WebTools for Analyzing Socioeconomic Trends

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Web-Tools for Analyzing Socioeconomic Trends
Program by Charlie French
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Socioeconomic Analysis Why do it?

• Identify emerging socioeconomic trends
• Serve as a basis for targeting programs/audiences
• Inform decisions about economic development
• Provide baseline for Impact Evaluation
• Supplement grant applications and funding requests

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Searching for Information

• Lycos Source of multimedia material
• Ask Helps refine your search
• Google Good for govt. material
• Infoseek Good for business info
• Yahoo Contains media resources

• Alta Vista Translates Webpages
• Hot Bot Offers the most search opts
• Netscape Good for Hard research
• Excite Focuses on Consumers
• AOL Good source of Business info

Activity Try out the various search engines to
find information about emerging trends pertaining
to you or your organization.
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What Kind of Data is on the Web?

• General Population Trends
• Business and Economic Development
• Agriculture/Rural America
• Natural Resources Information
• Youth and Family Issues
• Health and Nutrition

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General Demographic Data Sources
http//www.census.gov The Bureau of the Census
site is a good starting point for research
requiring facts and figures. www.bea.gov This
site provides data at the regional, national, and
international levels. http//factfinder.census.g
ov/ General data on housing, demographics,
business...
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Business and Economic Data Sources
http//www.bls.gov Bureau of Labor Statistics
contains National data on employment and
income. http//www.visitnh.gov/ Maintains
statistics pertaining to NH tourism
industry. http//www.nhes.state.nh.us/elmi/index.
html Look here for Labor Market information for
New Hampshire. http//www.buzzgate.org/
Serves as a clearinghouse for NH business
information, data, and tools.
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Ag, Forestry, Water Resources Data Sources
http//www.usda.gov/nass The US Department of
Agriculture has national/state/local data
from1997 Census of Agriculture. http//www.fs.fed
.us/ne/fia/studies/FRU/index.html Northeastern
Forest Inventory Analysis http//www.uwsp.edu/
geo/internet/physical_geog_resources.html
Comprehensive clearinghouse for data/information
on soils, hydrology, climate, plants/animals,
landform, ecoregions, etc. www.usgs.gov The
USGS maintains data links and resources
pertaining to landform, biological resources
water resources. http//www.epa.gov/waters/envir
omapper/ Enviromapper is an EPA site that
allows users to interactively map information
pertaining to water bodies in the
U.S. http//www.granit.sr.unh.edu/ Contains NH
natural resource info
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Children Youth and Family Data Sources
http//www.ed.gov/rschstat/landing.jhtml This
site contains national and state-level data on
education and test scores. http//www.acf.dhhs.go
v/ This site provides links to data on
children, youth, and families. http//regionalind
icators.unh.edu/ Interactive access to
socio-economic indicators for urban and rural
parts of the nation. http//www.childrennh.org
This site has living-wage information for New
Hampshire.
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Health and Nutrition Data Sources
http//www.cdc.gov/nchs/datawh.htm National
and state level health statistics (including
disease risk factors, causes of death, health
promotion strategies, etc.). http//www.ahcpr.gov
/data/ National Health Care data from the Agency
of Healthcare Research and Quality.
www.nhhealthdata.org This website is an
inventory of health data that is available to New
Hampshire communities.
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Maps and Graphics
http//factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsSe
rvlet Site enables you to build national, state
county census data maps http//earth.google.com
/ Google Earth provides internet access to
satellite imagery, maps, terrain and other
geospatial data. http//www.granit.sr.unh.edu/
This on-line database enables you to build maps
of New Hamsphire natural resource features.
http//terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com This
site enables you to zoom in on aerial photos of
most areas (1996 photos). http//mapping.usgs.g
ov/partners/viewonline.html USGS maintains links
to other on-line mapping resources. http//www.ge
ographynetwork.com/index.html Has links to other
on-line mapping engines.
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Surveys and Needs Assessment Tools
http//www.communitydevelopment.uiuc.edu/commsurv
ey/ University of Illinois Laboratory for
Community and Economic Development has a database
of sample surveys/needs assessments as well as an
an on-line survey-builder. http//ctb.ku.edu/to
ols/en/chapter_1003.htm Provides information a
variety of community needs assessment
tools. http//www.unh.edu/survey-center/ Though
the UNH survey Center typically charges a fee for
survey work, Dr. Andy Smith often provides free
sample surveys and technical assistance. http//w
ww.surveymonkey.com/ Survey Monkey enables one to
create online surveys quickly and easily. Simple
surveys are free to create. Pricing for more
complex surveys is reasonable.
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Community Data Profile Builders
http//www.nhes.state.nh.us/elmi/communpro.htm
Shows community information and data for all NH
towns/cities. http//headwaterseconomics.org/eps/
index.php Create free customized economic
profiles for any geography in the US.
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Other Interactive Tools on the Web
www.communitydevelopment.uiuc.edu/cdo/ On-line
Strategic Planning for Communities. www.community
development.uiuc.edu/commsurvey/ On-line Business
Retention and Expansion Survey. http//cecf1.unh.
edu/ccas/index.cfm On-line Community Capacity
Assessment Tool.
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Tips for Building your Own Data Profile

• Be clear and concise
• Combine numbers with text and graphics
• Maps add to overall impact
• Dont try to put too much data in the Profile

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