Abstract
PurposeThis paper seeks to provide researchers and librarians with an overview of the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), with a specific focus on practical issues that users must face when choosing and using ACS datasets.Design/methodology/approachEach of the following issues are explored subsequent to a general overview of the ACS: choosing among census datasets from different census programs, interpreting and choosing between the different ACS period estimates, selecting census geography, understanding and recalculating margins of error, and accessing the data. Samples of ACS tables and formulas for creating derived estimates are used to illustrate how to interpret and work with the data.FindingsThe ACS datasets are fundamentally different from the decennial census as they are period estimates created from rolling sample surveys. The ACS has a steeper learning curve; this complexity is due in part to the number of choices users must make between datasets, but the primary challenge is learning how to understand and work with estimates as opposed to population counts.Originality/valueWhile other papers have discussed the benefits and challenges of the ACS, this paper is structured around the practical issues that researchers must face when using it. Special consideration is given to calculating derived estimates using spreadsheet formulas, as this is a key task that many users will need to perform and spreadsheets are the most likely tool users will employ to manipulate the data.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.