Welcome

Welcome to the Geodemographics Knowledge Base, a comprehensive directory of hand-selected websites for people interested in the application of geodemographics and geo-spatial analysis. The site has been produced by the Census and Geodemographics Group of MRS, the world's largest association representing providers and users of market, social, and opinion research, and business intelligence.

Links with this symbol open in a new window. MRS are not responsible for the content of external websites.

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What's New?

Beyond 2011 Consultation - CGG and MRS Response

The Census and Geodemographics Group and MRS have submitted a joint response to the ONS Beyond 2011 Consultation.

Please view the completed consultation questionnaire on the MRS website.

www.mrs.org.uk/networking/cgg/downloads

The National Address Gazetteer - Letter to Rt. Hon. Francis Maude MP

In January 2012 Keith Dugmore, Director of Demographics User Group (DUG) sent a letter to Rt. Hon. Francis Maude MP on behalf of the group, entitled; The National Address Gazeteer: being run in the interests of Ordnance Survey, to the detriment of citizens and the private sector.

View the letter on the MRS website

www.mrs.org.uk/networking/cgg/downloads

Small Populations and Origin Destination workshop materials

ONS held specialist workshops on Small populations and Origin Destination in October 2011. The materials from the workshops have been published on the ONS website.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/2011-census-outputs/index.html

Survey Question Bank

A major resource for those designing questions and questionnaires is the Survey Question Bank.

The SQB is co-ordinated by the UK Data Archive at the University of Essex, it allows researchers to search questionnaires, and to find individual survey questions. It provides access to questionnaires from a range of major UK social surveys, and the question text from over 200,000 questions. SQB also writes and commissions methods fact sheets and topic overviews - vital to making sense of the questions and the data created from them.

An introduction to the SQB is available at: surveynet.ac.uk/sqb/about/introduction.asp

The Questionnaire Search page is at: surveynet.ac.uk/index/search.aspx?collectionid=1099

and the Question Search page is at: surveynet.ac.uk/sqb/qb/questions.asp

ONS Harmonisation Road-Show

The ONS Harmonisation Team is organising a series of road-shows to highlight the benefits of using harmonised standards. The road-shows will also be used to talk about recent developments both in terms of new/revised harmonised standards, revisions to the process used to develop and agree harmonised standards, and soon to be completed projects such as the Harmonised Question Library.

As part of the ongoing promotion of the benefits of harmonisation, ONS would like to organise a series of road-shows at different locations around the UK over the next few months. They would like to engage with a wide range of users/stakeholders including Government Departments and related agencies of the UK Nations and non-governmental organisations, etc.

Please register your interest by emailing Harmonisation@ons.gsi.gov.uk

Beyond 2011 User Requirements Consultation

The Beyond 2011 Programme was formally established in April 2011 to investigate and assess alternative options for producing the population and socio-demographic data required by users in England and Wales.

ONS has launched a public consultation which will provide a first opportunity for users to contribute to the discussion and help inform this important work. The views expressed in response to this consultation will be critical in determining how ONS develop the assessment criteria that will be used to judge the different options being considered.

This consultation will be open for 14 weeks from 17 October 2011 to 20 January 2012. The consultation document and online questionnaire are available online via the link below. ONS will also be running a series of workshops during November to support this consultation. Workshops are planned for the following dates and locations:

        03 November 2011 – Leeds
        08 November 2011 – Cardiff
        14 November 2011 – London – FULLY BOOKED
        25 November 2011 – London (extra event added)

If you wish to attend one of these workshops email beyond2011@ons.gov.uk stating the date and location you would like to attend and the organisation, if any, you will be representing.

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/consultations/open-consultations/index.html

New ONS Website

On 27^th August 2011 ONS launched their new website. The website aims to make it easier for visitors to find and use it's information. The homepage currently contains links to pages detailing the changes made, why those changes have been made and tips for finding content. Tutorials on finding information on the new website are available from the ONS YouTube channel youtube.com/ONSstats. These include tips on searching, finding publications, using Key Figures and browsing to find statistics on a particular topic.

http://www.ons.gov.uk

ONS trials innovative map of local household incomes

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has produced a prototype interactive map of estimated local average household incomes as a mash-up with Google Maps and Street View for visualisation of any locality. The maps are defined at the level of Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA) for England & Wales only. The aim is to encourage user feedback on the prototype. The map shows telling patterns of income variation.An introductory page includes a link to the maps and a contact for feedback. The map page, in turn, includes a link to comprehensive background information.

http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination

National Address Gazetteer for England and Wales

The government announced the creation of a National Address Gazetteer (NAG) in December 2010, and MRS have published a synopsis describing activity by MRS to get the best possible deal from this potentially key input for marketing and geodemographic applications. The synopsis contains links to information about NAG, and to a discussion forum with a case by members of the MRS Census and Geodemographic Group that elements of NAG should be free-to-use open data.

http://www.mrs.org.uk/networking/cgg/best_deal_add_info.htm

Visit the new GeoPlace website

GeoPlace is a Limited Liability Partnership jointly owned by the Local Government Group and Ordnance Survey. It brings together local government’s address and streets gazetteers; the NLPG and the NSG, with all of Ordnance Survey’s addressing products to create a ‘national address gazetteer database’ for England and Wales, providing one definitive source of accurate publicly-owned spatial address data

www.geoplace.co.uk/geoplace/link.htm?nwid=50000

Guardian Article - England's most deprived town

This article from The Guardian describes how a seaside town in Essex has the highest levels of deprivation in the country as measured by the Government's Indices of Deprivation 2010 for England. In the article are links which enable you to explore the Indices of Deprivation in greater detail, including access to the underlying data and maps. There is an interactive map which combines Google Maps with the Government’s (DCLG) Indices of Deprivation 2010 for England. The geographical unit is Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) and clicking within an LSOA gives a pop-up with a deprivation score and rank plus a partial guide to the categories on the map.

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011

MRS Census and Geodemographics Group Seminar
2011 UK Census: Find out how it can benefit your business

With the latest UK Census just completed, do you know how the data collection has developed since 2001, what the outputs will be, how they can be used for commercial benefit, and when they will be delivered? Find out by attending this fascinating and informative afternoon seminar.

www.mrs.org.uk/networking/cgg

MRS Census and Geodemographics Group Network

MRS Census and Geodemographics Group have launched a LinkedIn networking group. The purpose of the MRS CGG Network is to share news and hold discussions on topics of mutual interest. You do not need to be a CGG or MRS member to join this Network, the group seeks to share views with a wide range of information users and producers.

www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3820127

2011 UK Census Geography Outputs Consultation

The Office for National Statistics has launched a consultation on the final geography policy for the 2011 Census outputs. The consultation will run until the 29th April and invites users to comment on the policy, the proposed set of geographic products and the outcome of the 2010 Census Output Geography consultation.

www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census

2011 UK Census Main Statistical Outputs Consultation

This second phase of consultation on outputs is an important part of the Office for National Statistics' preparation for the 2011 Census in England and Wales. Submissions are to be received by 29th April 2011.
Under the same link you will also find slides from the Census Outputs User Events which took place around the country between February 14th and 25th.

www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census

National Statistics Harmonisation

Read the MRS News article prepared by Martin van Staveren, Technical Director at Kantar Media TGI Surveys.

www.geodemographics.org.uk/NS_harmonisation.html

Office of Fair Trading Report

OFT has published a report on the anticipated national address gazetteer joint venture between Ordnance Survey and Local Government Improvement and Development

www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/mergers_ea02

Office of Fair Trading Press Release

OFT clears national addressing database joint venture

www.oft.gov.uk/news-and-updates/press

The Official 2011 UK Census Website

The UK Census day is 27th March 2011.

2011.census.gov.uk/en/index.php

2011 UK Census Geography Project Publications

The latest reports and presentations can be downloaded from here:

census2011geog.census.ac.uk/downloads

Office for National Statistics 2011 Census statistical outputs second consultation

The second phase of consultation on outputs is an important part of the preparation for the 2011 Census in England and Wales. Responses received will be used to produce an agreed set of specifications and outputs timetable which will be issued in summer 2011.

www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census

Office for National Statistics Work Programme Consultation

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is seeking views to help determine the shape of its future statistical work programme.

www.ons.gov.uk/about/consultations

Office for National Statistics Budget

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published its budget for the next four years.

www.ons.gov.uk/about/newsroom

Policy options for geographic information from Ordnance Survey Consultation

Responses to the consultation have now been published on the Communities and Local Government website:

www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate

Reflecting better the views of users in the Assessment process – UK Statistics Authority Statement

UK Statistics Authority's plan to enhance the collection, use and reporting of the views of users of official statistics in the Assessment process.

www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/reflecting-better-the-views-of-users-in-the-assessment-process.html

2011 England and Wales Census Press Release

The UK Statistics Authority has confirmed the Government's decision to proceed with the existing plans for the 2011 Census in England and Wales.

www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/2011-england-and-wales-census.html

Major Government announcement – significant datasets now available free

Following the Consultation on Policy options for geographic information from Ordnance Survey, the Government has published its response.

www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate

Free Our Data - Guardian Report

Free data for personal and commercial use announced in the biggest shakeup in the Ordnance Survey's 260-year history. You can now download maps as detailed as 1:10,000 scale, or collect a list of locations appearing on maps at the 1:50,000 scale, or a conversion system for postcodes to grid references.

www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010