SBIR-STTR Award

Local public service agencies and charities cannot effort sophisticated demographic analyses of their target populations. This can hamper their efficiency in delivering needed services. Decision Demographics proposes to create an affordable demographic analysis system, Custom Analytical Reports. These reports will contribute to the well- being of children and families by enabling social service providers to analyze the needs of target populations. The first reports will be designed cooperatively with social service providers, and ultimately a broad spectrum of reports will describe the identified target populations in detail. These standardized, inexpensive, and easy-to-produce reports will use the decennial census Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data. While it has long been possible to create such reports, they require sophisticated expertise and are costly to produce. This project will, for the first time, make PUMS information accessible to a wider audience. Distinct from previous PUMS-based efforts, the product clients receive will be ready-to-use publication-quality tables and graphics. Custom Analytical Reports will allow clients to track social changes flexibly and inexpensively. They will, in effect, democratize access to the most powerful census data resources, commercialize a proven line of research, and create a system that will be linked to 2,000 census microdata products when released.Proposed Commercial Application:Not avaliable

Thesaurus Terms:
human population study, information dissemination data collection methodology /evaluation, publication, social service human data

Decision Demographics has designed an affordable demographic analysis system, Custom Analytical Reports. These standardized, inexpensive, and easy-to-produce reports use Public Use Micro data Sample (PUMS) data from the decennial census. While creating such reports has long been possible, the process requires sophisticated expertise and high cost. This project will, for the first time, make PUMS information accessible to a wider audience by using preformatted page layouts. Custom Analytical Reports will provide customers with flexible and inexpensive tracking of demographic and socioeconomic changes in a population of interest. The reports will, in effect, democratize access to the most powerful census data resources, commercialize proven research, and provide a system linking to 2000 Census micro data products. By the end of Phase II, we will have Custom Analytical Report modules that display social and economic change across the decades. Potential clients include local, state, and national associations, unions, and businesses that seek to identify and serve a specific demographic clientele. We will provide a set of informative and inexpensive reports for those who cannot or do not know how to use the PUMS data or the various Internet PUMS tabulation engines.

Thesaurus Terms:
computer data analysis, data collection methodology /evaluation, data management, human population study, information dissemination, technology /technique development geographic difference, publication, social service clinical research, human data