-year estimates may be used to analyze pre-recession (2005-2007), recession (2008-2010), and post-recession (2011-2013) characteristics of population and housing, summarizing shorter time periods than 5-year data and smaller areas (with at least 20,000 people) than 1-year data (with at least 65,000 people)."
Before URISA adds its endorsement of this campaign, we want to hear from you, our members. Is the ACS 3-year data useful to you? Do you think it should be maintained? What would be the impact of its proposed discontinuance? URISA wants to represent its members on this issue.
NHGIS notes: The 3-year data provide a unique combination of spatial, temporal, and statistical precision, enabling a range of high-value analyses that the other ACS products cannot support. With a sample three times larger than 1-year ACS data, 3-year estimates have considerably smaller margins of error and are made available for nearly twice as many areas. Compared to 5-year data, 3-year data provide a degree of specificity that is crucial for some time series comparisons. The 3-year estimates may be used to analyze pre-recession (2005-2007), recession (2008-2010), and post-recession (2011-2013) characteristics of population and housing, summarizing shorter time periods than 5-year data and smaller areas (with at least 20,000 people) than 1-year data (with at least 65,000 people)."
Before URISA adds its endorsement of this campaign, we want to hear from you, our members. Is the ACS 3-year data useful to you? Do you think it should be maintained? What would be the impact of its proposed discontinuance? URISA wants to represent its members on this issue.