Collection
How easy/difficult is it to acquire the data?
- High: Data are freely available and are downloadable in Excel format (or a GIS-based format such as a shapefile) from a publicly-accessible website.
- Medium: Data are accessible but require some effort to acquire (e.g. data must be purchased, data must be formally requested from source, data are not available in an ideal format, etc.).
- Low: Data do not exist in the form required and must be acquired via primary research or will be extremely costly to acquire.
Processing
Do the data require any processing in order to be usable in a GIS format? How many steps will it take (or level of technical skill required) to prepare the data for use or to combine data sets to create an indicator?
- High: No processing is required. Data are downloadable either in a GIS format (e.g. Shapefile) or spreadsheet (e.g. Excel) with a locator field for easy joining or geocoding (e.g. name, address, census tract ID, etc.).
- Medium: Data require some processing – e.g. combining multiple data sets into a parent indicator.
- Low: Data must be manually compiled, requiring a high level of technical competence and/or significant amount of time (e.g. transcribing records, converting a PDF into an excel spreadsheet).
Updates
How often are the data updated? Are the data available consistently over time to produce a trend?
- High: Data are updated annually in a consistent format. (For some indicators, less frequent updates may be acceptable if the data do not change significantly on an annual basis.)
- Medium: Data are updated on a regular basis in a consistent format, but updates occur less than annually.
- Low: Data are updated sporadically or on an as needed basis only.
Resolution
What is the spatial resolution of the data?
- High: Data are available at a high resolution (e.g. point data, census blocks, block groups, or tracts).
- Medium: Data are available at a relatively coarse scale (e.g. city or PUMA).
- Low: Data are available only at the state or county level.
Accuracy
How accurate are the data? (This should take into consideration sampling issues, margins of error, and degrees of confidence.)
- High: Point data that reflect an actual location; sample data that have a high degree of confidence.
- Medium: Sample data with a medium to low degree of confidence (e.g. some ACS data); points that reflect centroids rather than actual locations.
- Low: Unable to determine accuracy.
Extent
What is the spatial extent of data availability?
- High: Data are available for the entire area that will mapped.
- Medium: Data are available for most of the area that will be mapped.
- Low: Data are available only for a limited area.
Consistency
How consistent are the data from area to area?
- High: Data are available using consistent measurements and reporting formats across all the geographic areas that will be mapped.
- Medium: Data are available consistently for almost all of the geographic areas that will be mapped.
- Low: Data measurements or reporting formats vary across geographic areas with little consistency.