Statistics and Demographics

SimplyAnalytics is a web-based mapping application that lets users quickly create professional-quality thematic maps and reports using demographic, business, and marketing data. SimplyAnalytics requires you to create a personal workspace before proceeding.

What sort of data is included (see SimplyAnalytics variable list here):

• U.S. Census data: http://www.census.gov/2010census/data/
  • Every 10 years, 2010 is the latest, a survey of demographic information including race, population counts, age, sex, households, families, relationship to householder, housing units
• Other Census Data: http://www.census.gov/2010census/data/other-census-data.php
  • Economic Indicator information done annually by quarter includes rental and homeownership data, retail trade and sales, corporate finance reports, and construction reports
  • Economic census done every five years reports from businesses across the US on both their performance and operational data and informs the GDP

Image from Uses of Economic Census Data, Census.gov

• American Community Survey (ACS) is the annual survey that supports additional information about population like labor force status (employment, etc.), health insurance, language and housing data like house heating fuel and computer/internet use. For more information see the ACS Information Guide
• County Business Pattern survey provide annual detailed geographic, industry, and other information for U.S. business establishments by state, county, metro and zip code levels
• Prizm market research data from Claritas LLC provides data about consumer behaviors based on their segments or groupings. This can include media and purchasing behaviors of social and lifestage like “urban uptown” and “striving singles”
• Nielsen Retail Market and Consumer Buying data
• U.S. Business and Points-of-Interest data via Dun & Bradstreet
• Simmons data from Simmons Market research that includes surveys from consumers, teens, kids, and specific racial demographics like Hispanic people. This also includes preferences for consumer products and media consumption like radio, television, and magazines. Data is usually requested by a manufacturer or business so it can vary from computer use to whether someone painted their house in the last year
• Additional government data collections including U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, National Climatic Data Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite Data, U.S. Postal Service, National Health Interview Survey, and Business Delivery Data

SimplyAnalytics includes many terms that are specific to data collection at the local, state, and national levels. These terms are from across various disciplines that may use SimplyAnalytics including Urban Studies, Economics, and Business. 

• Block group: randomly chosen clusters of blocks of 600-3,000 people used as statistical divisions of census tracts
• Category: similar subjects of data e.g. quality of life that will include variables affecting the human condition like murder, temperature, and earthquakes
• Census data: quantitative information gathered by the U.S. Census surveys (over 130!) that include comprehensive housing, economic, social, and demographic statistics
• Census tract:  geographic area roughly size of a neighborhood used explicitly in census taking usually outlines city limits or other administrative areas, made of block groups
• “City” Block: geographic unit bounded by four streets
• Variable: a characteristic of a person, place or thing expressed as a number or a category. SimplyAnalytics has a list of all variables here: https://assets.simplyanalytics.com/documents/SimplyMap_Variable_List.pdf​

If you create maps and reports in SimplyAnalytics and incorporate them in a research paper, poster, or PowerPoint presentation, you will need to cite the information. There are many different citations styles so check the OWL guide for formatting.

If you are not sure of the name and date of the variable you are using, you can View Metadata. Refer to Where can I find more information about a specific data variable FAQ

To cite a map in APA style:

SimplyAnalytics (Year). Map with Vendor Title of data set Year of data. Retrieved Date, from SimplyAnalytics database.

To cite data in APA style:

SimplyAnalytics (Year).  Vendor Title of data set Year of data. Retrieved Date, from SimplyAnalytics database.

Note:

(Year) is the current year as SimplyAnalytics is continuously updated.

Vendor is listed in the Vendor field. Example: EASI

Title of data is the title outlined in your variable's metadata information under "Data Source"

Year of Data is the year outline in the "Name" section of the variable metadata

For more on citing SimplyAnalytics, see the Royal Roads University libguide.

Here is an example of a SimplyAnalytics variable entry:

Now, the citation for this entry if accessed on January 30, 2018:

SimplyAnalytics (2018). EASI Census US Data 2016. Retrieved January 30th, 2018, from SimplyAnalytics database.

For more information see the SimplyAnalytics help page on citations.