This document was prepared by and for Census Bureau staff to aid in future research and planning, but the Census Bureau is making the document publicly available in order to share the information with as wide an audience as possible. Questions about the document should be directed to Kevin Deardorff at (301) 763-6033 or [email protected] June 20, 2012 2010 CENSUS PLANNING MEMORANDA SERIES No. 202 MEMORANDUM FOR The Distribution List From: Arnold Jackson [signed]
Acting Chief, Decennial Management Division Subject: 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program - Emerging Trends
and Best Practice: The Census Bureau and Web 2.0 The Census Bureau contracted with Abt Associates to conduct an independent evaluation of the web site portion of the Integrated Communications Program for the 2010 Census. Attached is Abt Associate's Final Report for the Emerging Trends and Best Practice: The Census Bureau and Web 2.0 study. We are issuing this document in our memo series for the record. The U.S. Census Bureau conducted other evaluations and assessments pertaining to the Integrated Communications Campaign, such as the Census in Schools, Census Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators Survey II, and the 2010 Census Integrated Communications Program. Those reports are being issued separately. If you have any questions about this document, please contact Mary Bucci at (301) 763-9925. Attachment
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ThisreportprovidesaroadmapforintegratingemergingtrendsandbestpracticeforonlinecommunicationwiththeCensusBureaumissionandoperation.
Emerging Trends and Best Practice: The Census Bureau and Web 2.0 The U.S. Census Bureau Contract No. YA132309CQ0045, Task Order (TO) 001: Web Discovery: Data Visualization and the Future of The Census Bureau.gov
Abt Associates, April 1, 2011
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TableofContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................ 3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 5
I GLOBAL FINDINGS ................................................................................................................................ 6 II UNDERLYING CHALLENGES ..................................................................................................................... 6 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................................................... 7 INSTITUTE NEW GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND REINVIGORATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES...................................... 7
1. Road Map ................................................................................................................................. 8 III METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................... 9
2. Web Discovery team ................................................................................................................ 9 3. Key Staff Member Interviews .................................................................................................. 9 4. Expert Review of Census.gov and External Sites ..................................................................... 9
IV. UNDERSTANDING THE CENSUS BUREAU MISSION .................................................................................... 12
SECTION 1 – ENGAGING DIVERSE AUDIENCES .................................................................................... 13
I. HELP PEOPLE ENGAGE AND FIND ANSWERS ............................................................................................ 13 1. Appreciate the Casual User’s Perspective ............................................................................. 14 2. Use the Homepage to Engage All Audiences ......................................................................... 15 3. Create Channels for the Main Personas ................................................................................ 16 4. Cultivate Storytelling ............................................................................................................. 17 5. Create a Curated Theme‐Based Layer on Census.gov ........................................................... 18 6. Expand and Improve Blogs Based on Customer Input........................................................... 19
II. HELP PEOPLE FIND A RESOURCE ............................................................................................................ 22 7. Target the Casual User ........................................................................................................... 22 8. Improve the Search Experience for Users ............................................................................. 22 9. Provide a Visual Site Map for Casual Users ........................................................................... 24 10. Prune and Collapse Material ................................................................................................. 24
III. HELP PEOPLE CONNECT WITH MOBILE STRATEGIES .................................................................................. 26 11. Enhance the Mobile Browsing Experience ............................................................................ 26 12. On‐Device Mobile Applications Are Different from Mobile Browsing .................................. 26 13. Give the Sophisticated User a Targeted On‐Device App ....................................................... 27
IV. HELP PEOPLE EXPLORE DATA ................................................................................................................ 29 14. Give the Casual User Prepared Data Views ........................................................................... 30 15. Give the Sophisticated User Interactive Tools ....................................................................... 31 16. Experiment Before Investing in Data Exploration Platforms ................................................. 31 17. Tailor American FactFinder to Experts .................................................................................. 34
V. HELP PEOPLE SHARE CENSUS BUREAU INFORMATION ............................................................................... 35 18. Create a Strategic Plan for Casual and Sophisticated Users Sharing Census Bureau Data .... 35 19. Prepare Census Bureau Data Files for Distributors ............................................................... 36 20. Experiment with American FactFinder and Data.Gov APIs for Expert Users and Developers37 21. Reinforce Existing Successes in Social Media ........................................................................ 38 22. Prepare Several Cross‐Platform Social Media Campaigns ..................................................... 38 23. Capitalize on the Social Media Opportunities ....................................................................... 39
VI. HELP PEOPLE APPRECIATE THE CENSUS BUREAU ...................................................................................... 41 24. Manage a “Census Bureau in the News” Showcase .............................................................. 41 25. Reclaim the Branding for Census Bureau Data Outside of the Census.gov Domain ............. 41 26. Publish Metrics on Census Bureau Media Coverage ............................................................. 41
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SECTION 2 – ADAPTING TO AN EVOLVING BUSINESS .......................................................................... 43
VII. CREATE A WEB 2.0 CULTURE ............................................................................................................... 44 27. Develop Ongoing Relationships with Customers ................................................................... 44 28. Expand User Experience Design and Usability Testing .......................................................... 45 29. Address Concerns of Privacy, Accuracy, and Compliance ..................................................... 46
VIII. ALIGN WITH FEDERAL CIO AND CIO COUNCIL ......................................................................................... 48 30. Relevant Highlights of Plan .................................................................................................... 48
IX. INTRODUCE A MORE CENTRALIZED WEB 2.0 OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE ..................................................... 49 31. Pilot New Roles and Responsibilities ..................................................................................... 50 32. Grow an operational process that supports a Web 2.0 online presence .............................. 53
SECTION 3 ‐ TOOLS FOR SUCCESS ....................................................................................................... 55
X. TOOLS TO HELP PEOPLE ENGAGE AND FIND ANSWERS .............................................................................. 55 33. Invest in an Enterprise‐level Web Content Management System ........................................ 55 34. Expand Standout Social Media Sharing Tools used at the Census Bureau ............................ 58
XI. TOOLS TO HELP PEOPLE FIND A RESOURCE ............................................................................................. 60 35. Manage Search Engine Optimization ..................................................................................... 60 36. Stay with Google Search Appliance for Onsite Search .......................................................... 60
XII. TOOLS TO HELP PEOPLE CONNECT WITH MOBILE STRATEGIES .................................................................... 61 XIII. TOOLS TO HELP PEOPLE EXPLORE DATA ................................................................................................. 62
37. Give Data Sources Data Tools in Line with Their Advanced Skills ......................................... 62 38. Pilot a High‐Quality Data Visualization Software with Reporters .......................................... 62 39. Study Sophisticated and Expert User Needs on Data.gov and AFF ....................................... 64 40. Maintain investment in ESRI ArcGIS and AFF Mapping ......................................................... 65 41. Consider Google Public Data Explorer and Google Maps ...................................................... 66
XIV. TOOLS TO HELP PEOPLE SHARE THE CENSUS BUREAU INFORMATION .......................................................... 67 XV. TOOLS TO HELP PEOPLE APPRECIATE THE CENSUS BUREAU ....................................................................... 68
APPENDICES Appendix A: Quick and Longer Term Wins Decision Matrix Appendix B: Data Visualization Tools Comparison Appendix C: Tools Table Appendix Appendix D: Content Management Systems at other Agencies Appendix E‐1: CMS ROI Appendix E‐2: CMS ROI Calculator Appendix F‐1: External Statistical Website Results Appendix F‐2: External Website Review Appendix G: Roadmaps Appendix H: Summary of Content Interviews with Census Bureau Staff Appendix I: Vivek Kundra Report
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ExecutiveSummaryInanagewheninformationhasbecomeoneofthemostvaluablecommoditiesintheNation,theU.S.CensusBureausitsintheenviablepositionofproducingsomeofthemosthighlysoughtafterdataintheNation.TheCensusBureauisrespectedbyexpertsasaworldclassdataproducer;however,therapidevolutionofWeb2.0solutions,1onlineculture,andtheexpandingexpectationsoftheCensusBureaucustomershavecreatedagapbetweenthehigh‐qualityproductstheCensusBureauproducesandtheabilitytodisseminatethemeffectively.Sinceitsinception,CensusBureauoperationshavefocusedprimarilyonthetimelyandaccuratecollectionofimpartialsurveyandadministrativedata.TheprimaryconsumersofitsinformationwereinitiallyotherFederalagencies,states,andlocalgovernments,butovertimehaveexpandedtopoliticians,academics,journalists,businesspeople,andthepublic.WhiletheCensusBureaudatacollectionprocesseshavesteadilyimprovedovertheyears,theadoptionofdisseminationprocessesforsharingtheresultsofCensusBureaudatacollectionhasnotkeptpacefortwoprimaryreasons:
1) OveralltheCensusBureaustaffhasdefinedorganizationalsuccessasthecreationofcleanvaliddatasetsandhasgivensignificantlylessprioritytodissemination.Thisinwardfocusresultedina“stove‐piped”organizationalstructureoptimizedfordataassemblybutlackingthecentralizedgovernancestructuresandresourcesnecessaryfordisseminationsuccessintheWeb2.0informationworld.
2) Theexplosionofnewinformationsolutionsincludingmobilephonetechnologies,datavisualizationandsharingtools,andsocialmediaplatforms(e.g.,Facebook,Twitter)hasresultedinapaceofinnovationcompletelyunprecedentedinworldhistory.TheactiveuserbaseforCensusBureaudatahasdiversifiedconsiderablybothintermsofwhotheyareandinhowtheyaccessinformation.Today’sCensusBureauisnolongeranorganizationthatmustgeneratefinaldatasuitableforconsumptiononlybycivicleaders.CensusBureaudataarenowconsumedbyabroadWebaudiencewithdifferentinterestsaroundformats,timeliness,andcomplexity.
WithrapidchangesbroughtaboutbytheInternetandtheserisingexpectationsaroundinformationdissemination,theCensusBureaulaunchedaninitiativeinSeptember2010toaddressthegapbetweentheircurrentdisseminationpracticesandemergingbestpractices,someofwhicharedemonstratedwithinpocketsattheCensusBureauandsimilargovernmentorganizations.ThisdocumentpresentsasetofrecommendedbestpracticestargetedspecificallyattheCensusBureaugoalsforimprovement.RecommendationsarebasedontheresultsofawebdiscoveryprocessconsistingofastructuredreviewofCensus.govand11relevantexternalsites,22CensusBureaustaffinterviews,andliteratureresearch;theresultsofthisreviewaresummarizedbelow.
1AccordingtoWebopedia,“Web2.0isthetermgiventodescribeasecondgenerationoftheWorldWideWebthatisfocusedontheabilityforpeopletocollaborateandshareinformationonline.”Web2.0solutionsincludewebapplications,APIs,mashups,interactivedisplays,messagingservices,socialnetworkingsites,blogs,wikis,andvideosharingsites.
“It’sliketheyaddedanothermiletothemarathonandwedon’tfinish.”–AninterviewedCensusBureauleaderdescribingtheCensus
Bureau’srapidlychangingonlineenvironment
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I GlobalFindingsAbtAssociatesconductedawebdiscoveryinvestigationcomposedof17differentinterviewswith22CensusBureaustaffmembersacross7directorates,anexpertreviewoftheCensusBureauonlinepresenceand11othergovernment/statisticalwebsites,andareviewofCensusdocumentsandexternalbestpracticeliterature.Allindividualsinterviewed(internally,externally,andwithoutexception)heldtheCensusBureauinhighesteeminregardtoitsproductionofvaluabledata.CensusBureauintervieweeswereproudoftheirworkandtheCensusBureau’sreputationforaccuracyandimpartiality.TherewasuniversalagreementthatanyorganizationalchangesmustprotecttheCensusBureau’scorecompetencyinthisarea.WhileclearlyandaffirmativelyacknowledgingthehighqualityunderlyingCensusBureaudataproducts,theinterviewsandwebdiscoveryprocessidentifiedsignificantqualitygapsbetweentheassembleddataforin‐houseanalysisandtheCensusBureau’scapacitytocommunicateinformationtoitscustomers.WhileevidenceofstrongbestpracticesexistsinplacesthroughouttheCensusBureau,thereviewrevealedtheseglobalissues:
Thedifferentlayouts,styles,fileformats,andnavigationstructuresthroughoutCensus.govcreateaconfusinganddisappointingonlineexperienceforcustomers.2
TheCensusBureaumissesmanyopportunitiesforcommunicatingwithcustomerselegantlythroughdatastorytellingandvisualization(e.g.,interactivemapsandgraphics).
TheCensusBureauisnotprovidingthepublicwiththefullvalueoftheinformationitproduces.
Overall,Census.govdoesnotreflectwellthehigh‐qualityprecisionworkconductedbytheCensusBureau.
II UnderlyingChallengesAsmentionedabove,thewebdiscoveryprocessrevealedpocketsofeffectiveactivityinalmosteverycategoryofdisseminationdiscussedinthisdocument,includingdatavisualization,datastorytelling,socialmediaengagement,andwebdesign.TheprimarychallengefacingCensusBureauleadersiscreatingaconsistenthigh‐qualityexperienceacrosstheentireCensusBureaupublicface.Stove‐PipedGovernance.ThemajorityofinterviewedCensusleaderscited“governance”asthemostcriticalareaforimprovement.Theseleaderswantedamorecentralized,top‐downleadershipwithrespecttoWeb2.0efforts.Mostcitedthecurrentstovepipeapproachtoorganization,dissemination,andcommunicationasbeingasignificantimpedimenttocreatingaunifiedandefficientonlineexperience.Severalorganizationschargedwithinnovating,visioning,andstandardizingdatadisseminationcitedthelackofanagency‐widestrategicplan,thelackofenforcedstandards,andthelackofcommontoolsasbeingmajorimpediments.2AlinkscanoftheCensus.govwebsiteonJanuary19,2011,revealed384differentcascadingstylesheets,whichmanagethelookandfeelofthewebsite;essentiallythistranslatesintohaving384competingdesigncriteriaoperatingatonetimeontheCensus.govsite.
“InternaltotheCensusBureau,wethinkofCensus.govasmanysites;tothepublicitisjustonebigconfusingsite”–aninterviewed
CensusBureauleader
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LackofaDisseminationCulture.TheprimaryfocusformostorganizationsintheCensusBureauhasbeentheaccuracyandtimelinessofdatacreation.Onlylimitedattentionispaidtocommunicatingresultsandfewincentivesormetricsareinplacetoreinforcebestpractice.NearlyeverygroupinterviewedstatedtheneedforincreasedandimproveddatavisualizationinordertobringCensusBureaudatatolife.Severalgroupsreportedwantingtoimprovedisseminationbutsaidtheywerehamperedbysuchthingsassupportfrommanagement,hiringconstraints(cannothireawebprogrammer,orGISperson),andincentives.FewUniformBestPractices.Withsomenoteworthyexceptions,theCensusBureaudoesnotpromote,enforce,orresourceacoherentwebdisseminationenvironment.Toolsandskillsexistinpocketsacrossthedirectorates;however,theCensusBureaudoesnotinstitutionalizethelearningfromtheseactivitiesnordoesitscalebestpractices.LackofCustomerFocus.MostCensusBureaustaffmembersdonothaveaccesstofeedbackfromCensusBureaucustomersandhaveonlyalimitedviewintoeachcustomergroup’sspecificinterests.Asaresult,thedesignsandlanguageinCensusBureaudata/productsaregenerallysuitableonlyforexpertsintimatelyfamiliarwiththeCensusBureaustructuresandmethods.Non‐expertusersstruggletoaccess,synthesize,ordrawconclusionsusingCensusBureaudata.
RecommendationsThisdocumentdefinesauser‐centricstrategyforidentifyingandengagingtheCensusBureaucustomers,outlinesaninternalorganizationalstrategyforbuildingtheculturetosucceedwiththesecustomers,andidentifiestechnologysolutionsthatcanenabletheCensusBureautosupportthesestrategies.Thetablebelowpreviewsthesechallengesandsolutions.
Challenge RecommendationStovepipeapproachtoorganization,dissemination,andcommunication
Institutenewgovernancestructureandreinvigoratedpoliciesandprocedures
Lackofadefineddisseminationmission
Initiatenewdisseminationstructure,incentives,andmetrics
Fewuniformbestpracticesorapproaches CreateaCensusBureau‐widestrategicplanLackofcustomerfocus Integratecustomer‐focusedpracticesinall
disseminationactivities
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1. RoadMapThroughthewebdiscoveryandbestpracticesresearch,weidentifiednumerousopportunitiesforimprovingtheCensusBureauonlinepresence.Thesearedividedinto“quickwins”thatcanbeaccomplishedwithinayearandwhichrequirenomajorinvestments(e.g.,willnotrequireanenterprisecontentmanagementsysteminvestment)and“long‐termwins”thatwillrequiremore‐substantialplanningand/orinvestment.ThetablesbelowcaptureourrecommendedtopstrategiesforincreasingtheuseofCensusBureaudatabyitsusers:
TopQuickWins
1 Redesignhomepagetoengagenon‐expertusers.2 Provideavisualsitemaporganizedbyintuitivetopicstohelpcasualusersfindanswers.3 ProvideXMLsitemapstoallmajorsearchenginestoimproveauser’sabilitytofindthe
CensusBureauproducts.4 Begina“user‐first”campaignattheCensusBureautomakepeopleawareofthe
customerstheyareserving.Create“personas,”individualsrepresentingeachCensusBureauaudience,andmarketthesetoallstaffmembersresponsiblefordissemination.
5 UsetherevisedData.govplatformtoprovidesophisticateddatauserswithapowerfuldataexplorationandvisualizationtool.
6 PilotbestpracticestorytellingandengagementpracticesonthesubjectareapagesofCensus.gov.
7 Launcha“U.S.CensusBureauintheWorld”featuretoshowstakeholdersalltheplacesCensusBureaudatatravelsorisbeingused.
8 Formapilotgrouptocreatedatavisualizationsforhigh‐visibilitycommunications(e.g.,alldata‐relatedpressreleases).
9 Integratea“PoweredbytheU.S.CensusBureau”brandlogoorwatermarkintoallCensusBureaudatafeeds,datasharingagreements,andfinaldataproductstoincreasebrandawarenessandcredibility.
10 Identify3‐5CensusBureauemployeescapableofdatavisualizationanddatastorytellingandequipthemwithnear‐termsoftwaresolutionsandguidance.Pilottheconceptofactivelypublishingstoriesaboutthedata.
TopLonger‐TermWins
1 Adoptanenterprisecontentmanagementsystem(CMS)tomanage improvedservices.2 Designtopicorthemepages(e.g.,Poverty)thatengagethenon‐expertusers.3 IntegrateuserexperiencedisciplinesthroughoutCensusBureaudisseminationactivities.4 Developanorganization‐widedatavisualizationstandardfor communicatingwitheach
personagroup.5 Enablesophisticatedandexpert userstoaccessCensusBureaudatainthemannerin
whichtheyusethedata,notinthemannerinwhichtheCensusBureaucollectsandorganizesit,throughuseofAPIorbetterdataextractiontools.
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iii MethodologyTheobservationsandrecommendationscontainedinthisreportarebasedonastructuredinvestigationconductedinfourparts:1)anongoingdiscussionoftheCensusBureauneedsandAbtAssociatesfindingswiththeCensusBureauwebdiscoveryteam,2)17keyinformantinterviewswithCensusBureauleadersrepresenting7oftheCensusBureaudirectorates,3)anexpertreviewofCensus.govincludingCensus2010andrelevantFederalandforeignagencies,and4)aliteraturereviewofrelevanttechnologystrategiesandsolutions.
2. WebDiscoveryteamThroughoutthecourseofthewebdiscoveryprocessAbtAssociateshadaccesstomembersoftheCensusBureauwebdiscoveryteam,ledbyStephenBuckner,AssistantDivisionChiefoftheCensusBureauPublicInformationOffice.Ourteammetwiththewebdiscoveryteamduringtheprojectkick‐offmeetingandonweeklyconferencecallsinwhichAbtAssociatesreceivedfeedbackonpreliminaryfindingsandresearch.AbtAssociatesalsoaskedforandreceivedinputfromtheteamviaone‐on‐onephonecallsandemails.
3. KeyStaffMemberInterviewsAbtAssociatesconducted17differentinterviewswithCensusBureaustaffrepresentingarangeoforganizationsandtheCensusBureauinformationtools.Figure1showsthedistributionofkeyinformants.ThelightershadingattheDirectoratelevelindicatesthatoneormoreinterviewsoccurredwithinthatDirectorate.Thestarsindicatetheimmediateorganizationalunitwhereanintervieweesits.
4. ExpertReviewofCensus.govandExternalSitesAbtAssociatesconductedasystematicreviewoftheCensus.govwebsiteand51subsitesthatincludedanalysisbythesenior‐levelwebdesignersanddevelopers,areviewandexpansiononForeSeeuserexperienceresults,andawebauditframedbythethreepersonasestablishedforthepurposeofthisresearch.(TheExpertReviewresultsarecontainedinaseparatereport.)Inaddition,ourteamreviewedexternalsitesfromFederalandforeignagenciestodiscoverrelevantbestpractices.
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Figure1‐DistributionoftheCensusBureaukeyinformantinterviewsacrossthedirectorates
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Overview of the Document CensusBureauleadershavecommittedthemselvesandtheCensusBureautomodernizetheCensus.govwebsiteaccordingtobestpracticesinordertobetterservetheCensusBureau’smissionandtheAmericanpublic.TheCensusBureauhasalreadytakenstepsinadoptingWeb2.0strategies,asevidencedbytheCensusBureau2010websitedesignedtoengagethepublicinsupportofthe2010DecennialCensus.ThisdocumentexpandsontheCensusBureau’songoingeffort.Thedocumentisstructuredinfourparts:
1• Section 1 defines a user‐centric strategy for identifying and engaging The Census Bureau customers
2• Section 2 defines an internal organizational strategy for building the culture, governance, and strategy to succeed with these customers
3
• Section 3 identifies technology solutions that can enable the Census Bureau to implement findings in Section 2 to reach the customers in Section 1
4• The Appendices provide decision support materials relevant to specifc research or findings raised in Section 1‐3
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iv. UnderstandingtheCensusBureauMissionTheU.S.CensusBureauhasalongandrespectedhistoryofprovidingU.S.residentsandtheirpoliticalleaderswithinformationcriticaltotheeffectivefunctioningofFederal,state,andlocalgovernmentsandeconomies.TheCensusBureaumissionstatement(seecalloutbox)highlightstheCensusBureau’scommitmenttoquality,respectforindividuals,andtransparency.TheCensusBureaumissionalsocallsforinnovationandacommitmenttomeettheneedsofitscustomers,theresidentsoftheUnitedStatesandtheirpoliticalandbusinessleaders.InpursuingnewstrategiesforengagingtheAmericanpublicandmakinginformationmorereadilyavailable,theCensusBureaucontinuesitsfaithfulpursuitofitscongressionalmandateandmission.ThesenewstrategiesalsoservePresidentObama’sOpenGovernmentDirective(December8,2009)andpursuantexecutiveorders,whichmaketransparencyofgovernmentdataaprimaryresponsibilityofeachagency.TheU.S.CensusBureauStrategicPlanFY2007‐2012TheCensusBureau’scurrentstrategicplanreflectsthecommitmentsaddressedaboveandcallsouttwochallengesthatmustbemettofulfillthesecommitments:
Usenewtechnologiestoimproveservicesandproducts.Astechnologicalcapabilitiesincrease,customerswillexpecteasieraccess,quickerturnaround,andgreatercomparabilityamongdifferentdatasets.
Makeinformationreadilyavailabletoeveryone,fromtheleasttothemostexperienceddatauser.TheCensusBureauhasavariedanddiversecustomerbasethatrangesfromtheU.S.Congresstothelocalresidentinsearchofinformationforhisorherneighborhoodorblock.Thechallengeistodevelopcost‐effectivestrategiesforthecontinueddeliveryofusefulinformationtothisdiversecustomerbase.
Thisdocumentandsupportingmaterialscontainrecommendationssupportingthesestrategicobjectives.
TheCensusBureauMissionTheCensusBureauservesastheleadingsourceofqualitydataaboutthenation'speopleandeconomy.Wehonorprivacy,protectconfidentiality,shareourexpertiseglobally,andconductourworkopenly.Weareguidedonthismissionbyourstrongandcapableworkforce,ourreadinesstoinnovate,andourabidingcommitmenttoourcustomers.
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Section1–EngagingDiverseAudiencesThissectiondescribesthecreationofthreeuser“personas”asamethodforbetterunderstandingtheusersofCensusBureaudatatoday.ThesepersonasenablefocusedexplorationofimprovementsthattheCensusBureaucanmake.
HelpPeopleEngageandFindAnswersI.WoventhroughouttheCensusBureaumissiondocumentsandstrategicplanaregoalsthatemphasizebuildingthepublicandthegovernment’strustintheCensusBureau’scapacitytocollectanddisseminateaccuratedata.TheCensusBureausucceedsincollectinganddisseminatingaccuratedata.However,thewebdiscoveryprocessuncoveredfragmentationandpresentationissuesonCensus.govthatmightunderminepublicorgovernmenttrustintheCensusBureau.ThisisanissuemostdirectlyrelevanttothegeneralpublicuserwhocomestoCensus.govwithlittlecontextabouttheCensusBureau’swork,buttheissuesareimportanttoexpertusersaswell.Researchhasshownthatwebsitesshouldbedesignedwithspecificuserpersonasinmind.Personas,shortdescriptionsofthetypicaluserinanaudiencesegment,areanestablishedmethodforcreatingmoreuser‐friendlyinformationsystemswherecustomersstaylongerandgetmoreoutoftheexperience.Forwebdiscovery,theexpertreviewoftheCensusBureauwebproperties,andthisbestpracticereport,ourteamcreatedthreepersonasthatmatchedthetargetaudiencesdescribedbyCensusBureauleaders.Thesepersonasare:
Casualuser–afirst‐timeorinfrequentuserwhohasaquestionCensus.govcananswer;astudentworkingonanassignment;aresearcherfromafieldnotcoveredbytheCensusBureau;or,amemberofCongressorcongressionalstaffperson.MostoftenthisuserwantstoknowageneralfactabouttheNationorsomespecificsaboutalocation(e.g.,hisorherhomestate).ThecasualuserisnotoverlyconcernedwithfinepointsaboutdatamethodsortheCensusBureauprogramresponsiblefortheinformation.Thisuserisbestservedwithcuratedanswers,selectedbytheCensusBureau,andpresentedineverydayterminology.
Sophisticateduser–abusinessorgovernmentofficial,orajournalist,whoisinterestedinobtainingdetailedinformationtoassistinbusinessorpolicydecisions.Forexample,a
Figure2 ‐ ExampleCensusBureaupersona
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sophisticatedusermaybeasmallbusinessownerattemptingtolocateinformationabouthisorherindustry,orajournalistwritinganarticleontheincreaseofstateunemploymentovertime.Theyarebestservedbymoderatelypowerfuldataexplorationandvisualizationtools.
Expertuser–aresearcherorgovernmentofficialwhoroutinelyusesthedataaspartofhisorherwork.Theexpertusertendstowanttimely,granular,andspecificinformation.Theseexpertswillhavetheirowntoolsforanalyzingandmanipulatingdatasets.Theexpertuserwantstimely,cleandatasetsanddeepunderstandingofmethodologies.Theseusersarebestservedwiththoughtfulbusiness‐to‐businessprocessesthatallowthemtoautomateroutines(e.g.,APIs,newdataalerts,standardformats).
ThesepersonasareofferedasasimplestartingpointforanalyzingCensus.govanditsenvironment.CensusBureauleadersshouldreexaminepersonasinlightoffutureresearchastheychangeovertime.Programleadersmayconsiderpersonasmorecloselyalignedtotheirsubjectarea,(e.g.,theEconomicDirectoratemightcreateaneconomistpersona).Ingeneral,Census.govpagesandinformationcontentappeartargetedatexpertusers.Achievingthegoalofreachingabroaderaudiencewillrequireplanningandimplementationtargetedatthecasualandsophisticatedusers.
1. AppreciatetheCasualUser’sPerspectiveAcasualuser–astudent,anon‐profitplanner,amemberofCongress–whocomestoCensus.govtryingtoanswer“Howmanypeopleareinmystate?”mightpassthroughfivecompletelydifferentCensusBureausubsites(allwithdifferentvisualcues,navigationbars,fonts,andcolorschemes)onthewaytofindingthisonesimpleanswer.
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Overandabovesimpleconfusion,thesemultiplelocationsandthesedifferencesinlayoutandvisualmetaphorinfluencedeeperperceptionsofthesite,and,byextension,oftheCensusBureau.Userstravelingthroughthesesitesarelikely,unconsciouslyorconsciously,todrawtheseconclusions:
IttookalotofefforttofindtheanswerIwanted(hightransactioncost). IamnotsureifIhavethecompleteanswersincethedifferentwebpropertiesappeartobe
discussingthesameissues,butnotinacoordinatedmanner(distrustoftheanswertheyfound).
Navigationwasnotintuitive;IwouldnotknowhowtofindmywaybacktothisanswerifIcamebackinthefuture(distrustofthediscoveryexperience).
TheCensusBureauisdisorganized(distrustoftheorganizationitself).Thebadnews:Casualusersexperiencehigherthannecessarytransactioncostswhenobtaininginformation,andmayconcludetheirdiscoveryexperiencelesstrustingoftheorganizationoritscontentthanwhentheystarted.Thegoodnews:TheCensusBureauhasmasteredfarandawaythemostimportantelementofanywebexperience—outstandingexpertiseatproducingvaluableinformation.ThenextstepistoimprovetheuserexperiencetoreflecttheCensusBureau’svalue.Thefollowingrecommendationsaredrawnfromindustrybestpractice.
2. UsetheHomepagetoEngageAllAudiencesAhomepagecreatesthefirstimpressionforallnewusersandsetstheirexpectations.ThehomepageshouldreflecttheCensusBureau’svalues(e.g.,reliability,thoughtfulness,professionalism),thelevelofcommitmenttothepublic,andaunifiedCensusBureauexperience.Currently,theCensusBureauhomepagefunctionsmainlyasasitemap.Thefollowingchangeswouldimprovetheuserexperience:
1. Revisehomepagetovisuallyinviteusersinwithgraphicsandcurrentinformation.
2. Conductcardsortingorequivalentexerciseswithcustomerstoreconstructnavigationaccordingtothecustomers’mentalmaps,whichmaynotbethesameasnavigationaccordingtoorganizationalstructure,or
Figure3.TheCensus 2010SiteExhibitsManyBestPractices
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accordingtoproductsorsurveynames.3. Providecontentsectionsthatillustrateasenseoftimelyrelevance.4. Controlwidthtomakepagemoreeasilyexplored.5. Createchannelsforthemainpersonas.6. Directlyaddressthecasualusers’mostcommonquestions.
ThesethreeFederalsitesdemonstratestrongengagement3practices:
TheWhiteHouse DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment DepartmentoftheTreasury
3. CreateChannelsfortheMainPersonasTheexpertreviewandinterviewssuggestthattheoveralldesignoftheCensusBureausitestargetsexpertusers.ThisisunderstandablegiventheCensusBureau’sservicehistory.Withthenotableexceptionsof“Quickfacts”and“PopulationFinder,”Census.govpagesdonotengagecasualandsophisticatedusers.TheCensus2010sitefeaturesasmartuseofchannelingusingtabsonthetopofthepage.Whileadesignercanoftenmeettheneedsofmultipleaudiencesonasinglepage,heorsheshouldbecognizantofthedifferentaudienceperspectives.Forexample,ontheCensus.govhomepage,thecentralnavigationmixesthematicpageslike“Poverty”withprogrammaticpageslikethe“AmericanCommunitySurvey.”Themesandprogramsshouldbeseparatedouttoreflectthedifferentframeworksofthecasualandexpertuser.Acasualuserdoesnotknowwhatthe“AmericanCommunitySurvey”isbutunderstandstheword“Poverty.”
FindoutmoreaboutpersonasatUsability.gov
3Engagementreferstotheuser’slevelofinterestinthecontentofthesiteandwillingnesstointeractfurther.
Figure4 ‐ Recovery.govdemonstratesonestrategyforuserself‐assignmentorself‐selection
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ANoteaboutCensusBureauNeutralityTheCensusBureauleadersmadeitclearthatwhiletellingstorieswiththeCensusBureaudatawashighlyvaluableforusers,theCensusBureauhadaresponsibilitytotheAmericanpublictoremainpoliticallyneutral.InSection2,werecommendasafepathfordefiningstorytellinglimitsintheemerginginformationageandgovernancestructuresforensuringonlyappropriateinterpretationsreachthepublic.
4. CultivateStorytellingToday,thestudent,teacher,orordinaryresidentlookingforanswersisconfrontedwithaglutofinformation.AnInternetsearchontopicssuchaspopulation,poverty,homelessness,orhousingyieldshundredsofthousandsofpossibleresourcesindozensofdifferentformats.AlthoughtheCensusBureauhasanenormousqualityandvolumeadvantageovermostcompetingsites,theCensusBureauisstillinheatedcontentionfortopbillingonsearchresultsagainstlessreliableandlessinformedsources.WhilecullingthroughdatasetsonCensus.govwillsatisfyexpertusers,thegeneralpublicneedsanswersservedupinformatsthatarereadilyfoundandcomprehended.“Quickfacts”and“PopulationFinder”aregoodexamplesofdirectlyaddressingcasualusers’high‐levelquestionsabouttheirstate.Thisapproachofofferingcurateddatashouldbecontinuedandexpanded.TheCensusBureaucanprovideadditionalvaluetothepublicbydrawingoutthemeaningofthedatainthesesources.Whilealargeportionofsiteusersarelookingforasingledatapoint,(e.g.thepopulationofastate),manywantconclusionsabouttrendsorcomparisonsacrosspopulations,locations,orindustries.Goodstorytellingengagescustomersinawaythatstandalonestatisticscannotbyidentifyingandinterpretingthesetrends.WerecommendthattheCensusBureaugrowacentralizedstorytellingunitthatinterpretsinformationtoaddresstopicalissues.Thesestorytellerswouldframeuserinterests,identifyimportantdatastories,classifyeachstory’spropermediapresentation(e.g.,staticdatapresentation,blog,article,report,interactivefeature),andselectappropriatevisualdisplays(e.g.,tables,graphs,infographics,article,interactivemap).
Figure5 ‐ TheGlobal ReachBlogdemonstrateseffectivestorytelling
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StatisticalStorytellingResources:
TheUnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforEurope(UNECE)’sMakingDataMeaningful HansRosling's200Countries,200Years,4Minutes‐TheJoyofStats‐BBCFour
5. CreateaCuratedTheme‐BasedLayeronCensus.govTheCensusBureauproducesanenormousvolumeofvaluableinformation,toomuchforasinglehomepagetodelivereventocasualuserswithdiversequestionsabouttheNation.Currently,theCensusBureaumaintainssometheme‐basedpagesthatpullinformationfromacrossmultipledatasources.Werecommendthesepagesbeupdatedinmuchthesamemannerdescribedforthehomepage.Thisimprovednavigationlayershouldtargettheinfrequentvisitorsandproduceaunifiednavigationalexperiencethatunderscoresthevalueoftheinformationandorientscasualuserstothelocationwithanswerstotheirspecificquestions.Thesetoolswillhelpengagetheinfrequentuser:
AlandingpagethatexplainswhattheCensusBureauoffersonthistopic Stories,snapshots,graphs,andblogsrelatedtofrequentlyexploredinformation Commonquestionslinkedtocommondataviews(particulardisplaysofdata) Topicaltake‐awaymaterialsforsharing(e.g.,asnapshotgraphicsuitableforFacebook)
Ourexpertreviewof51CensusBureausubsitesshowedthatwhileallthreepersonatestersexperiencedsomedifficultyfindinganswersonthesesites,thesubsitenavigationandlayoutswasserviceableoverall.CensusBureauleadersshouldfocusoncreatinganoverarchinginformationlayerthattiesCensus.gov’smanyinformationsourcestogether.Werecommendcreatingatierofnavigationtargetingthecasualandsophisticatedpersonas.Thesepageswouldbeorganizedbyfamiliartopics(e.g.,poverty).Eachtopicorthemewouldhaveacuratedpagedesignedtoguidetheusertoanswersforthemostcommontopics.Whenpossible,informationoratoolonthepagewouldaddresstheneeddirectly,suchasthepopulationclockorthelocationfinderonthecurrenthomepage.Whenreferringuserstospecificdatasets,thethematiclayershouldprovidetheuserswithguidanceonchoosingtheappropriatedatasourcefortheirneeds.Thesethematicpagesshouldbeentirely“owned”byacentralauthorityrepresentingcustomerinterestsandtheoverallCensusBureaumissionratherthancompetingprogrampriorities.Thiscentralauthorityshouldselectmaterialsgeneratedbythedirectoratesand,withappropriatereviewbycontentowners,repackageforthecasualpersona.
Examplesofsiteswiththematiclayers:
WorldBankGroup
AustralianBureauofStatistics
StatisticsNetherlands
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Comparing the Census Bureau and World Bank Treatment of Poverty TheWorldBankpovertypage,whilenotperfect,moresuccessfullyengagesthecasualuser.
6. ExpandandImproveBlogsBasedonCustomerInputBlogsarearelativelylow‐costwaytoincreasetransparencyinagovernmentagencyandengagethepublic.ExecutiveGov.comranksthefivebestgovernmentblogsfromtheseCIOsites:theCIOoftheGSA,theCIOoftheDepartmentofNavy,theFederalCIO,theFDATransparencyBlog,andNASACIO’sblog.ThesesitesdemonstratewhatExecutiveGov.comauthorsidentifyasthemostimportantaspectsofablog:1)allowsdirectfeedbackfromthepublic;2)providesadirectlinktothethoughtleadersshapingagencyactivities;3)putsahumanfaceonthegroup;and4)demonstratesawillingnesstocommunicate.Censushasthreeofficialblogs:“RandomSamplings,”“TheDirector’sBlog,”andthe“GlobalReachBlog.”Thesesitesrepresentstrongbestpractice.Inadditiontomeetingthefourcriteriaabove,theblogsareinteresting,wellmaintained,andstrikethecorrecttoneforengagingaudiences.ThenextstepfortheCensusBureauleadersistomeasureexistingblogactivitiesandstudyhowincreasedmarketingactivities(e.g.,outreachtoprofessionalgroups)andexperimentationwithdifferentstylesandtopicsincreasetheblogreadership.Aftergettingabetterunderstandingofexistingblogs,Censusleadersmightstudyusers’interestsinblogsrepresentingotherthematicareasatCensus.gov.
The Census Bureau Poverty‐ Intranet format‐ No graphics‐ No answers for casual users
World Bank Poverty‐ Brochure format‐ Engaging graphics‐ Engaging stories
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LearnmoreaboutFederalblogsatthesesites:ExecutiveGov.comTheFiveBestGovernmentBlogsandTheSixReasonsWhyTheyWork.(AccessedMarch28,2011)USA.gov’slistofGovernmentagencieswithBlogsisidentified
Two Excellent Resources for Improving User Engagement FortheCensusBureauBusinessLeaders
For theCensusBureauITLeaders
“HowTo.gov provides the tools and ideas you need to effectively serve, engage, and support your customers, no matter how they choose to interact with you.”
“Aone‐stopsourceforgovernmentwebdesignerstolearnhowtomakewebsitesmoreusable,useful,andaccessible.Thesiteaddressesabroadrangeoffactorsthatgointowebdesignanddevelopment.”
Strategic planning and coordinating customer service channels;
Federalwebrequirementsandpolicies;
Cloudcomputing,apps,dataandwebinfrastructuretools;
Onlineresidentengagementthroughsocialmediaandopengovernment;
Webcontentmanagement,usability,anddesign;and
Contactcenterservices.
Plan and design usable sites by collecting data on what users need;
Develop prototypes; Conduct usability tests and write up results;
and Measure trends and demographics.
http://www.howto.gov/about‐us http://usability.gov/OneofthebestwaystodemonstratethebenefitstoCensusBureauleadershipofusingthesetwowebsitesistodeterminehowotherU.S.governmentagencieshavetakenadvantageofthebestpracticeguidance,recommendations,andtoolsprovidedonthesewebsites.Thiscanbeaccomplishedbyassigninganappropriatestaffmembertocloselyexamineeachsitewithaneyetowardssuccessstories.
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QUICKWINS
Revisethehomepagetoincludemoreinvitinggraphicsandstoriespulledfromexistingsources.
Revisetheexistingthematicpagestoincludeanswerstofrequentquestionsandcontextinformationforcasualusers.
Generatenewmaterialsusingdesktopvisualizationsoftwareandafocusedpilotteam.
LONGER‐TERMWINS
Placehomepageandthematictieronenterpriselevelcontentmanagementsystem. CreatenewthematicpagesandWeb2.0features. Centralizetheservicesunderlyingthecontentofeachwebproperty(e.g.,searchand
indexing,compliancetesting,stylesheets). Enforceusabilitydesignandtestingrequirementsformajorinvestments.
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HelpPeopleFindaResourceII.Thefirstchallengefacingallinformationeffortstodayisattractingviewerstomaterialandhelpingthemfindtheresourcetheyneed.Whileindividualbehaviorsvary,atypicalusermightusethefollowingstrategyforlocatinginformation:
Findsitethoughaseeminglyrelevantcontentsnippet,throughaSearchEngineorreferrallink.
Scanarrivalpageforrelevantinformation. Navigateonpromisinglinks. Ifstillengaged,usethesearchboxtofindmorerelevantmaterialwithinthatspecificsite
domain.Awell‐designedwebcampaignwillsupportusersateachstageofthesearch.Searchengineresultswillbemanipulatedtoraiseprominentmaterialhigherinrank.Pageswillorienttheusertositecontentandmost‐requestedmaterialfaster.Navigationwillbetargetedtotheanticipatedaudience’sexpectations,makingitsusemoreattractive.Finally,onsitesearchwillbeengineeredtodriveuserstothebest/preferredresourcesforthehighest‐valueterms.
7. TargettheCasualUserWhilealluserswillbenefitfromimprovedsearchandnavigation,theCensusBureauwebdesignersshouldfocusonthecasualuser.Expertandsophisticateduserswilltoleratehavinglesssupportinfindingmaterialsgiventheirprofessionaldemands,thefrequencyoftheirvisits,andtheirtypicallymoreprecisesearchterms.Thecasualuser,ontheotherhand,willhavelessmotivationtostayontheCensusBureauwebsiteifdisappointedwithsearchresults.
8. ImprovetheSearchExperienceforUsers
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) SearchEngineOptimizationisaprocessthatwebdevelopersusetoensuretheirsite’swebpagesarerankedashighlyaspossibleintheresultslistedatmajorsearchengines.Therearemanyfactorsthatinfluencesearchrankings,including:
Numberofuniquevisitors Relevanceofpagetexttothe
searchterm Theuseofmeta‐tags
describingthedataitself Consistencyofterms
betweenpagetextandmeta‐tags
Frequencywithwhichthecontentisupdated
Numberofreferringlinks Governmentstatus Figure6 ‐ U.S.CensusBureaubeatsWikipediaonpovertysearch
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TheCensusBureaudoesextremelywellinsomesearchtermsdueinlargeparttoitsstatusasagovernmentagencyandthehighvolumeandvalueofCensusBureaudata.Forexample,theCensusBureausucceedsinoverallrankingsformajorkeywordslike“poverty”(ranks#1,withanestimated1.8millionmonthlysearches),or“theCensusBureau”(ranks#1‐#6,withanestimated3.35millionmonthlysearches),or“population”(ranks#5,withanestimated9.14millionmonthlysearches).However,inmanycaseskeytermsbringbackmultipleCensusBureaupagesthatcompetefortheuser’sattention.Thisunintended“noise”canconfuseusersormisdirectthemtooutdateddata.TheCensusBureaushouldfocusonSEOeffortsthatnotonlypromoteCensus.govingeneralbutalsodrivetheoptimumorderwithintheCensusBureaupagereturns.
Improve the Onsite Search Census.govusestheGoogleSearchAppliancetoenhanceonsitesearch.TheApplianceisanindustryleaderandasoundinvestment.However,atpresent,onsitesearchusingtheGoogleAppliancedoesnotperformaswellforthecasualandsophisticateduserastheexternalGooglesearchengine.Searchesformanycommontermsbringresultsfromamixofdifferentsub‐sitesormedia,anddosoatvaryinglevelsofdetail.Forexample,typingin“homesales”bringsbackalistofpagesthatwouldconfusetheuser.Expertswouldhavesimilarissuessearchingforcertaintermssuchas“StatisticalAbstract,”whichreturnsthe“State&LocalGov’tFinances&Employment”pagewithinthewebsiteasthefirstsearchresult,butdoesnotreturntheStatisticalAbstractmainpagewithinthefirstfewpagesofsearchresults.(Manycomponentwebsitemainpagesdonotappearinsearchresultswhenqueryingusingpagetitles[52%]ortextfromthepage[46%].)CensusBureauITstaffmembersalreadyhavetheskillstoimprovethesesearchresults;however,theymaylacktheresources.GoogleSearchallowswebmasterstotagpagesandprovideweightstopagestoindicaterelevanceonthesite.The“Keyterms”featurecan“pushresults”toguideuserstotheappropriatelandingpages.Byvaryingthesesettingsandtags,theCensusBureaucandriveallsimpletermsearchestothematicpageslike“poverty”or“housing”whileallowingexpertuserstousemore‐specifictermslike“decennialhousingtheCensusBureauunitsinstructure”tolandondataset‐specificpages(non‐thematic).
Figure7 ‐ Onsitesearchfor“HomeSales”bringsbackaconfusingresultspage.
Figure8 ‐ VisitTrueKnowledgeandseeanintuitiveandpowerfulsearchengine
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The“KeyTerm”strategyisalreadydemonstratedonCensus.gov.However,havingcomponentwebsitesmanagedbydifferentteamsondifferentplatformsmakesmanagingthesefederatedsearchescomplicated.
9. ProvideaVisualSiteMapforCasualUsersCasualusersvisitthesitewithlittleunderstandingoftheCensusBureau’sorganizationalstructureorthespecificinformationproducts(e.g.AmericanCommunitySurvey)itprovides.Whilethecurrent“SubjectsAtoZ”pagemayservetheexpertuserwithamentalframeworkofCensus.gov,numerouswhitepapersandbestpracticestudiesindicatethatacasualuserwillnotreadthroughanalphabeticallistof400+linkstofindthenextnavigationlink.Bycomparison,usersofasearchenginerarelylookatresults11‐20onPage2ofakeywordsearch,letaloneresults391‐400onPage40.Casualusersdounderstandthetopictheyareinvestigating(e.g.,incomelevels.)Theyshouldbepresentedwithavisualsitemaporganizedbythemesandtheirsubtopics.
ExamplesofGovernmentSiteswithGoodVisualSitemaps
NASASitemap
DepartmentofDefense
10. PruneandCollapseMaterialAsmentioned,Census.govhasanenormousamountofcontentbyanystandardormeasure.WhileofferingagreatdealofinformationisgenerallyablessinginthenewworldofWeb2.0,thereareseriousnegativeimplicationsformaintainingoutofdate,unpopular,orredundantinformation.Issuesthatfrustrateanddriveawayusersinclude:
Crowdedsearchresultsandnavigationoptions Out‐of‐dateinformation Competinginformationsources4
Censusleaderscanaddresstheseissuesbyenforcinglifecyclemanagementpoliciesthattrackonlinepostingsandassigndateswhenresponsiblepartiesmustupdateorremovematerial.Thisprocesswillbegreatlyimprovedandsimplifiedbyacontentmanagementsystemthatcanautomaticallyalertcontentownersthatmaterialis“agingout,”andautomaticallyarchiveexpiredmaterials.Contentwithongoingrelevance(e.g.,historicalanalysis)shouldstillhaveanownerandbeperiodicallyupdatedforpresentationissuessuchasemergingbrowserstandardsornewCensuslookandfeeltemplates.Onlineitemsthatservethesameaudienceandpurposeshouldbeconsolidatedtoreduceconfusion.Archivepoliciesshouldbeflexibletoavoidtwocommonmistakes:1)archivingoldbutrelevantmaterial(e.g.,historicaldatasets),and2)organizingreview
4Forexample,boththeAmericanCommunitySurvey(http://www.census.gov/acs/www/)andCurrentPopulationSurvey(http://www.census.gov/cps/)provideinformationabouthouseholdincome.Theincomewebsiteherehttp://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/method/guidance/index.htmlprovidesguidanceaboutwhichdatasourcetousefordifferenttypesofquestions.However,thisisunlikelytohelpthecasualuser.
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systemsaroundindividualsandfailingtoanticipatecontentownerturnover.QUICKWINS
PublishthesearchenginesitemapprovidedbyAbtAssociates.Thismapwillinformsearch
enginesaboutthesiteshierarchyandhelprank‐orderresults. Createavisualsitemapforenduserstoreplacethe“SubjectsAtoZ”sitemap,ortostand
besideit. Paredownunusedmaterialsthatmaydistractusersfrommore‐relevantmaterial. Conductaproactivemarketingcampaigntopartneringagenciestohelpposition
targeted/relatedlinksontheirsites. IncludetheCensusBureaulinksonallhardcopyandPDFmaterialssentoutbytheCensus
Bureau. Prioritizecontent(currently,alllinksintheXMLsitemapsareranked8outof10,showing
nodistinctioninvalueofthelinkbetweenthebestcontentandtheworst).Byshowingdepth,searchengineswillpushuserstothemostappropriatepages.
ConsiderbuyingAdWordstoadvertisetheCensusBureauproductsinareaswithpoornativesearchrankings.
Createa301redirectforhttp://census.gov,whichshouldautomaticallyredirectuserstohttp://www.census.gov.
LONGER‐TERMWINS
Createasystemforenteringmetadataonallwebcontent.
IntegratetagsandHTML5flagsintowebcontent. Introduceindexingacrossallsites. AdoptanenterpriseCMSthatwillautomateandstandardizesitemapping,tagging,
indexing,and,mostimportantly,thesitesearch. Setlifecyclemanagementpoliciesonallonlinematerials,forcingthemtobereviewedor
archivedbyowners.
AmericanMobileUseIsUbiquitous
293 million wireless subscriptions
93% penetration
$155B annual revenue
173B annual SMS messages
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HelpPeopleConnectwithMobileStrategiesIII.Mobilephoneusehassurpassedallothertechnicalmediainrateofadoptionandtotaladoption.Acrosstheworldthesmartphoneisbecomingthemostfrequentlyaccessedcomputerplatform.Stayingrelevanttoanewgenerationofuserswhousethephonetoexploretheworldandresearchinformationrequiresanewmentalframeworkforinformationworkers.Withsmallerscreensandnarrowertransmissionpipes,mobilesharingdoesnotlenditselftoexploringdatasetsortoexhaustivenavigationstrategies.Mobileinformationmustbeintelligentlytargetedtoitsaudienceandthestrengthsofthesmall‐screeninterface.
11. EnhancetheMobileBrowsingExperienceMobilebrowsingistheequivalentofsurfingthewebonacomputer.Mobilebrowsingavoidsthetremendoustechnicalcomplicationsinvolvedincreatingprograms(apps)forthemanydifferentoperatingsystemsandversionsonthemarket;however,someautomatedfeaturesarenotavailablethroughtheseapps,(e.g.integrationwithotherapplications).Onsmaller‐screenmobiledevices,browsingstandardwebsitescanbeapainfulexperience,withtoomuchscrolling,toomanymagnifications,andlongpageloaddelays.Effectivelyservingamobileaudiencecallsforthedevelopmentofdedicatedmobilepageswithsimplifiednavigation,limitedgraphics,andscreenaccommodations.Manymoderncontentmanagementsystemssimplifythewebprogrammer’sworkbyautomaticallyproducingmobilepagesthatreducepageclutterinlogicalways.
12. On‐DeviceMobileApplicationsAreDifferentfromMobileBrowsing
Mobileappsareprogramsdesignedspecificallyforhandheldcomputersorsmartphones.Whiletherehavebeenhundredsofgovernmentexperimentswithmobileapps,thevastmajoritygoun‐downloadedandunused.Theonesthatdosucceedoffercustomersapracticalsolutiontoarealchallenge,andoftenrolloutwithacustomerawarenesscampaign.Successfulmobileappstypicallysharethesefeatures:
Builtforrepeateduse Targetedtowardonegoal Location‐oriented
ThetricktocreatingasuccessfulappintheUnitedStatesisfindingasolutionthatamobilephonecanprovidebetterthanapersonalcomputer.Appsmustbetargetedtoaspecificgroupwithaspecificrepeatedneed.Thisgenerallyequatestoajob(e.g.,arealtorordeveloperfrequentlyexploringdifferentlocations).
Example of Mobile Web Browsing WeunderstandthattheCensusBureauislookingintomobileWebbrowsingfordeliveringinformation.Inourreviewofexternal
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statisticalagenciesweidentifiedStatisticsSingaporeasagoodexampleofdeliveryoflatestkeyindicatorsofSingapore’seconomyandsocietybyusing“DataonSMS”.MobileWebbrowsinghasbeenimplementedattheAustralianBureauofStatistics.TheABShasimplementedahandheldstylesheetthatremovesimages.Theirapproachmakesitfeasibletoprovidefast‐loadingpagestodatausersonahandhelddevice.“MyTSA”,aRoleModelforTargetedAppsTheTransportationSecurityAdministrationrecentlywontheBestGovernmentMobileAppAwardfortheir“MyTSA”appfromtheAmericanCouncilforTechnologyandIndustryAdvisoryCouncil.Theapplicationdemonstratesastrongappreciationformatchinginformationsolutionstoreal‐worldconsumerneeds.Thetool’sfourfeaturesoffertravelerstimelyinformationon1)airportdelays,2)itemsthatareandarenotallowedonflights,3)packinganddressingforacceleratingsecuritytransits,and4)securityareawaittimes.ThetoolfurtherdemonstratesbestpracticebyleveraginginformationfromexternalsourcesliketheF.A.A.andpassengersenteringtheirownwaittimes.
13. GivetheSophisticatedUseraTargetedOn‐DeviceAppWebelievethemaintargetforasuccessfulappisthesophisticateduser,i.e.,aspecificprofessionalwithaspecificrecurringtaskthatwarrantsuseofanapporonlinemobileapplication.Intheshortterm,casualusersareunlikelytohaveasustainedrelationshipwithCensusBureaudataandexpertusersarelikelytorequireonlyalerts(viaemailorRSS)fornewdataandresources.
An Example of a Targeted App for Census Inthe1990stheCensusBureauandFEMAleadersmettodiscusstheideaofanonlinesystemforfeedingtimelyinformationtodisasterworkersinthefield.Whiletheeffortwasnotadvancedatthetime,CensusBureauleadersmentionedthisasapromisingcollaboration.AnappthatprovidedFEMAworkerswithCensusBureaudataaboutadisasterareaoveracellphonewouldhavemanysuccessfactors:1)highportability,2)easilylocalizedinformation,3)relevantinformation,4)prescribedhardwareandoperatingsystems,and5)nobetteralternative.Moreover,themostdifficultpartofthisprogrammingmayalreadybeavailablethroughanexistingopensourceappproducedbyESRI,theleadingGISvendor.ViewtheESRIPopulationAppandwatchthedemoat:http://www.esri.com/software/bao‐ios/demos.html
Figure9 ‐ ESRIBOAIPhoneApplocalizestheCensusBureaudata
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QUICKWINS
Asnewpagesarecreated,particularlythethematicpagesaccessedbygeneralusersandfrequentlyaccesseditems(likeblogsforexpertusers),ensurethateachwebpagehasamobilebrowsingpage.
AdvertisetheupcomingAPIfeaturesonAmericanFactFinderandData.govtoprogrammeraudienceswhocurrentlycreateappsusingpopulationoreconomicdata.(RemembertoaskthemtoincludetheCensusBureaubrandonappropriatetools!)
Holda“Challenge”inwhichtheCensusBureauoffersprizestodevelopersforcreatingacompellingCensusBureauapp.SupportforChallengesisavailableatChallenge.gov.
LONGER‐TERMWINS
TheCensusBureaushouldconductauserstudytodeterminehowcustomersuseorwould
liketousetheCensusBureautoolsonsmartphonesandtablets. TheCensusBureauleadershipshouldcreateamobilestrategythatdefineshowinternal
andexternalmobilesolutionsservetheCensusBureaumission. TheCensusBureaushouldlookforaContentManagementSystemthat1)automatically
createsmobilepagesbystrippingoutnon‐essentialimagesand2)automaticallydetectsmobiledevicesandservesmobilepages.
VisitthesesitestolearnaboutGovernmentapps:
TSA’sAwardWinning CivicAppsforGreaterPortland Usa.govAppsShowcase NASAAppsforSmartphones AndroidMarketplace IPhoneAppsStore MiningGovernmentData:TheFutureoftheMobileCity ESRICaseStudies
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HelpPeopleExploreDataIV.Acommonthemeacrossthewebdiscoveryinterviewswasthedesiretoprovideuserswithaneasierandmorefulfillingexperienceexaminingdata.Itemsmentionedincluded:
StandardizingtheformatsinwhichsimilardataweredisplayedacrosstheCensusBureau Providinginteractivemappingandgraphsinmorereports,blogs,andpressreleases GivingCensusBureaustaffmemberstoolsforcreatingbettervisualizations Allowinguserstosharetheirvisualizations
Toolsaboundforprovidingallmannerofuserswithdataexplorationtools.WeprovideanalysisanddecisionsupportmaterialsforselectingdataexplorationsolutionsinAppendixB.Inthissectionwediscussthestrategydrivingimplementationofthesetools.WerecommendthattheCensusBureauconsiderdataexplorationnotasasinglesolutionbutaspectrumofsolutions.Theadjacentfigureillustratesacommonmethodfordistinguishingdataexplorationapproaches.Heredatadiscoveryplatformsthatmanipulatedataintableformataremoreappropriatefor,say,researchersfamiliarizingthemselveswithdatasets,whileaninfographicillustratingasingleconclusionismoreappropriateforthecasualuser.Webdesignerswanttomatchthedataexplorationexperiencetothesituation.Themostimportantfactorstoconsiderinclude:
Thedatastoryyouaretryingtotell Thetargetaudienceorpersonayouaretryingtoreach Thetechnologyyouanticipateusersviewingon(e.g.,mobilephone,PC,Facebook)
ThereareseveralgeneralassumptionswecanmakeaboutthethreeCensusBureaupersonas;implicationsaredrawnoutbelow.
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14. GivetheCasualUserPreparedDataViewsAsmentionedabove,thecasualusercomestothesitewithaspecifictypeofquestioninmind.Theagency’sbestpracticeapproachistoanticipatethenatureofthosequestionsandprovideananswerinthemostappropriateformat.Datadiscoveryandvisualizationtoolsofferedtothecasualusershouldhaveaninitialviewstatethatclearlyshowsthekindofanswersavailableonthetoolandlimitedoptionsforexploring.Forexample,iftheusersareinterestedinincomeintheirstate,theymaybeofferedamapoftheUnitedStateswithincomelevelsgroupedbycolorandthechoicetoselecttheirstate(bydropdownorpointandclick.)Thesedisplaysaremosteffectiveinthecontextofastory.Inthisexample,themapcouldbeembeddedinthepovertythematicpageexplainingtheCensusBureaumissiononPoverty.TheCensusBureaureportersorstorytellersshouldconstructvisualsforthecasualuseraspartofanorganizedcampaigntoreachandengagetheseusers.Thevisualsprovideopportunitiestoexplorefurtherandmayrestonthemoreadvancedtoolsusedbysophisticatedorexpertusers.However,theCensusBureaushouldnotovertaxthecasualuser,norassumealevelofpatience,orknowledgeofthedatastructure,thetopic,orfacilitywithonlineapplications,thatmatchesthesophisticatedusers.InSection3,wedescribetoolsthatwillempowerthereporterstocreateengaginggraphics.Becarefultoavoiddesigningcomplicatedsolutionsforsimpleanswers.TheCensusBureauQuickfacts,forexample,areprobablystillexcellentdatadisplaysforsomepurposes.
Getinspiredwiththesevisualizationsites:
TheChronicleofHigherEducation–AdultswithCollegeDegrees TheInfographicsShowcase WellBeingoftheNationMapped DataChurch InformationisBeautiful TheGalleryofBestandWorstDataVisualizations InfographicWorld DavidMcCandless MartinWattenberg
Figure10 ‐InformationisBeautifuldemonstratesimpressivevisualizations
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15. GivetheSophisticatedUserInteractiveToolsThesophisticatedusers,peoplesearchingforanswersorideasrelatedtotheirprofessions,arelikelytheCensusBureauaudiencemostdesiringinteractivetools.(Theexpertuserismostgratefulforasimpledatadownloadorwebservicedatastream.)Theprofessionalislikelytousedatadiscoverytoolstoaccomplishthesetypesofactivities:
Explorenewdataforpatternsortrends
Findevidencetosupportorrefuteaninvestigation
Becomefamiliarwithadatasetpriortodownloading
Checkafact
16. ExperimentBeforeInvestinginDataExplorationPlatformsBeforeinvestingagreatdealofmoneyandeffortinanenterprise‐levelpublic‐facingdatavisualizationplatform,theCensusBureaushouldexperimentwithfreeorsmallinvestmentsystemstobetterunderstandtheirusers’needsandchoosewisely.Asinformationworkers,weareinclinedtooverestimatethecapacityforthegeneralpublic,ourcasualuser,tounderstandortolerateonlinedatatools.Meanwhile,theexpertusermayskipovertheonlinedatatools,preferringtodownloadthedesireddataandmanipulateitontools(e.g.,SAS)withwhichheorsheisproficient.Fortunately,thereareseveralopportunitiesforbringingdataexplorationtoolstoCensusBureauvisitorswithlittletechnologyinvestment.
Embrace the Data.Gov Initiative Data.govoffersatremendousopportunityfortheCensusBureautoexplorethepotentialofapowerful(andexpensive)datadiscoveryandvisualizationenginewhileincurringrelativelyverylittlecost.UsingdatasetscleanedandstandardizedfortheAmericanFactFindereffort,theCensusBureaucanshiftallmaintenanceandlicensingeffortstothiscentralservice.Onceonboard,theCensusBureaustorytellerscanusetheenginetoexpandvisualizationsinstoriesandengagetheCensusBureauaudiencedirectlyviatheData.govsharingfeatures.
Figure11 ‐ APrototypeofaCensusBureauSiteonSocrata
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Thisdatadiscoverysystemcanbeusedinthisway:
1. AllowCensusBureaustaffmemberstogainfamiliaritywiththistypeofplatform.2. Conductusertestsonplatformwithtargetaudiences.3. EmbedtheCensusBureaubranding,redirects,andmetadatatagsintosystem.4. Provideafree,powerfulAPI
Powered by Socrata Socrataisoneoffivecompaniesselectedbydata.govtopowerdifferentaspectsoftheirupcomingonlinedatadiscoverytools.Socratawilloffer:
Abrandedhomepageforagencies Datavisualizationandfiltering AflexibleAPIandembeddablecode Publicdiscussionandviewstatesharing
Figure12‐SocrataproducedCensusBureaudemonstrationsiteathttp://census.socrata.com
ViewtheseSocrataDemonstrations:
http://census.socrata.com/ CensusBureaudataonSocrata SocrataoverviewVideo AvideodemonstrationofputtingbrandingonSocrata
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Alternative: Google Public Data Explorer GoogleLabshasproducedabetaproductthatallowsthepublictouploaddatasetstoanautomatedvisualizationtool.TheCensusBureaumightconsiderthisembeddablemappingtoolasanalternativetoitsmorepowerfulengines(e.g.,ArcGISandAFF).TheGoogleteamisinterestedinspeakingwithpotentialuserstoshapetheiroffer.CensusBureauleaderscanexperimentwiththetooltodayusingCensusBureaudataalreadyloaded.AsasourceofsomeofthemostdesirabledataintheNation,GoogleislikelytopayattentiontoanyserioussuggestionsfromtheCensusBureau.TheCensusBureaumightexplore:
More‐sophisticatedmetadataannotationtoflagnuancesintheinformation OverlayoptionsfordisplayingotherCensusBureaudatainaccurateways BetterCensusBureaubranding(therearecitationslinkingbacktotheCensusBureau
currently) CapacityforembeddingGooglePDEintheCensusBureaupages
Figure13‐AGooglePublicDataExplorerviewofCensusBureaudatainMaryland
ReadanarticleaboutembeddingGooglePublicDataExplorerinyoursiteNote:CensusBureauleadershavementionedGooglevisualizationasacompetitorwiththeCensusBureauinstorytelling.We,however,seeGoogleasapotentialbenefitfortheCensusBureauforseveralreasons.1)TheCensusBureauiscitedonthesetoolsandassociatingwithanotherstrongbrand.2)RedirectsfromtheGoogletooltotheCensusBureauraisetheCensusBureau’sprofileonsearchengines.3)TheCensusBureaumightinthefutureleverageGoogletoolswithinitsownsitenavigation.
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17. TailorAmericanFactFindertoExpertsWhileexpertsmaybenefitfromotherdatadiscoverytoolsenvisionedbytheCensusBureau,AmericanFactFinderprovidestheprimaryresourcetheseprofessionalsintimatelyfamiliarwiththeCensusBureaurequire:directaccesstothedatafiles.TheCensusBureaushouldfocusonunderstandingthisusergroup’sexperienceusingAFFandtailortheproducttosupporttheexpertuser’sreuseandredistributionoftheCensusBureaudatasets.OngoingrefinementstoAFFmayintimemakeitpopularwithsophisticatedusers;however,casualusersareunlikelytoexperimentlongwithasystemthatretrievestables.
VisitFederalSiteswithInterestingDataExplorationSolutions
ITDashboard FedStatlistofFederalDataSources
QUICKWINS
Selectadesktopvisualizationtoolwithwhichtoexperimentasastandardstorytellingtool. Formasmallpilotgrouptocreatedatavisualizationsforacircumscribedproduct(e.g.,all
data‐relatedpressreleases). Placeinteractivemapsonexistingthemepagesusingselectiontools. Createandbrand12newCensusBureaudataviewsondata.govandmarketthemto
sophisticatedusers. EmbedaCensusBureauGooglePublicDataExplorerdataviewintoCensus.govto
demonstratecapacitytoleverageoutsideserviceswhileretainingbrandownership.
LONGER‐TERMWINS
CreateaCensus.govdatavisualizationstandardandsupportservicealignedwiththeneedsofmajoraudiences.Thiswouldincludemapanddatadiscoveryserviceconfigurablebystorytellersandengagingforcasualusers;adatadiscoveryplatformforsophisticatedusers;andanever‐improvingAFFforexperts.(Servicesandtoolsmayoverlap.)
CreatestandardsandpoliciesforleveragingoutsideservicestoaccomplishtheCensusBureaugoals.
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HelpPeopleShareCensusBureauInformationV.Thebestinformationsitesgobeyonddatadownloadsandonsitetools.Thesesitesallowcustomerstotakeinformationproductslikemaps,datavisualizations,articles,anddataextractsandsharethemwithothers.TheCensusBureaualreadydemonstratespocketsofexpertiseinusingthebestdisseminationstrategies.Theseareeffectivestrategiesthatshouldbeexpandedandimproved:
Sharethisand“Likes”–Thisfeatureallowsuserstoshareinterestingmaterial(anarticle,ablogentry)
API–AllowprogrammerstoreadilystreamdatafromtheCensusBureautootherexternal(orinternal)programs
MobileappsandbrowsingexpandsutilityandpresenceoftheCensusBureauinformation
Widgets,smallcodeinserts,allowotherdeveloperstoembedtheCensusBureauproductsorinformationontheirsites
SocialMediaPresence(someCensusBureauprogramsusesites’socialmediastrategiessuchasFacebookandYouTubesuccessfully)
18. CreateaStrategicPlanforCasualandSophisticatedUsersSharingCensusBureauData
Whilelow‐cost,low‐effortsolutionslike“Sharethis”mightnotcallforanelaboratecampaignplan,sharingtoolssuchasAPIs,mobileapps,widgets,andevensocialmediasiteparticipationrequirethoughtfulplanning.Thetoolsthemselvesarewellestablished;however,moreoftenthannot,organizationsfailtocreateproductsormarketingstrategiesthatendwithwidecustomeradoption.
Study the Customer Thekeytocreatingasuccessfuldisseminationstrategyandtoolisunderstandingtheintendedaudienceandtheirneeds.Thereareseveralcomplementarystrategiesforunderstandinguserneeds:
Measuretheuseofeachtoolandtrackitsuseacrosstheweb. Conductalandscapeanalysisstudyingthetargetaudiences’activities/interestsonother
sites. Conductfocusgroups,surveys,orthoughtleaderinterviews. Hostonlinediscussionsassociatedwithexistingtools. Interviewdata‐repackagingorganizationslikethosebusinessessupplyingvisualizationsto
mediaoutlets.Finally,theleadersidentifiedproblemswithfiltering,whichaffectresultswhensmallchangesoccurinsubgroupsinanypartofthecountry.Similarly,thestructureofstandarderrorsaffectspointestimateswhenthereareverysmallsamplesforanysubgroup.Forexample,20non‐
FactsonCensusBureauFeedsTheCensusBureauhas48RSSfeedsincluding2audiofeeds(podcasts).http://www.census.gov/main/www/feeds.html‐4generalfeeds‐4newsreleasefeedsalsoin35subjectnewsreleasefeeds‐3blogfeeds‐ 2audiofeedpodcasts
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HispanicAsianswouldexpandto600Asiansasapointestimate+/‐1800.Thisfiltersoutthesmallsubgroups.
19. PrepareCensusBureauDataFilesforDistributorsResearchers,mediaoutlets,civicplanners,andbusinessleadersareamongthemanypeoplewhodownloadCensusBureaudatafiles.ThesearethechangeagentsthatturnCensusBureaudataintoaction.Theresearch,articles,anddecisionsmadebythesedistributorstouchmillionsofpeopleandrepresentthemajorityoftheCensusBureau’sreal‐worldimpact.GiventheimportanceofthesechangeagentstotheCensusBureauData’sultimatevalue,CensusBureauleadersshouldmakeaconcertedefforttoprovidedatainformatsmostconducivetoreuse.WhileAFFhasmadestridestostandardizemanydatasetsinoneplaceandsomedatasetsarepreparedfordata.gov,interviewedCensusBureauleaderspointedtotheneedforanagency‐widestrategicplanforprovidingauniformapproachtoformattinganddistributingalldatafiles.Suchastrategicplanwouldaddress:
Customerresearch,segmentation,andoutreach(e.g.,usergroups) Standards‐baseddataformatsandAPIs Targetedmarketingefforts Metricsonsatisfactionandimpact
One Customer’s Perspective WespokewithacompanythatspecializesinredistributingCensusBureaudata.TheyaggregateandvisualizeCensusBureaudata.Thisorganizationcreatestheinteractivedisplaysfornewsorganizations.Ourinterviewwithseveralcompanyleadsillustratesthepotentialvalueinholdingdiscussionswithretellersandothercustomers.WhilestaffmembersofthiscompanyrespectedCensusBureaueffortsoverall,theirleadersvoicedseveralfrustrationswithrecentCensusdatareleases.First,theywereconcernedaboutthelackofembargoesatthetimeofdatarelease.Censusdidnotimplementanembargoonthe2009ACSdatarelease,andthismadeitimpossibletoanalyzethedatabeforepublicrelease.Inthepast,Censususedtoprovidea3to5dayembargothatwouldallowtheanalyststoanalyzethedataandtakeittopress.Additionally,51effectivedatareleasesoccurredinonedayandthereleasesoccurredat9:15PM,makingitvirtuallyimpossibletoanalyzethedatabymorning.
Figure14 ‐ Retellers,liketheWashingtonPostandNewYorkTimes,expandthereachandvalueofCensusBureaudata
“Censusbasicallyreleasesthedataflippedupsidedownfromwhatwe
need.Censushasallthesummariesandthensplitstheminto50states;weneeditthe
opposite–weneedallthestatestogetherandthensplitoutbysummary.”AninterviewedRe‐
distributorofCensusBureauData
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Second,theywereconcernedaboutnotificationofdatareleases.Currently,theCensusreleasesdataviatheFTPsiteandAFF,butfileswerenotalwaysavailableonAFF.TheFTPpipewasalsoslow,withoneusergetting1MBPSwith10connections.Thiswascausedbyalargenumberofuserswhoreceivednotificationthroughawebinarandpressrelease.Third,thecurrentcensusdatastructuremakesithardtopreparethedataforanalysis.Presently,Censusreleases117filesforeachstatethathavetobehorizontallymergedandthenpreparedforuse.Thedatawouldbeconsiderablyeasiertouseifthestatesweresplitbysummarylevel.
20. ExperimentwithAmericanFactFinderandData.GovAPIsforExpertUsersandDevelopers
AmericanFactFinderandData.govwillsoonofferAPIservicesformanyCensusBureaudatasets.Thesetwoplatformscouldofferarichopportunityforplanning,implementing,andstudyinghowCensusBureaudataconsumersapproachtheservice.Followingtheirstrategicplan,CensusBureauleadersmightconductapiloteffortpromotingtheservicetoatargetedtypeofconsumerandaskingthemtoevaluatetheservice.AnotherapproachmightbetohostachallengebyofferingmoneytoprogrammingteamswhousetheAPIintheserviceofatoolfurtheringtheCensusBureau’goals.Ineithercase,theinitialgoalforCensusBureauleadersshouldbetoestablishaclearunderstandingofwhattheirmostimportantcustomersneed.
Host a Challenge Manyagencieshaveusedchallengesasalow‐costwaytoengagethepublicandshifttheirdevelopmentfocusoutsidetheagency.Challengecontestsinvitethegeneralpublictocreateasolutiontoaproblemorunmetopportunityposedbytheagency.TheU.S.GeneralServicesAdministration(GSA)inpartnershipwithChallengePostprovidesaplatformandbusinesssupportforlaunchingchallenges.ExistingChallengesrangefrom“suggestions,creationoflogos,videos,digitalgames,andmobileapplicationstoproofsofconcept,designs,orfinishedproductsthatsolvethegrandchallengesofthe21stcentury.”(http://challenge.gov/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&terms=apps)
SeeCongressGrantsBroadPrizeAuthoritytoAllFederalAgencies.
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TheCensusBureauSocialMediaPresence
Facebook–105,985peopleliketheCensusBureaupageonFacebook.Thepagealsohasdiscussionswith15currentdiscussiontopics(asofMarch11,2011).
Twitter–10,659followers,1,320tweets,RSSfeedofCensusBureautweetsavailable.
YouTube–233,478channelviews,621,085uploadviews,1,104subscribers,210uploadsand5playlists.
Flickr–TheCensusBureauFlickrsiteincludes14galleries.Theseincludephotosfrompastandpresentapportionments,historicalCensusBureauphotos,andgraphsofresults.
21. ReinforceExistingSuccessesinSocialMediaTheCensusBureauhasalreadydemonstratedacapacityforcapitalizingonsocialmediatoolstobetterengageitscustomersandraisetheprofileoftheCensusBureauacrosstheweb.TheCensusBureau2010effortmadeextensiveandthoughtfuluseofFacebook,YouTube,Twitter,Flickr,andvarioussharingfeeds;ForeignTradehasused“Like”hood‐instoFacebooktoallowuserstosharetheirblogstories;andmanysitesofferRSSfeedsand/oremailalerts.ThenextstepfortheCensusBureauistocarrythoselessonslearnedforwardtootherCensusBureaucontentandefforts.RestructuringtheCensusBureautoptiernavigationtoincludecuratedthemepages,asrecommendedinSection2,willprovideanopportunitytoengagecustomerswithstoriesandconversations.
22. PrepareSeveralCross‐PlatformSocialMediaCampaignsWhenplanninganorganization’spresenceinSocialMedia,webstrategistsusetheterm“campaign.”Theyrecognizethatwhileagencyleaderscancontrolthetoolsandmessagestheydevelop,theycannotcontrolthepublic’sreactiontothosemessages.Instead,thecampaignmustplan,monitor,andreacttotheresponsesgeneratedbyeachoftheiractions.ThisapproachmaynotbefamiliartoalltheCensusBureauleaders.Fortunately,theCensusBureauasawholehasexperienceconductingsuccessfulcampaigns.Asocialmediacampaignshouldinvolve:
Aspecificactionablegoal(e.g.,increasetheCensusBureausurveyresponse)
Atargetaudience Aclearempiricalunderstandingofthe
targetaudience Alandscapeanalysisdefiningwherethe
targetaudience“lives”online Amarketingandtechnologyplanfor
reachingthem
Figure15 – TheCensus2010teamconductedatextbookcommunicationcampaign
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Compellingcampaigncontent Solidmetricsformeasuringprogresstowardthegoal
23. CapitalizeontheSocialMediaOpportunitiesAllsocialmediaopportunitiesshoulddefinetheenduser,theCensusBureau’sgoal,andthevaluetheenduserwillexperiencewiththesocialmediainteraction.Forexample,whentheForeignTradeDivisionpublishesaGlobalReachblogarticleencouragingpeopletobuydiamondsthatadheretotheKimberleytradeprocess,theCensusBureaubloggersdoseveralthingswell.Theycreateastorythathashumaninterestandmaytravel.TheyreinforcethevalueandvaluesoftheCensusBureau(theprocessretardshumanrightsabuseandimmoralwar).Theyprovidesimplewaystosharethisexperienceby“liking”itonFacebookorsyndicatingitthroughfeedssuchasDel.i.cious.ThethreeactiveCensusBureaublogsdemonstratebestpracticein“stratifying”endusers.TheGlobalReachblogisorientedtobusiness/economicendusers,whiletheRandomSamplingblogcontainsexpertarticles/notesonspecifictopicsofinteresttothegeneralpublicandmore‐experiencedendusersinterestedinaspecifictopic.Recentexamplesofblogpostsinclude“NewOrleans:StillinTransition”and“Black‐OwnedBusinessesGrowatTripletheNationalRate.”TheDirector’sblogisprimarilyorientedtothegeneralpublic,asrecentblogpostssuchas“Snowbirds”and“CollegeStudents”indicate,andbasedonthenumberofcommentsposted.Whenappropriate,aCensusbureaustaffmemberrespondstocomments.Thesethreeblogsdoagoodjobofconveyinginformation,anddonotappeartoneedanymajorimprovementsormodifications.
AresourceforplanningSocialMediaCampaigns:CDC’sTheHealthCommunicator’sSocialMediaToolkit
Visitthesesitesthathelppeopleshareinformation:
TreasuryBlog StatisticsNetherlands
QUICKWINS
PlacetheFacebook“like”featureonallexistingpopularcontentonCensus.govandanynewstories.
CreateTwitterfeedsforallCensusBureaudatareleasesandrelatedupdates. MoveexistingvideototheCensusBureauYouTubechannels. PlaceiCAL(theApplecalendar)toallowuserstogetcalendarfeedsforeventssuchasdata
releases. Promote“buzzworthy”storiesthroughexistingdistributionchannels. Encourageuseofdata.govAPItostudyretellers’useofdatasetsacrosstheweb. OpenAmericanFactFinder’splannedAPIandstudyusebyexistingexperts. AnalyzesharingtooluseacrossexistingCensusBureausites.
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LONGER‐TERMWINS TheCensusBureauleadershipshouldcreateasocialmediastrategythatestablishesthe
purpose,methods,andrulesofengagementforsocialmedia. TheCensusBureaushouldconductauserstudytodeterminehowcustomersuseorwould
liketointeractwiththeCensusBureau. Provideprogramcontributorswithastandardsharingsystem(throughanenterprise
contentmanagementsystem). ConnectallstreamsthroughFeedburner,thefreeGoogleservicethatprovidesmassmedia
distributionandaudienceengagementservicesforblogsandRSSfeeds. Introducestandardsharingtoolsonanewenterprisecontentmanagementsystem. CreateatargetedmobileappasdescribedinGivetheSophisticatedUseraTargetedOn‐
DeviceApp. ConductasurveyofpotentialAPIconsumersanddevelopdistributionplan.
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HelpPeopleAppreciatetheCensusBureauVI.Visibilityandreputationalcapitalarethekeystostandingoutintheinformationage.TofulfilltheCensusBureaumissionandservetheNation,theCensusBureaumustfindimprovedmethodsforengagingthepublicandrelevantprofessionals,makingthemawareofalltheCensusBureauhastooffer.AllthemethodsdescribedinthisdocumentwillservetoimprovethereachofCensusBureauinformation.BelowwedescribesomespecificactionstheCensusBureaucantaketoraiseawareness.
24. Managea“CensusBureauintheNews”ShowcaseU.S.CensusBureaudatainformastaggeringnumberofreports,articles,analyses,anddecisionseveryyear.Forverylittleinvestment,theCensusBureaucouldusetheexistingVocus,Inc.automatedclippingserviceandastaffmember’stimetocullinterestingstoriesinthemedia(includingexternaldatasites)andpostthemonprominentpagesonCensus.gov(e.g.,theproposedtheme‐basedpages).ThisshowcasewouldbecuratedtoemphasizethestoriesthatbestcapturethevaluableroleCensusBureaudataplayinthecountry’swellbeing.Donecorrectly,thisservicewouldeducatevisitorstothebreadthandvalueoftheCensusBureau.Simultaneously,thisservicecouldremindCensusBureaustaffandstakeholdersaboutthetruevalueandimpactoftheCensusBureau.Anendoftheyearreportfeaturingthebeststoriesoftheyearwouldunderscorethispoint.
25. ReclaimtheBrandingforCensusBureauDataOutsideoftheCensus.govDomain
AstheCensusBureauincreasinglyentersintothepublicdiscussionspacethroughstorydisseminationandconsumabledataproducts,leaderswillwanttoconsiderwaystoeffectivelybrandproductsthathaveleftCensus.gov.ThereareseveralwaystoimprovetheCensusBureaubrandingandengagement:
Integratea“PoweredbytheCensusBureau”brandlogoorwatermarkintoallCensusBureaudatafeeds,datasharingagreements,andfinaldataproductstoincreasebrandawarenessandcredibility.(CensusBureaustaffmembershavealreadydevelopedalogographic.)
ReachouttotheCensusBureauretellersandaskthatbrandingbeincluded. ParticipateinpublicdiscussionscitingfurtherresearchavailableatCensus.gov.(Besureto
controlwhereandhowtheCensusBureauisrepresented,andalwaysbefrankabouttheCensusBureau’sstatusasagovernmentstatisticalagency.)
26. PublishMetricsonCensusBureauMediaCoverageInSection3,werecommendseveralstrategiesformeasuringnotonlytrafficonCensus.govbutalsotheimpacttheCensusBureauhasonnews,business,andresearch.ThesemetricsarenotonlyvaluabletoolsforhoningtheCensusBureauservicestrategies;theycanalsoberepurposedtodocumenttheCensusBureau’spursuitofitsmission.AnendoftheyearreportthatframestheCensusBureau’smissionandstrategicplanforservingtheNationcouldincludeinformationthatunderscorestheCensusBureau’smarchtowardincreasinglyusefulservice.Internally,CensusBureauleadersmightusemetricstoidentifystaffmemberswhoimprovetheircontentdisseminationandrecognizetheirefforts.
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QUICKWINS
Create“theCensusBureauintheNews”clippingservice. Placea“PoweredbytheCensusBureau”logoonallnewdataproducts.
LONGER‐TERMWINS
ProduceanannualreportcapturingtheimpactoftheCensusBureauacrosstheinformationworld.
PublishtheCensusBureauproductusemetricsonsite. EmbedtheCensusBureaucitations,annotation,links,and“PoweredbytheCensusBureau”
logoonallAPI,widget,mobileapps,anddatasets. LaunchabrandingcampaigntoreclaimtheCensusBureauproductsinthewild.
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Section2–AdaptingtoanEvolvingBusinessThissectiondescribestheorganizationalprocessesrecommendedtoservethethreeuserpersonas.Theframeworkprovidestheabilitytoquicklyidentifyshort‐termandlong‐term“wins”andunderstandhoweachinitiativebalancesthecostofimplementationagainstthescaleoftheimprovementtobeexpected.TheCensusBureauleaders,asevidencedbythewebdiscoveryinterviews,arewellawarethatmeetingtheirgoalsaroundintroducingnewWeb2.0technologiesandmakinginformationavailabletoabroaderaudiencerequireschangesinthewaytheCensusBureauconductsitsinternalbusiness.OurinterviewersheardfrommanyintervieweesthattheCensusBureaumusttransformtheprintmaterialmindset—effectiveinthepast—toanonlineandinteractiveapproach.Inthesamevein,theCensusBureaumustchangeitstechnologicalmindsetfromproducingstaticwebdisplaystointeractingwithcustomersviadynamictools.BoththesetransformationsrequirechangestothewaytheCensusBureauconductsbusiness.Finally,manyinterviewedstaffmemberscitedalackoftimeorcompetingdemandsasreasonswhydisseminationefforts(e.g.,creatingmetatagsfordatafilesorholdingcouncilmeetings)werenotcompleted.CensusBureauleadersmustcreateabusinessenvironmentthatvaluesandresourcesdisseminationefforts.Thetechnologiesandexpectationsoftoday’sinformationusersaredrasticallydifferentthanthosefromjust15yearsago,backbeforeGooglewasthe#1searchengineorTwitterandFacebookevenexisted.TokeeppacewiththechangingusersdescribedinSection1,thissectionprovidesaprescriptiveframeworkforinternallyorchestratingtheprocessestoservethisdynamicaudience.ThefirstgenerationoftheInternet,Web1.0,emphasizedcreatingmaterialsthatcouldbe“pushed”tousers.Thiswasgenerallyanadaptationoftraditionalcontentintoelectronicformats.Forexample,websitesrouteduserstoaphonelineorstorelocation,ortheysimplyoperatedasaglorifiedsalesbrochure.Atbest,theylivedasapassivelibraryofdocumentsordata,waitingtobeproactivelydiscoveredbycuriouswebusers.IntheworldofWeb2.0,however,agenciesmustengagecustomersinatwo‐wayconversationandintegratetheirmaterialsintoaflowingonlineinteraction.Shapingmaterialsfordiversecommunication/distributionchannels(e.g.,mobilephones,Facebookentries)andinteractiveexperiences(e.g.,dynamicmapping)requiresarevolutionintheunderlyingbusinessprocessesthatproducethesekindsofinformationandtools.Section2usestheframeworkbelowtodiscusstheseprocessimprovements.OnemightthinkoftraditionalCensusBureauinformationworkersas“Sources,”peoplewhoprovideinsightintothedatastoriesproducedbytheagency.“Reporters”aretrainedtocreateonlineinformationstoriesandtouncoverandproduceinformationproducts.“Editors”ensureaccuracy,quality,andadherencetotheCensusBureaupublicationstandards.And“Monitors”maintainandmeasurethestoryacrossitslifecycleandtheInternet.
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CreateaWeb2.0CultureVII.CensusBureaustaffmembersarerightfullyproudoftheircapacitytoconductenormousandscientificallyrigorousdatacaptureandanalysisefforts.TheyarealsowellawareoftheirtrustedroleasaneutralsourceofinformationfortheUnitedStates.NomodernizationeffortshoulddoanythingtoendangertheintegrityoftheCensusBureau’sfirstmissiontoreportinformationaccuratelytopoliticalandbusinessleadersandtheAmericanpublic.
27. DevelopOngoingRelationshipswithCustomersBestpracticeinonlinewebsitesispredicatedonaclearunderstandingofthecustomers’needs,interests,andskills.Themosteffectivewaytobuildthatunderstandingisthroughinteractions.Thegoalsofthistypeofoutreachare:1)identifywhatinformationeachcustomergroup(persona)findsmostvaluable,2)identifywhatdisseminationchannelsaremosteffective,3)identifyhowwelltheCensusBureauissatisfyingtheircurrentdesirefordata,and4)identifytheirevolving(future)dataneeds.ThefirstgoalhelpsCensusunderstandhowbesttoprioritizeitsdatamarketingeffortsinordertosucceedwiththiscustomer.Thiscandrivewhetherandhowtoapplyresourcestowardsdatavisualization,storytelling,orcontentmessaging.ThesecondgoalhelpsCensusselectwhichchannels—ofthehundredspossible—tospendmoneybuyinginto,managing,andimproving.Withoutthisunderstanding,organizationswastemoneybuildingiPhoneapplicationstoreachstategovernmentemployeeswhoarealloperatingonBlackberryRIMdevices(andnotiPhones),forexample.ThethirdgoalhelpsCensusdeterminewhethertoexpendadditionalresourcesinsatisfyingthispersonaorwhethertherearediminishingreturnsonfurtherinvestment.ThefourthgoalhelpsCensusfocusitsresearchanddevelopmenteffortstopreventhittinga"gap"whereuserneedshavechangedbutCensus'sdeliveryhasnot,leavingthoseusersunserved.ThewebdiscoveryinterviewsrevealedthatwhileCensusBureaustaffmembershadagood
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understandingoftheexpertuserswhocommunicatedwiththemregularlythroughhelpdeskconversationsandpressevents,therewasfarlessunderstandingaroundthecasualandsophisticatedusers’relationshipwiththeCensusBureau.CensusBureauleadersshoulddevelopplansforengagingcustomersateachstageofCensus.govredesign.Engagementactivitiescaninclude:
Onlinediscussionsthroughblogs,townhallevents,orpagecomments Focusgroups,surveys,andinterviews Usergroups(e.g.,5‐yearACSdatausers) Analysisofsocialmediametrics
28. ExpandUserExperienceDesignandUsabilityTestingTheFederalCIOCouncil,Usability.gov,andtheFederalCIOalldiscussusabilitytestinganduser‐centricdesignasarequiredtoolforsuccessfulFederalwebsites.ThisstepisfrequentlyskippedinFederaldevelopmentefforts,duetoscheduleandcostimpact.Researchhasshown,however,thatstudyinguserexperienceandtestingproductsagainstrealworlduseisacriticalfactorincreatingwebsitesandinformationtoolsmostembracedbyusers.User‐centricdesigncosts,whichvarydependingonthesizeandcomplexityofthesolution,willincreasetheinitialdevelopmentcosts;however,thesecostswillbemorethanoffsetbytheincreasedvalueoftheproductanddecreasedneedforrevisionorabandonment.CensusBureauleadersshouldinstitutionalizeuserexperiencedesignbyrequiringitinallinternalandexternalproposalsforonlinetools.CensusBureaupublic‐facingproductsshouldallgothroughusabilitytestingleveragingtheexistingCensusBureauusabilitylabinvestment.ResultsfromtheusabilitytestsandForeSeeresultsshouldtravelthroughacentralcommitteeempoweredtoenforcestandards.Note:Productsusingthesametemplatesandtoolswillnotneedrigorousretesting.CensusBureauleaderswillwanttostreamlineusabilitytestingbyidentifyingproductfamiliesthatcanshareanexpeditedreviewprocessinwhichusabilityexpertssimplylookforchangesinterminology,volume,orformatthatcouldposeissuesforusers.
Findoutmoreaboutimplementinguserexperiencedesignandusabilitytestingat:
Usability.gov
TheCensusBureauUsabilityLabTheCensusBureaumaintainsanoutstandingusabilitylabwithtrainedpersonnelcapableoftestingwebsites,surveys,forms,PDFtables,e‐Learningsites,andmultimediaproducts.(ThelabcanalsotestforSection508compliance.)Thelabisequippedwitheye‐trackingdevicesandvideoequipmenttorecordparticipants,andcanprovideCensusBureauwebmasterswithreportsonsuggesteddesignchangesandvideorecordings.
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29. AddressConcernsofPrivacy,Accuracy,andComplianceManyinterviewedleaderscitedprivacyandaccuratereportingofdata,metadata,andmethodologicalissuesasamajorimpedimenttochangingtheinformationdisseminationcultureattheCensusBureau.Thereisanunderstandablefearthattellingdatastories,providingdatadiscoverytoolstolaypeople,andallowingdatasetstotravelintothewildwithoutmethodologicalcontextwillresultinmisinterpretationandmisuseofdata.Othersfearthatcarelessautomationofdatawillinvitetheinvasionofprivacy.Theseconcernsarelegitimate.TheCensusBureau’sreputationispredicatedonaccuracyandprotectionofindividuals.Lawsprotectindividualprivacy.Still,theseriskscanbeaddressedandthefullvalueoftheCensusBureaupublicdatasetsrealized.CensusBureauleadersmighttakethreestepstoaddresstheseconcerns.1)Setupreviewprocessesforwebproductreleasesthatincludestaffmemberswithskillsinaddressingprivacyandaccuracyissues.2)Integratemethodologicallinks,annotations,andcaveatsintodataproducts.3)Introduceautomatedconstraintsondatadiscoverytoolsifpotentialprivacyissuesareinvolved(e.g.,limitingcellnumericalsizesinqueriesinaGooglemapmashup.)TheCensusBureaucontainsexpertsonprotectingprivacyinstatisticalproducts.Theseexpertspublishpapersonprivacycontrols,developreferencedproducts,andparticipateininternationalorganizationsonthetopic.Considertappingthisinternalexpertisetocreateactionablepoliciesforstorytellersandwebdeveloperstoensureprivacy.
Frame policies and procedures for ensuring neutrality CensusBureauleadersmadeitclearthatwhiletellingstorieswithCensusBureaudatawashighlyvaluableforusers,theCensusBureauhadaresponsibilitytotheAmericanpublictoremainpoliticallyneutral.TheseleadersdidnotwishtoseetheCensusBureau’sreputationimpugnedbydatainterpretationsthatappearedbiasedtowardaparticularpoliticalagenda.WebelievethevalueofdatainterpretationandtheCensusBureau’sneedtoremainpoliticallyimpartialcanbebalanced.InSection2,werecommendasafepathfordefiningstorytellinglimitsintheemerginginformationage,andgovernancestructuresforensuringthatonlyappropriateinterpretationsreachthepublic.
QUICKWINS
StudyexistingWeb2.0customerinteractionsandguidelines. ReviseorcreateguidelinesforWeb2.0engagementthatclearlyspelloutpositive
engagement. CreatedetailedpersonasforeachCensusBureauthematicarea. CreateacampaignhighlightingthesepersonasandtheCensusBureaumissiontohelpthem.
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LONGER‐TERMWINS
Ensureallmajorproductdevelopmenteffortsincludeusabilitydesignandtesting. Createareviewstructurethatensuresthatprivacy,accuracy,andcompliancepoliciesare
metinthemostefficientwaypossible.
ReadtheDepartmentofCommerceOpenGovernmentPlan
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AlignwithFederalCIOandCIOCouncilVIII.TheFederalCIO,VivekKundra,hasreleasedasweepingimplementationplantargetedatallFederalagenciesandbureaus.ThisplantouchesuponmanyofthecoretechnologyandbusinessdecisionsfacingtheCensusBureau.WerecommendtheCensusBureauWebCouncildiscussthesechangesandformanunderstandingofhowthesechangesmightimpactemergingplans.
30. RelevantHighlightsofPlan
Shiftto“CloudFirst”policy OnlyapprovefundingofmajorIT
programsthat:o Haveadedicatedprogram
managerandafullystaffedintegratedprogramteam
o Useamodularapproachwithusablefunctionalitydeliveredeverysixmonths
o UsespecializedITacquisitionprofessionals
DesignanddevelopacadreofspecializedITacquisitionprofessionals
Launchabestpracticescollaborationplatform
RedefineroleofAgencyCIOsandFederalCIOCouncil ReformandstrengthenInvestmentReviewBoards Rollout“TechStat”modelatbureau‐level(anoversightandreviewprocessfor
departments) Streamlinegovernanceandimproveaccountability
Read:U.S.ChiefInformationOfficer25‐PointPlantoReformInformationTechnologyImplementationManagement.VivekKundra.U.S.ChiefInformationOfficer,December9,2010
QUICKWINS
MonitorCIOcouncilactivitiestobenefitfromorinfluencecentralresources. Frameallshort‐terminitiativesinimplementationplantermstoavoidpolicyconflictsthat
couldthreatenCensusBureauefforts.
LONGER‐TERMWINS
Developastrategicframeworkforintegratinglong‐termeffortsintotheCIO’sresourcesandpolicies.
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IntroduceaMoreCentralizedWeb2.0OperationalIX.Structure
TheCensusBureauhasanexistinggovernancestructureformanagingitswebcontentandefforts.ThisstructureincludestheWebE.G.G.andWebCouncil,standards,styletemplates,regulations,topicalworkinggroups,andtechnologyservices.Whilethisinfrastructurehasvaluablecomponents,interviewedsubjectswerealmostunanimousinselectinggovernanceasthenumberonechallengeimpactingtheCensusBureau’sprogresstowardafullyrealizedtechnologyvision.Themostsignificantissuesdiscoveredwere:
Census.govisacollectionofwebsitesratherthanaunifiedonlinepresence. Centralstandardswerehardtoenforceandimpactedcentralservices. Astaffingstructureincluding200+datadisseminatorscreatingcontentresultedin
difficultywithuserinterfacecontinuity,standardscompliance,andmanagement. Centralizedservicesaroundinformationarchitecture,multimedia,anddesigntemplates
areunderused,resultinginaninefficientdevelopmentprocessandfragmentedservicesonline.
Disseminationeffortsareneglectedwhenstaffmembersarepulledontomajorproductdeliveries(e.g.,theDecennialCensus).
AsmentionedinSection1,thisfragmentationacrosstheCensusBureau’soperationsresultsinaconfusinguserexperiencefortheinfrequentvisitorandhamperstheCensusBureau’sambitionstoofferbestpracticeservicestothepublic.Inthissituation,bestpracticedictatesthefollowingsteps:
EmpoweracentralgoverningbodytorepresenttheinterestofCensusBureaucustomers(ratherthanprogramsordepartments).
Introducea“userfirst”initiativethatincludesuserneedsassessmentsandusabilitydesignandtesting.
Assignadedicatedqualifiedprojectmanagerandcentralresourcestooverseetheseactivities.
EngageasingleprofessionalteamtoredesignthetoptiernavigationonCensus.gov(therebyunitingallprogramsintoonethematiclayer).
Migrateordevelopcontentintothenewdesignedtier(preferablyonaunifiedcontentmanagementsystem).
DesignandgrowanoperationalprocessthatsupportsaWeb2.0onlinepresence.Belowwedescribeinhigh‐leveltermsanoptimumorganizationaldesignforgeneratingsuccessfulonlineinteractionwithcustomers.Implementinganorganizationalchangethatinvolvesnewskillsetsandculturalperspectivesisdifficult.WerecommendapilotapproachinwhichtheCensusBureauidentifiesacadreofenthusiasticleadersthatcanfocusonthetoptierpagesonCensus.govandexperimentwiththeidealpolicyandstaffingrelationshipsfortheCensusBureau.Withexperienceanddemonstratedsuccess,CensusBureauleaderscanthenexpanddownintoprogramsitesandfurtherunifytheCensus.govwebsite.Caution:Whenintroducingnewdevelopmentprocesses,makesuretomeasuretheoverallburdenonstaffmembersandtheimpactontheoverallproductiontime.Manyinterviewedstaffmembersfearedtheadditionofnewmanagementprocesseswithoutnewcompensatingefficienciesorresources.
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VisitthesesitesforexamplesofGovernancePoliciesinotheragenciesViewGovernancePoliciesfromaroundFederalGovernmentonGovloop.comSocialMediaPoliciesacrosstheweb
31. PilotNewRolesandResponsibilitiesFigure16belowlaysouttheproposedrolesandresponsibilityforanoperationalstructuregoverningthedevelopmentofnewwebmaterialsandtherevisionoftheexistingtoptierofCensus.gov.Thisstructureachievesseveralnecessaryaims:1)itavoidsdisruptingtheexistingdatacaptureandanalysislayerthatfunctionsexceptionallywellbutisnotgearedtowardinteractionthroughWeb2.0strategies;2)itintroducesarelativelysmallstorytellerlayer,composedofstaffmemberswithskillsinturningdataintoinformationwithengagingcontent;3)itintroducesformalreviewandmonitoringresponsibilitiestocentralizetheCensusBureaumessageandavoidcomplianceerrors;and4)itcallsforastronger,morecentralizedgovernancelayerfocusedonthecustomers.Belowwedescribetherolesandresponsibilitiesunderpinningthismodel.Bearinmindrolessuchas“Editors”or“Monitors”couldbeheldbymultiplepeopleorthesameperson.
Figure16‐AproposedorganizationalstructurefortheCensusBureauWeb2.0Engagement
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“Governors” ‐ Represent the Customer and the Census Bureau Mission WhenaskedthemostimportantsteptotaketorealizetheCensusBureauonlinevision,thevastmajorityofCensusBureauleadersinterviewedpointedtotheneedforstrengthenedinternalgovernance.5Therewasaclearcallforstrongercentraldecision‐makingandauthoritytocoordinateactivitiesandraisetheoverallqualityofonlineinformationproductsandtools.ThesespecificactionswerecalledforbyinterviewedCensusBureauleaders:
SpellouttheCensusBureau’smissionaroundtransparencyandinformationdissemination,andaddresstheperceptionthattheCensusBureaumissionendswithcleandatasetspresentedastables.
Takeonacustomerfocus(usergroups,focusgroups,landscapeanalysis). CreateacleardistinctionbetweencentralCensusBureaustandardsandoperationsversus
programroles. IntroducealayerofprofessionalWeb2.0experts. Consolidatewebcontentmanagersandotherwebsupportstaff.
TheseactivitiesshouldbetakenonbyaneworreinvigoratedgovernanceteamempoweredtoenforcecomplianceonactivitiesessentialtotheCensusBureaumission(e.g.,thehomepageandthematiclayerofCensus.gov).ThisteamwillsettheWeb2.0mission,layoutthestrategicplan,ensurecorrectstaffingandoperationalpatterns,andimproveorcreatepoliciesandprocedures.Thisteamshouldhavesufficienttimeandresourcestoensureeffortsremainconcentratedandgovernanceactivitydoesnotlapseduringbusybusinessperiods(e.g.,theCensusBureau2020decennialcensus.)GiventhesizeoftheCensusBureau,theidentifiedculturalchallenges,andtheFederalCIO’spriorities,thisteamshouldbecoordinatedusingformalITgovernanceproceduresandheadedbyaprofessionalwithexpertiseinITprojectmanagement.
“Data Sources” ‐ Provide Insight and Data Extracts DatasourcesaretheCensusBureauteamsthathavetraditionallypreparedandanalyzedCensusBureaudatasets.Inourproposedoperationalstructure,thesesourceswill:
Createclean,accuratedatasetsandextractsappropriateforeachcommunicationchannel(e.g.,annotatingdatasetsappropriatelyforAPIfeeds).
Identifymeaningfulrelationshipsandtrendsindata. Contributedatastoryideas. Assistreportersincreatinginterestingandaccuratematerialforcasualandsophisticated
users. Confirmtheaccuracyofpre‐postedcontent.
5Seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website_governanceforanintroductiontowebsitegovernance.
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“Reporters” ‐ Create Stories with Data Visualizations and Web 2.0 Hooks Earlierinthisdiscussion,wedescribedastrategyforcreatingadistinctlayerofstorytellersattheCensusBureau.Thesestorytellers,whilealwayssubordinatetotheCensusBureau’sresponsibilitiestoaccuracyandprivacy,willhavetheskillsandinstinctsforengagingthepublicuserinthemeaningwithinthestatistics.Thesestorytellerswillhaveanunderstandingandappreciationofdatabutwillnotnecessarilyhaveadvancedstatisticalorprogrammingskill.Reporterswill:
Proposestoryassignmentstoeditors. Workwithsourcestoextractmeaningfromdata. Developstories. Createvisualizationsforcasualusers. Revisematerialsbasedoneditorcomments.
“Editor” ‐ Provide Central Services and Review EditorsareCensusBureauleadersresponsibleforreviewingallsignificantcommunicationcontentemanatingfromtheCensusBureau.Inaddition,theymightbethedecisionmakersresponsibleforplanninginformationcampaignsandselectingthechannelsthemessagewillberelayedthrough(e.g.,astoryaboutEconomicIndicatorsmightbeannouncedthroughTwitterandemail,publishedonCensus.govhomeandFacebook,andmadeavailabletoshare).Editorswill:
GiveorapprovereporterassignmentsthatsupporttheWeb2.0strategicplan. Reviewdraftmaterials. Fact‐checkinformation. FiteachinformationeffortintotheappropriateWeb2.0communicationchannel. Ensurelinkagetorelatedmaterial.
Inourmodeltherearetwotypesofeditors:1)businessleadersreviewingtheinformationtoensureitsupportstheCensusBureaumissionandprovidesaccurateinformation,and2)technologyspecialistswhoensurethemediaproducedcomplieswiththevisual,accessibility,andtechnicalstandardsenforcedbytheagency.WhileboththeserolesarealreadyinevidenceattheCensusBureau,werecommendthattheyberevisitedtoensuretheiractivitiesdirectlysupportthebestpracticesdescribedabove.WealsorecommendthattheseeditingfunctionsbecentralizedandstrengthenedforcontentemanatingfromtheCensusBureautoptiernavigation.Thesecentralleadersshouldhavefocusedresponsibilityonthiswork,professionalsupportstaff,andimprovedtechnologysupports(e.g.,anenterprisecontentmanagementsystemandbetter‐automatedcompliancetestingsoftware).
“Monitors” ‐ Measure Customer Experience and Census Bureau Success MonitorsareresponsibleforensuringthatCensusBureauproductsaremeasuredforsuccessandsupportedthroughtheirlifecycle.Monitorswill:
MonitorproductuseinsideandoutsidetheCensusBureau. Engagecustomersindiscussionaroundproducts(e.g.,participateintheData.gov
commentssection).
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Conductfocusgroupsandusabilitytesting. Participateinusergroups. Promoteproductstotargetedaudiences(e.g.,apovertyresearchcommunity). Updateorremoveoldproducts. Evaluatemetricsonuserengagementandsatisfactionandpassrecommendationsbackto
governorsandeditors.SeeOmygov.comforalistofuserengagementmetrics
32. GrowanoperationalprocessthatsupportsaWeb2.0onlinepresence
Figure17providesanotherconceptualframeworkforthereorganizationalpilotproposedabove.Astrategylayer(ledbytheGovernors)preparesastrategicplanthatmatchestheCensusBureaumissionandresourcestotargetaudiences(representedbypersonas).Thestrategylayerdefinesthekeyindicatorsforsuccess,allocatesresources,andoverseestheworkofthemarketingteam(composedofreportersandeditors.)Themarketingteam’smessaginglayershapesthematerialforeachtargetaudienceandassignsittopropercommunicationchannels,whilethechannelslayer(servicedbytechnicaleditorsandmonitors)ensuresdistributionandcapturesimpactmetrics.
Figure17‐AnoperationalprocessthatsupportsaWeb2.0presence
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QUICKWINS
Createasmallpilotgroupofenthusiasticstaffmembersandexperimentwithrolesand
responsibilitiesinthecontextofrevisingtheCensusBureauhomepageandthematiclayer. Introduceuserfeedbackintoallnewproductsproducedbypilot. Createmetricsforevaluatingimpactofnewmaterialsproducedbypilot.
LONGER‐TERMWINS
GenerateaplanforintegratingthepilotedoperationalmodelintotheCensusBureau. ExpandoperationalmodeltoallproductsimpactingthecoreCensusBureaumission.
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Section3‐ToolsforSuccessThissectiondiscussestechnologysolutionsandsoftwarethatwillenabletheCensusBureautoenactitsstrategicplaninthemostefficientandeffectivemannerpossible.
ToolstoHelpPeopleEngageandFindAnswersX.
33. InvestinanEnterprise‐levelWebContentManagementSystemThemostsuccessfulmoderngovernmentsitesrelyonarobust,enterprise‐levelwebcontentmanagementsystem(WCMS).AWCMSprovidesautomatedprocessesthatallowfargreatercontrolofwebcontentandtoolswithfarlesseffortanderrorcomparedtositesdevelopedwithhand‐codedpages.AnenterpriselevelCMSissuperiorforitscapacitytohandlelargervolumesofpages,andprovidescentralizedservicessuchasSection508testingorsearchindexing.AstrongWCMSistheunderpinningformostofthesuccessCensusBureauleaderswanttoachieve.CurrentlyCensus.govconsistsofmultipledistinctsitesoperatingaccordingtoasetofstandards.TheCensusBureauIToffersaMovableTypeserviceforprogramareasthatdonotbuildtheirownsites.Intotalthereare35programwebsitesusingMTandsixwebsitesonCensus2010.ITleadersarerightfullyconcernedaboutremainingonMTasthevendor;thecompanyhasstruggledinrecentyears,beingboughtbytwodifferentcompaniesandbeingdroppedfromGartnerandForresterreviews.
AstrongwebcontentmanagementsystemistheunderpinningformostoftheimprovementstheCensusBureauleaderswanttoachieve
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SelectingtheproperWCMSfortheCensusBureauwillrequirecarefulinternalconsiderationthatexceedsthescopeofthisdocument.TheCensusBureauwillwanttoputtogetheracommitteedirectedbyanITprojectmanagerandgothroughastructuredprocesstodeterminethepropertechnologytomatchtheemergingpilotneedandthelong‐termorganizationalneed.(TheappropriatepilottechnologymightvarysignificantlyfromtheCensusBureaulong‐termcommitment.Forexample,asolutionforhostingtheredesignofthehomepageandtoptiernavigationmightnotneedadvancedfeaturesformanagingenormousamountsofcontent,whilealong‐termsolutiontargetedatcontrollingtheentireCensusBureauonlineofferingmightrequireenterprisedocumentmanagement,sophisticatedworkflows,andautomatedlifecyclemanagement.)Decisionmakerswillwanttoconsider:
Requirementsdrawnfromayet‐to‐bedraftedstrategicplan Totalcostofownership(costcategoriesincludepurchaseprice,maintenance,development,
third‐partytoolintegration,FISMAcompliance,andsavingsderivedfromgainedlaborefficiencyorreplacementofotherproducts)
Staffingskillsandresourceavailability Contentmigrationcosts FederalRegulationsandPolicies
Censusleadersshouldbeawarethatsuccessfullymigratingtoanenterprise‐levelWCMSrepresentsasignificantcapitalinvestmentthatgoesbeyondthecostofsoftwareandincludes:
Projectplanningandmanagement Changemanagementactivitiestopromotethenewoperationalrequirements Softwareselection,purchase,design,andimplementation Contentmigration Softwaretesting Staffmembertraining Rollout
Thefollowingsectionintroducesanapproachforunderstandingtheoverallimpactofmigratingtoanenterprise‐levelsystem.
Return on Investment for a Web Content Management System Returnoninvestmentisabusinessconceptthatreferstothegainsfromaninvestmentrelativetothecostoftheinvestment.InbusinessITthisistraditionallymeasuredinmonetaryterms,butgovernmenthastoestimatethereturnoninvestmentbasedonsavedlaborandtheestimatedvalueofimprovedservice.Cresswell,Burke,andPardo(2006)developedaframeworktomeasurereturnoninvestmentin
Figure18 ‐ RefertoAppendixE‐1andE‐2foraReturnonInvestmentCalculatorTemplate
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governmentIT.6(PleaseseeAppendixE‐1andE‐2foracalculatorbasedontheirwork.)TheyarguethatgovernmentITinvestmentscanreturnvaluetothepublicthroughoneormoreofthefollowingfourvalue‐generatingmechanisms:
IncreasesinEfficiency:Thisreferstoincreasedoutputwithlowerresourceconsumption,issimilartothebusinesscaseforROI,andfocusesonefficiencygainsthroughfinancialandotherresourceconstraints.
IncreasesinEffectiveness:Thisreferstoimprovementsinthequantityorqualityofthegoodorserviceprovidedordesired.
Enablement:Thisrefersto“providingmeansorallowingotherwiseinfeasibleorprohibiteddesirableactivity,orpreventingorreducingundesirableeventsoroutcomes.”(p.3andp.13)
IntrinsicEnhancements:Thisinvolves“changingtheenvironmentorcircumstancesofastakeholderinwaysthatarevaluedfortheirownsake.”Anexampleofthisisimplementingasystemthatleadstoimprovedtransparency.
Usingthesemetrics,theCensusBureauislikelytorealizeahighreturnoninvestmentbasedontwogeneralreturns:1)theoverallsavingsinmanaging,servicing,andtrainingstaffmembersonmultiplewebsiteinstallationsand2)theincreasedvalueofCensusBureauonlinecustomerservice.
Consider Drupal and its strong fit with the Census Bureau IT
OurinterviewsoftheCensusBureauITleadersindicatedaninterestinDrupalasapossiblereplacementfortheMovableTypeinstallations.Drupal,anopensourcecontentmanagementsystem,withalargeprogrammerbaseandstrongrepresentationacrossthegovernment,appealstoITleadersforseveralreasons:1)Itisanindustrystandardinopensource.2)Itprovidesenterprise‐levelpotentialforhostingmultiplesitesandintroducingcentralizedsearchoptimization,metrics,andbusinessrules.3)IthasabroadFederalgovernmentinstallationbase.Gartner,aleadingcompanyinsoftwarereview,hasplacedDrupalinthe“MagicQuadrantforSocialSoftwareintheWorkplace.”GartneridentifiedthefollowingstrengthsandcautionsinDrupal.
6AnthonyM.Cresswell,G.BrianBurke,TheresaA.Pardo2006."AdvancingReturnonInvestmentAnalysisforGovernmentITAPublicValueFramework",CenterforTechnologyinGovernmentUniversityatAlbany,SUNY.http://www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/reports/advancing_roi/advancing_roi.pdfAccessedMarch28,2011
Beawareofhiddencosts!
Thecostoftraining Thecosttoquality Thecosttofunctionality Thecostofredundancyand
flexibility Thecostofcommitment(getting
staffmemberstousesystem)
FromThe5hiddencostsofrunningaCMS,byPaulBoag,06August2008
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Strengths:Drupalhasanactivedevelopercommunityof600,000membersandhashadlargedeployments.Thesystemisweb‐centricandoffershundredsofmodulesincludingthoseforsocialinteractionsupport.
Cautions:Thequalityofthirdpartymodulesvariesconsiderablyandtheiruserequirescarefulconsultationwiththedeveloperorspecializedconsultingfirms.Thevarietyofavailablefunctionsleadstodevelopmentcomplexity.
VisitsthesesitestolearnmoreaboutselectingaCMS:
IssuestoconsiderwhilechoosingaCMSsystem CaveatstoconsiderwhileselectingaCMSsystem GuidelinesforSelectingaCMSSystem RequirementstoolkitwithcommonlyusedrequirementsforCMSsystemRFPs(Australian) TheGartnerMagicQuadrant2010ReportonContentManagementPlatforms7 StartexploringtheuniverseofCMSproducts AListofGovernmentsitesusingDrupal
34. ExpandStandoutSocialMediaSharingToolsusedattheCensusBureau
TheCensusBureaucurrentlyusesindustrystandardtoolsforsharingontheCensus2010andtheCensus.govblogs.Werecommendsimplyexpandingtheuseofthesetoolsandstandardizingtheirdeploymentthroughacontentmanagementsystem.Focusonthequalityandmarketingofproducts.ThetoolsinTable1willassisttheCensusBureauinmanagingtheirsocialmediacampaigns.Whilethereisoverlapinsomeofthefunctions,eachofthesetoolshasaspecificvaluepropositiontotheCensusBureau.ThedecisionaboutwhetheranyorallofthesetoolsareusedattheCensusBureaushouldbebasedon:1)thestateddatamarketingprioritiesfortheorganization,2)theselectionoftargetuserpersona(s)andthedesignatedmarketingmessage(s)foreach,and3)thedisseminationchannelsthatmosteffectivelydeliverthehigh‐prioritycontenttothetargeteduserpersona.ThesearethreerelativelyinexpensivetoolstogetCensusstartedonlaunchingandunderstandingacross‐platformsocialmediacampaign.AsCensusBureauleadersrefinetheirmarketingcampaigns,theymaychoosetopurchasemore‐expensivetoolsorservices.ArgyleSocialisasolidplatformformanagingtheproductionanddisseminationofmarketingmessagesacrossmultipleplatforms.Itprovidesamanageablefoundationfordealingwiththe"push"elementofsocialmedia.
7GartnerResearchandForresterResearchreportsareconsideredtheindustrygoldstandardforproductreviews.AbtAssociatescannotsharetheseproprietaryreports.However,youcanaccessthemforlimiteddurationsorinabridgedversionsonvendorsites.
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SproutSocial'suniquevalueisitsabilitytoidentifynew"potential"consumersofCensusinformation.Ittakesprofilesofanexistingfollowerbaseandmapsitontothe"atlarge"community,highlightingindividuals.ThiswouldenabletheCensusBureauto"follow"or"like"or"friend"thoseindividualsandpotentiallycultivateasocialmediaconnection,thusexpandingtheuserbaseofCensusdata.BuzzMgrisarecognizedplatformformonitoringsentiment.IftheCensusBureauwantstoknowwhethersocialmediafollowersarereactingpositivelyornegativelytowardsthedatamarketingtheCensusisdoing,thistoolwillenableCensustoestimatewhethertheirmarketingeffortsarehavingthedesiredimpact.Table1.SocialMediaCampaignManagementTools
NameandURL LaborCost SoftwareCost theCensusBureauUse GeneralUseArgyleSocial(http://argylesocial.com/)
Medium Agencyedition:$199/monthMarketerEdition:$149/monthAdvancedEdition:$499/month
Allows theCensus Bureautounifypublicationofsocialmediacontent.Providesforcoordinatedcommunicationacrossplatform.MeasuresReturnonInvestment(ROI)foreachsocialmediacampaign.
Singleplatformtopublishcontentandtrack“conversions”acrossallTwitter,Facebook,etc.accounts.
SproutSocial(http://sproutsocial.com/)
Low SproutSocialProfessional:$9/monthSproutSocialBusiness:$49/month
AllowstheCensusBureautoidentifynewpotential“customers”whofitsimilarprofiletotheCensusBureau’smostactivesocialmediafollowers,andproactivelybuildcustomerbase.
LesspowerfulthanArgyleSocialinpublicationbuthasunique“findsimilarpeople”basedontheirFacebook,Twitter,andLinkedInpages.
BuzzMgr(http://www.buzzmgr.com/)
Low Low EnablestheCensusBureautomonitorthesentimentofsocialmediaabouttheCensusBureau.Helpssteersuccessfulcampaigns,quicklyidentifyandresolvenegativepress,anddemonstratesocialimpactoftheCensusBureaucommunications.
SocialmediamonitoringplatformthatwatchesTwitter,Facebook,andotherSMsitesandassignssentimentscorestocomments,re‐tweets,shares,etc.
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ToolstoHelpPeopleFindaResourceXI.
35. ManageSearchEngineOptimizationAsmentionedabove,theCensusBureauproductsrankhighinexternalsearchenginesoverall.TheCensusBureaushouldfocusonhoningsearchresultstoensureusersfindthemostappropriatematerials.AnEnterpriseWCMSwillmakeSEOeffortsmoreefficientbyprovidingautomatedcontrolsfortaggingandindexingpages,andintegratemoreeasilywithsearchappliances.TheWebCEOtoolisastrongtoolforprovidingdetailedinsightintosearchengineranksacrossalmosttheentireuniverseofengines.Table2‐SearchEngineMonitoringSoftware
NameandURL LaborCost SoftwareCost theCensusBureauUse
GeneralUse
WebCEO(http://www.webceo.com/)
Low WebCEOOnline•Free•Silver$49/month•Gold$149/month•Pro$99/monthWebCEOProfessionalSuitev8.11$499
Enables theCensusBureautomonitorandcontinuallyimproveitswebproperty’ssearchengineoptimization(SEO).
SEOcampaignmanagementsoftwaretoseekeywordrankings,trends,links(in/out),adcampaigns,etc.acrossover200internationalsearchengines.
36. StaywithGoogleSearchApplianceforOnsiteSearchWerecommendyoumaintaintheGoogleSearchApplianceinvestmentandfocusonoptimizingitthroughtheintroductionoftagging,indexing,andmatchingcommonsearchtermstoforcedreturnrankings.
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ToolstoHelpPeopleConnectwithMobileStrategiesXII.AsmentionedinSection1,SelectingMobileplatformsishighlydependentonthespecificpurposeoftheapplicationorrequiredbrowsingexperience.Ingeneralterms,werecommendselectingaCMSthatincludestheautomatedcreationandmanagementoflightweightmobilepagesformobilebrowsinganduseofmobileplatformssuchasArcGISorGoogleMaps.WerecommendtwostandoutsoftwareproductsinTable3.Techneosisaserviceforcreatingmobilesurveyswithabroadplatformbase.FrontlineSMSisafreeandopensourceforSMS(text)messaging.Table3‐MobileSoftware
NameandURL LaborCost SoftwareCost theCensusBureauUse GeneralUseTechneos(www.techneos.com)
Medium Medium(Varieswidelybyscope)
EnablestheCensusBureautoquicklybuildanddeploymobiledatacollectionappsthatrunonallmajorhandsetOSwithoutneedingtounderstandthe5,000+handset/OSvariationsinthemarket.
Aweb‐basedsurvey‐buildingtoolthatauto‐createsappsfordatacollectionfromtheweb‐surveyanddeploysthemtoBlackberry,Android,iPhone,andothermobileOS.
FrontlineSMS(www.frontlinesms.com)
Low Free,opensource
EnablestheCensusBureautobuildanddeploySMS‐basedmobileapplicationsquicklyandatlowcost.
Free,opensourceplatformforcreatingandmanagingSMSapplications.UsedextensivelybyUSAID,StateDepartment.
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ToolstoHelpPeopleExploreDataXIII.InSection1,wediscusstheimportanceofmatchingthedatadiscovery,visualization,ormappingtooltotheaudienceanddataexplorationfeaturesyouintendtooffer.Inpracticalterms,youalsowanttochooseatoolsetthatmapswelltoyourorganization.Werecommendthreedistincttoolsetsforcreatinganoptimumworkflow:dataanalysisvisualizationsfordatasources,desktopdatavisualizationsoftwareforreporters,anddataexplorationplatformsforservicingexpertandsophisticatedusers.
37. GiveDataSourcesDataToolsinLinewithTheirAdvancedSkillsOurassumptionisthatthesestaffmemberswouldbemostinterestedinusingtoolsthatareembeddedineithertheirstatisticalpackages(e.g.,SAS,SPSS)orthosethatworkmostcloselywiththem.Inourapproach,thesedataexpertsdraftvisualizationsontheirstatisticalsoftwarepackages,whilereportersproducemorevisuallyaccessiblematerialsondesktopvisualizationsoftware.DataSourcesmaybeinterestedinonedesktopvisualizationsoftwarewereviewed,Spotfire.Spotfireoffersapowerfulstatisticalmodelingdisplay.
38. PilotaHigh‐QualityDataVisualizationSoftwarewithReportersInadditiontogeneratingarticlesandmanagingWeb2.0communications,weanticipatesuccessfulstorytellersusingthenewgenerationofonlineordesktopdatadiscoverytoolstoexploredatatofindstoriesandtofindthebestvisualrepresentationsofthesestories.Perhapsthisgroupcouldlargelyreplacethe200+webcontentmanagersnowperformingtheserviceat10%timeandcreateamoreefficientandeffectiveteam.
Four Data Visualization Tools to Consider
Table4‐DataVisualizationSoftware
DataVisualizationSoftware
Tableau Qlikview Spotfire PowerPivot
TableauSoftware Qliktech Tibco Microsoft
BestusefortheCensusBureau
Strongonlinevisualsandcontrolsforcasualuserswithshapefileimportcapability.
Strongonlinevisualswithstrongdrill‐downcapacity.GeoClickforshapefiles.
Goodonlinevisualsbutmoredifficulttouse.Stronganalyticcomputing,nativeGIS.
Excel‐stylegraphicswithbetteruserinterface.
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DataVisualizationSoftware
Tableau Qlikview Spotfire PowerPivot
TargetStaff
Reporters Reporters DataSources Allstaff
Cost 1‐2kperseatFreewebpublisherDesktopPersonalEdition$999DesktopProfessionalEdition$1999
Noresponse TIBCOSpotfireExpress($79/month)TIBCOSpotfireforAnalytics($399/month)
FreewithExcel2010
Strengths Mostpopularinclass,visualcontrols,onlineanalysis
Fastesttoimplement,drilldown
GISintegration,powerfulstatisticalrenderings,dashboards,API
FamiliarOfficeapproach,free
AsmentionedinSection1,thecasualuserisbestservedwithadatavisualizationexperiencethatprovidesaneasily‐understoodmessageand,ifnecessary,simpletolearnanduseinteractivefeatureslikepointandclickonamaporselectavariabletoaltertheview.ThesestructuredexperiencesshouldbepreparedbytheCensusBureaureportersandplacedintoanappropriatecontextfortheuser.Forexample,theIncomethemepagemighthaveagraphicshowingaverageincomeacrossstates.Heretheuserhas,atminimum,anindicationofthekindandqualityofinformationavailableonthesiteand,evenbetter,perhapsananswertothequestionthatbroughttheusertotheCensusBureau.TheappropriatesoftwarefortheCensusBureautoservethecasualuserwillhavehigh‐qualitygraphics,asimpleuserinterfacewithoptionalcontrols(e.g.,variablefiltering),andeasy‐to‐masterconfigurationcontrolsfortherelativelysmallgroupofreportersusingit.Ourscanofthedatavisualizationsoftwaremarketproducedfourproductswiththebestfeaturemixforthecasualuseraudience:Tableau,Qlikview,Spotfire,andPowerPivot.TableauandQlikviewareindirectcompetition.Bothareconsidered“bestofbreed”foreasy‐to‐learnuserinterfaces,strongonlinegraphics,intuitiveendusercontrols,andmanagementease.TheCensusBureaurepresentativesshouldexplorebothproductsheadtohead.Spotfireislikelytoappeallesstoreportersorstorytellersduetoitsclumsieruserinterface.However,Spotfiremightbeconsideredforitsstrongpoints:GISintegrationandmore‐powerfulstatisticalmodelingresources.
Figure19 ‐ ViewOurDataVisualizationToolsDecisionMatrix
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Finally,PowerPivotispresentedhereasabackofficeoptionforexploringdatapriortopublication.SincemanyCensusBureauproductsarecurrentlyproducedinExcel,PowerPivot,freewithExcel2010,couldbeagoodtooltointegrateintodatacleaningandin‐houseexploration.
Exploretworelevantdemonstrations:
TableauSoftware Qlickview
39. StudySophisticatedandExpertUserNeedsonData.govandAFFAsmentionedinSection2,wedonotrecommendtheCensusBureaumakeanyfurtherinvestmentinonlinedatadiscoveryplatformsuntilleadersexperimentwithData.govandAmericanFactFinder.CensusBureauleadersshouldfocusontheseefforts:
Engagingsophisticatedandexpertuserstounderstandtheirneeds Createadataexplorationstrategyforthesepersonas Ensurethecorrectdatasetsareavailableincorrectformat ConfiguredataviewsandbrandingonData.gov Markettheavailabletools Studymetricsandfeedbackontools
VisitotherdatadiscoveryapplicationvendorsselectedbyData.gov:
QBase Smartronix CGI Socrata
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Figure20‐ADesignPrototypeDesignedbySocratafortheCensusBureau
40. MaintaininvestmentinESRIArcGISandAFFMappingCensusBureauleadershaveexpressedinterestinofferingclientsinteractivemappingexperiencesinseveraldifferentscenarios.
For the Casual User Investmentsinanyofthethreedatavisualizationspublishers(Tableau,Qlikview,andSpotfire)willprovidetheCensusBureauwiththecapacitytopublishhigh‐qualitymapswithmultipledatalayers.Reporters,selectedfortheircapacitytointerpretdataratherthanprogram,willfindthesetoolsareeasierandfastertousethanArcGIS,andenablethemtocreatetimelycontent.Casualuserswillfindthesimplifiedinterfacesintuitiveandmorevisuallyappealing.ThesetoolsshouldprovidelittleextraburdenforCensusdatapreparersalreadyproducingshapefiles,asalltheseproductscanimportthesefilestocreatemaps.
Visittheselinksfordetailsoncreatinggeographies
Census Bureau ESRI shapefiles In Tableau In Qlikview In Spotfire
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For the Sophisticated User and Expert User ESRIArcGISistheindustrystandardingeneratingdata‐rich,multilayeredGISdatamappingtoolsandtheCensusBureauhasanexistinginvestmentinthesetoolsacrosstheorganization.ForcustomerswhoneedarichmappingapplicationexperiencetheCensusBureaushouldcontinueusingthissoftware.TheArcGISisalsoastrongplatformforcreatingmobileappsandshouldbeconsideredwhencreatingaCensusapp.Note:AFFcurrentlyoffersgeomappingusingIBM’sChartFXsoftware.WhileitsintegrationwiththeIBMplatformmakesitanattractivechoiceforAFF,itoffersnoadvantagesoverArcGISforotherCensusBureaupurposes.
41. ConsiderGooglePublicDataExplorerandGoogleMapsWhileGoogle’sonlinedataexplorationtoolsdonotofferallthefeaturesofthedatavisualizationanddatadiscoveryplatformsmentionedabove,theydeserveseriousconsiderationaspartoftheoverallstorytellingstrategy.GooglePublicDataExploreroffersbasicdatavisualsforsmalldatasets,includingmostcommongraphtypesandaGoogleMapslayer.GoogleMapsisoneofthetwomostpopularandfamiliarmappingplatformsinthecountry(withBingMaps),hasanOpenAPIforinsertingexternaldata,andworkswellonmostplatformsincludingmobile.TheGooglevisualizationoptionshavetheseadvantages:
Freetouse Wideaudiences Lightweight(idealforaninexpensivemobilebrowsingsolution) OpenAPIallowsdatainserts EmbeddableinCensus.govproducts
ConsiderusingGoogleas1)analternativedisseminationchannelforreachingaudienceswhodonotvisittheCensusBureauwhenlookingforinformation,2)aninexpensivemobilebrowsingplatform,and3)asimpleembeddablemapwhenhigh‐qualitygraphicsoradvancedfeaturesarenotnecessary.
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ToolstoHelpPeopleSharetheCensusBureauInformationXIV.TheCensusBureauhasinvestmentsintwoexcellentdatadiscoveryandAPIplatforms:AmericanFactFinderandData.gov.Giventhedifficultyandexpenseinpurchasingandmaintainingtheseplatformsandthequalityofthoseavailable,therereallyisnoimmediateneedforfurtherinvestmentorexploration.Rather,theCensusBureaushouldfocusonpreparingdatafeedsthatbestsuitusersandcreatingmarketingandoperationalsupporttoensurehighuseradoption.GoogleFeedburnerisanindustrystandardforcoordinatingandmeasuringmultiplefeeds.
Table5‐ToolstoHelpPeopleSharetheCensusBureauInformation
NameandURL LaborCost SoftwareCost
theCensusBureauUse GeneralUse
GoogleFeedburner
Low Free EnablestheCensusBureauITtocoordinatealltheCensusBureaufeedsthroughoneserviceandstudyanalyticstoimproveservices.
A web-based service for managing, distributing, and receiving analytics on syndicated content (RSS and Atom feeds).
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ToolstoHelpPeopleAppreciatetheCensusBureauXV.TherearefourmajortoolgroupstoconsiderformeasuringthesuccessoftheCensusBureau:webanalyticspackages,compliancestandards,out‐of‐datematerials,andcontentaggregators.Currently,theCensusBureauusestheopensourcewebanalyticspackageAWStats.WhilethisproductdoesnotachievealltheCensusBureauleadergoals,werecommendstayingwiththesoftwareforthetimebeingandselectinganenterprise‐levelproductinthecontextoftheenterpriseCMSdecision.Differentplatformsofferdifferentinternalmetrics,andsoftwarecompatibilitymayplayaroleintheselection.Forexample,ifleadersselectDrupal,theCensusBureaumayinheritanintegratedsolutionfromtheDepartmentofCommerce.Inthesamevein,manyCMSincludelifecyclemanagementmodulesforlocatingout‐of‐datematerialandbrokenlinksandcodeobjects.InTable6,werecommendtwoproductsthathaveimmediateandpossiblylong‐termutility.Table6‐ToolstoMonitorSuccess
NameandURL LaborCost SoftwareCost
The CensusBureauUse GeneralUse
SortSite(http://www.powermapper.com/products/sortsite/index.htm)
Low •SortSiteStandardSingleUser$149•SortSiteProSingleUser$349
Allows theCensus Bureautodopost‐productionanalysisofthecontentitpublishes.Resultsinhigherlevelsofcomplianceforpublishedmaterialswithbestpractice.
Desktopsoftwareforcheckingwebpages/linksagainst20+compatibilityandcompliancestandardssuchasW3C,SEO,Section508,Usability,CrossBrowserCompatibility,etc.
YahooPipes(http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/)
Low N/A,free AllowsBureautomonitor“theCensusBureauintheNews”inatargetedandefficientmanner.
Compositiontooltoaggregate,manipulate,andmashupcontentfromaroundtheweb.
AppendixA‐QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix
Section Win Census&Web2.0
LaborEffort
SoftwareCost
Impact Priority Area
AlignwithFederalCIOandCIOCouncil
FrameallshortterminitiativesinImplementationplantermstoavoidpolicyconflictsthatcouldthreatenCensusBureauefforts
Quick Low Low High High Governance
CreateaWeb2.0Culture CreatedetailedpersonasforeachCensusBureauthematicarea
Quick Low Low High High Governance
HelpPeopleExploreData Selectadesktopvisualizationtoolwithwhichtoexperimentandbuildenthusiasm
Quick Low Low HIgh High DataVisualization
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
Promote“buzzworthy”storiesthroughexistingdistributionchannels
Quick Low Low High High Content
IntroduceaMoreCentralizedWeb2.0OperationalStructure
Introduceuserfeedbackintoallnewproductsproducedbypilot
Quick Low Low HIgh High Governance
IntroduceaMoreCentralizedWeb2.0OperationalStructure
Createmetricsforevaluatingimpactofnewmaterialsproducedbypilot
Quick Low Low HIgh High Governance
CreateaWeb2.0Culture CreateacampaignhighlightingthesepersonasandtheCensusBureaumissiontohelpthem
Quick Medium Low High High Governance
HelpPeopleConnectwithMobileStrategies
Holda“Challenge”inwhichtheCensusBureauoffersprizestodevelopersforcreatingacompellingCensusBureauapp.SupportforChallengesisavailableatChalleng.gov
Quick Medium Low High Low Governance
HelpPeopleEngageandFindAnswers
Revisetheexistingthematicpagestoincludeanswerstofrequentquestionsandcontextinformationforcasualusers
Quick Medium Low High High Content
HelpPeopleExploreData Formasmallpilotgrouptocreatedatavisualizationsforacircumscribedproduct(e.g.,alldata‐relatedpressreleases)
Quick Medium Low High High Governance
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
OpenAmericanFactfinder’splannedAPIandstudyusebyexistingexperts
Quick Medium Low HIgh High API
IntroduceaMoreCentralizedWeb2.0OperationalStructure
CreateasmallpilotgroupofenthusiasticstaffmembersandexperimentwithrolesandresponsibilitiesinthecontextofrevisingtheCensusBureauhomepageandthematiclayer
Quick Medium Low High High Governance
HelpPeopleEngageandFindAnswers
Generatenewmaterialsusingdesktopvisualizationsoftwareandafocusedpilotteam
Quick High Medium High High DataVisualization
HelpPeopleExploreData Createandbrand12newCensusBureaudataviewsondata.govandmarketthemtosophisticatedusers
Quick Low Low Low Medium DataVisualization
HelpPeopleFindaResource
Createavisualsitemapforenduserstoreplaceorstandbesidethe“SubjectsAtoZ”sitemap
Quick Low Low Low Medium Search
QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix 6/15/2012
AppendixA‐QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix
Section Win Census&Web2.0
LaborEffort
SoftwareCost
Impact Priority Area
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
MoveexistingvideototheCensusBureauYouTubechannels
Quick Low Low Low Low Share
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
PlaceiCAL(theApplecalendar)toallowuserstogetcalendarfeedsforeventssuchasdatareleases
Quick Low Low Low Low Share
HelpPeopleExploreData Placeinteractivemapsonexistingthemepagesusingselectiontools
Quick Medium Low Low Medium DataVisualization
HelpPeopleFindaResource
Paredownunusedmaterialsthatmaydistractusersfrommorerelevantmaterial
Quick Medium Low Low Medium Search
HelpPeopleFindaResource
ConsiderbuyingAdWordstoadvertisetheCensusBureauproductsinareaswithpoornativesearchrankings
Quick Low Medium Low Low Search
HelpPeopleFindaResource
Conductaproactivemarketingcampaigntopartneringagenciestohelppositiontargeted/relatedlinksontheirsites
Quick High Low Medium Low Governance
AlignwithFederalCIOandCIOCouncil
MonitorCIOcouncilactivitiestobenefitfromorinfluencecentralresources
Quick Low Low Medium Medium Governance
HelpPeopleAppreciateCensusBureau
Create“theCensusBureauintheNews”clippingservice
Quick Low Low Medium High Share
HelpPeopleAppreciatetheCensusBureau
Placea“PoweredbytheCensusBureau”logoonallnewdataproducts
Quick Low Low Medium High Content
HelpPeopleConnectwithMobileStrategies
AdvertisetheupcomingAPIfeaturesonAmericanFactFinderandData.govtoprogrammeraudienceswhocurrentlycreateappsusingpopulationoreconomicdata.(RemembertoaskthemtoincludetheCensusBureaubrandonappropriatetools!)
Quick Low Low Medium High API
HelpPeopleExploreData EmbedaCensusBureauGooglePublicDataExplorerCensusBureaudataviewintoCensusBureau.govtodemonstratecapacitytoleverageoutsideserviceswhileretainingbrandownership
Quick Low Low Medium High DataVisualization
HelpPeopleFindaResource
PublishthesearchenginesitemapprovidedbyAbtAssociates.Thismapwillinformsearchenginesaboutthesiteshierarchyandhelprankorderresults
Quick Low Low Medium High Search
HelpPeopleFindaResource
IncludetheCensusBureaulinksonallhardcopyandPDFmaterialssentoutbytheCensusBureau
Quick Low Low Medium Medium Content
QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix 6/15/2012
AppendixA‐QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix
Section Win Census&Web2.0
LaborEffort
SoftwareCost
Impact Priority Area
HelpPeopleFindaResource
Prioritizecontent(currently,alllinksintheXMLsitemapsareranked8outof10,showingnodistinctioninvalueofthelinkbetweenthebestcontentandtheworst).Byshowingdepth,searchengineswillpushuserstothemostappropriatepages
Quick Low Low Medium Medium Search
HelpPeopleFindaResource
Createa301redirectforhttp://census.govwhichshouldautomaticallyredirectuserstohttp://www.census.gov
Quick Low Low Medium Low Search
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
PlaceFacebook“Like”featureonallexistingpopularcontentonCensus.govandanynewstories
Quick Low Low Medium Low Share
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
CreateTwitterfeedsforselectedCensusBureaudatareleasesandrelatedupdates
Quick Low Low Medium Low Share
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
Encourageuseofdata.govAPItostudyuseofdatasetsin“thewild”amongretellers
Quick Low Low Medium Medium API
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
AnalyzesharingtooluseacrossexistingCensusBureausites
Quick Low Low Medium Medium Share
CreateaWeb2.0Culture StudyexistingWeb2.0customerinteractionsandguidelines
Quick Medium Low Medium High Governance
CreateaWeb2.0Culture ReviseorcreateguidelinesforWeb2.0engagementthatclearlyspelloutpositiveengagement
Quick Medium Low Medium Medium Governance
HelpPeopleConnectwithMobileStrategies
Asnewpagesarecreated,particularlythethematicpagesaccessedbygeneralusersandfrequentlyaccesseditems(likeblogsforexpertusers)ensurethateachwebpagehasamobilebrowsingpage
Quick Medium Low Medium Low Content
HelpPeopleEngageandFindAnswers
Revisethehomepagetoincludemoreinvitinggraphicsandstoriespulledfromexistingsources
Quick Medium Low Medium High Content
HelpPeopleEngageandFindAnswers
Placehomepageandthematictieronenterpriselevelcontentmanagementsystem
Long High High High High CMS
CreateaWeb2.0Culture Ensureallmajorproductdevelopmenteffortsincludeusabilitydesignandtesting
Long High Low High High Governance
HelpPeopleAppreciatetheCensusBureau
LaunchabrandingcampaigntoreclaimtheCensusBureauproductsinthewild
Long High Low High High Governance
QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix 6/15/2012
AppendixA‐QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix
Section Win Census&Web2.0
LaborEffort
SoftwareCost
Impact Priority Area
HelpPeopleConnectwithMobileStrategies
TheCensusBureauleadershipshouldcreateamobilestrategythatdefineshowinternalandexternalmobilesolutionsservetheCensusBureaumission
Long High Low High High Governance
HelpPeopleEngageandFindAnswers
Centralizetheservicesunderlyingthecontentofeachwebproperty(e.g.,searchandindexing,compliancetesting,stylesheets)
Long High Low High High CMS
HelpPeopleEngageandFindAnswers
Enforceusabilitydesignandtestingrequirementsformajorinvestments
Long High Low High High Governance
HelpPeopleExploreData CreateaCensus.govdatavisualizationstandardandsupportservicealignedwiththeneedsofmajoraudiencesincluding:mapanddatadiscoveryserviceconfigurablebystorytellersandengagingforcasualusers;adatadiscoveryplatformforsophisticatedusers;andaneverimprovingAFFforexperts.(Servicesandtoolsmayoverlap.)
Long High Low High High Governance
IntroduceaMoreCentralizedWeb2.0OperationalStructure
ExpandoperationalmodeltoallproductsimpactingthecoreCensusBureaumission
Long High Low High Low Governance
HelpPeopleExploreData CreatestandardsandpoliciesforleveragingoutsideservicestoaccomplishtheCensusBureaugoals
Long Medium Low HIgh High Governance
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
TheCensusBureauleadershipshouldcreateasocialmediastrategythatestablishesthepurpose,methods,andrulesofengagementforsocialmedia
Long Medium Low High High Governance
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
TheCensusBureaushouldconductauserstudytodeterminehowcustomersuseorwouldliketointeractwithCensusBureau
Long Medium Low High High Governance
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
ConductasurveyofpotentialAPIconsumersanddevelopdistributionplan
Long Medium Low High High API
IntroduceaMoreCentralizedWeb2.0OperationalStructure
GenerateaplanforintegratingthepilotedoperationalmodelintotheCensusBureau
Long Medium Low High High Governance
HelpPeopleConnectwithMobileStrategies
TheCensusBureaushouldselectaContentManagementSystemthat1)automaticallycreatesmobilepagesbystrippingoutnon‐essentialimagesand2)automaticallydetectsmobiledevicesandservesmobilepages
Long High Medium High High CMS
QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix 6/15/2012
AppendixA‐QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix
Section Win Census&Web2.0
LaborEffort
SoftwareCost
Impact Priority Area
HelpPeopleFindaResource
Adoptanenterprisecontentmanagementsystemthatwillautomateandstandardizesitemapping,tagging,indexing,and,mostimportantly,thesitesearch
Long High Medium HIgh High CMS
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
CreateatargetedmobileappasdescribedinGivetheSophisticatedUseraTargetedOn‐DeviceApp
Long High High Low Low Mobile
HelpPeopleFindaResource
Introduceindexingacrossallsites Long High Low Low Medium Search
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
Provideprogramcontributorswithastandardsharingsystem(throughanenterprisecontentmanagementsystem)
Long Low Low Low Low CMS
HelpPeopleFindaResource
IntegratetagsandHTML5flagsintowebcontent Long Medium Low Low Low Search
HelpPeopleFindaResource
Setlifecyclemanagementpoliciesonallonlinematerialsforcingthemtobereviewedorarchivedbyowners
Long Medium Low Low Low Content
AlignwithFederalCIOandCIOCouncil
DevelopastrategicframeworkforintegratinglongtermeffortsintotheCIO’sresourcesandpolicies
Long High Low Medium Medium Governance
HelpPeopleEngageandFindAnswers
CreatenewthematicpagesandWeb2.0features Long High Low Medium Medium Content
HelpPeopleAppreciatetheCensusBureau
ProduceanannualreportcapturingtheimpactoftheCensusBureauacrosstheinformationworld
Long Low Low Medium High Share
HelpPeopleAppreciatetheCensusBureau
PublishtheCensusBureauproductusemetricsonsite Long Low Low Medium Medium Share
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
ConnectallstreamsthroughFeedburner,thefreeGoogleservicethatprovidesmassmediadistributionandaudienceengagementservicesforblogsandRSSfeeds
Long Low Low Medium Medium CMS
HelppeopleShareCensusBureauInformation
Introducestandardsharingtoolsonanewenterprisecontentmanagementsystem
Long Low Low Medium Low CMS
CreateaWeb2.0Culture Createareviewstructurethatensuresprivacy,accuracy,andcompliancepoliciesaremetinthemostefficientwaypossible
Long Medium Low Medium Medium Governance
HelpPeopleAppreciatetheCensusBureau
EmbedtheCensusBureaucitations,annotation,links,and“PoweredbytheCensusBureau”logoonallAPI,widget,mobileapps,anddatasets
Long Medium Low Medium High Governance
QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix 6/15/2012
AppendixA‐QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix
Section Win Census&Web2.0
LaborEffort
SoftwareCost
Impact Priority Area
HelpPeopleConnectwithMobileStrategies
TheCensusBureaushouldconductauserstudytodeterminehowcustomersuseorwouldliketouseCensusBureautoolsonsmartphonesandtablets
Long Medium Low Medium Medium Governance
HelpPeopleFindaResource
Createasystemforenteringmetadataonallwebcontent
Long Medium Low Medium Medium Search
QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrix 6/15/2012
AppendixA‐QuickandLongerTermWinsDecisionMatrixGuide
Low Medium High
Labor Effort A single person or small group
for a short period
A dedicated team over an
extended period
Coordination across multiple
teams for and extended period
Software Cost $0‐$2,500 $2,500‐$50,000 $50,000+
Impact A small impact for a small
audience
Should make either a
significant impact for a small
group or a small impact for a
large group
Should impact multiple Census
Bureau goals either across
multiple directorates or assist
a large group of stakeholders
Priority Wait until high priority items
are closed
Wait until resources are free
from high priority items
Place key resources on these
issue as soon as possible and
until completion
Area Most significant corresponding
section of Emerging Trends
Report
AppendixB‐DataVisualizationToolsComparisonVendor Tableau Qlikview Spotfire PowerPivotApplication TableauSoftware Qliktech Tibco MicrosoftWebsite http://www.tableausoftware.com/ http://www.qlikview.com/ http://spotfire.tibco.com/ http://www.powerpivot.com/
BestUseforCensus Excellentforstorytellerstocreatevisualizationstopublisheasilywithoutprogramming
Excellentforstorytellersordataproducersdoinglargescalemashupsandvisualizations.
Excellentforstorytellerscreatingvisualizationsandwhenworkingwithstatisticianstovisualizetheresultsofadvancedstatisticalmodels.
ConsiderleveragingSharePointIntranetinvestmentandofferingthissolutionaslow‐levelanalysissupportfordataproducers.Notasolutionforpublishingtowebsite.
BusinessConsideration:Scalabiltiy
VeryGood LimitedbyRAM Unlimited VeryGoodwithSharePointandSQLServerversionofPowePivot
BusinessConsideration:Cost
High AboveAverage High Average/lowwithdesktop
TechnicalConsideration:MaximumDatasetSize
Unlimited Billionsofrows Unknown Limited
TechnicalConsideration:MultipleDataSourceAccess
Yes Yes Yes Yes
TechnicalConsideration:MultipleTableAccess
Yes Yes Yes No
TechnicalConsideration:OnlineDataAccess
Limited Yes Yes N/A
TechnicalConsideration:In‐MemoryEngine
DesktoporServer DesktoporServer Server Desktop
TechnicalConsideration:InteractiveVisualization
VeryGood Excellent VeryGood AsgoodasExcel
TechnicalConsideration:DataIntegration
Excellent Good Good Good
TechnicalConsideration:VisualDrillDown
Good Excellent VeryGood Average
TechnicalConsideration:StandardVisualizations
Yes Yes Yes Yes
TechnicalConsideration:AdvancedVisualizations
Bullet Dial,sparkline,radar Sparkline,3DNets No
AppendixB‐DataVisualizationToolsComparisonVendor Tableau Qlikview Spotfire PowerPivotApplication TableauSoftware Qliktech Tibco MicrosoftWebsite http://www.tableausoftware.com/ http://www.qlikview.com/ http://spotfire.tibco.com/ http://www.powerpivot.com/
TechnicalConsideration:Dashboards
Good Excellent VeryGood BelowAverage
TechnicalConsideration:StatisticalModelingandAnalyticsCapabilities
ExcellentOLAP Weak Excellent‐DirectInferfacewithR/S+.
GoodwithSQLServerAnalysisServices
TechnicalConsideration:UI&VisualControls
VeryGood Best VeryGood Good
TechnicalConsideration:DevelopmentEnvironment
Average ScriptingRichAPI RichAPI,S+‐APIinDeveloperEditionallowsdevelopmentin.NETframework
Excellent
TechnicalConsideration:IntegrationwithGIS
Good Good Excellent Average
TechnicalConsideration:Gartner(2011)DescriptionofVisualizationCapabilities
"Itgainedoverwhelminglypositivecustomersurveyfeedbackacrosstheboardinallmeasuresinthesurvey,includingforeaseofuse,functionality,productquality,productperformance,support,customerrelationship,success,achievementofbusinessbenefitsandviewofthevendor'sfuture—indeed,itearnedatopscoreinvirtuallyallofthesekeycategories."
"Easeofusedrivesuseradoption.QlikTech'sQlikViewproductisaself‐containedBIplatform,basedonawhollyin‐memorydatastore,withasetofwell‐integratedBItoolsforbuildinghighlyinteractiveapplications.AnecdotalfeedbackfromQlikViewendusersinvariablycentersonhowintuitiveandlikabletheproductistouse.Morethanthree‐quartersofQlikViewcustomerssaidtheyselecteditprimarilyforitseaseofuseforendusers(theonlyvendoronthequadrantwhereabove75%ofthosesurveyedsaidthiswasthecase)."
"Itsfocusonadvancedandreal‐timeanalyticapplicationsanddashboardsdeliveredtomobiledevicescontributestoitsstrongvision.Unliketheotherdatadiscoveryplatforms(forexample,QlikViewandTableau),TibcoSpotfireisleveragingitsacquisitionofInsightfulfordataminingaswellasitsintegrationwithTibcomiddlewaretobroadenthepossiblespectrumofend‐user‐driveninteractiveanalysistoincorporatebusinessevents,predictiveanalytics,statisticalanalysisand"whatif"modeling."
""UseofOLAPfunctionalitybyMicrosoftcustomersismorethandoublethatfortherestofthesurveyrespondents.ThiscanbeattributedtothesuccessandadoptionofMicrosoftSQLServerAnalysisServicesfunctionalitybundledwithMicrosoftSQLServeranditsoptimizationswithMicrosoftfront‐endtools.Increasingly,organizationsareturningtonewerin‐memoryOLAParchitecturesovertraditionalmultidimensionalOLAParchitecturestosupportdynamicandinteractiveanalysisoflargedatasets"
TechnicalConsideration:PandreSummaryRating‐BestFor:
VisualOLAP DataVisualization,Drilldown VisualAnalytics Self‐serviceBusinessIntelligence
Sources:
Gartner(2011)ProductWebsites
Pandre,Andrew(2010)."Comparison",DataVisualizationBlog,http://apandre.wordpress.com/tools/comparison/AccessedMarch11,2011AntheonAnalytics(2010),"ProductComparison",http://www.atheonanalytics.com/product‐comparison/AccessedMarch11,2011
AppendixC‐ToolsTable
NameandURL LaborCostSoftwareCost CensusUse GeneralUse Category Pricing
Tableauwww.tableausoftware.com
Medium High AllowsCensusstorytellerstoexploredataandcreatecomplexvisualizationswithoutprogramming.
Draganddropdatadiscoveryanddatavisualization.
Datavisualization DesktopPersonalEdition$999DesktopProfessionalEdition$1999
Qlikviewwww.qlikview.com
High High AllowsCensusstorytellerstoexploredata,mashtogetherlargedatasets,andproducevisualizationswithoutprogramming
Visualizationsusinglargedatasetsespeciallywhendatasetsneedtobecombined.Largenumberofbuiltinadvancedvisualizations
Datavisualization Unknown
Spotfirehttp://spotfire.tibco.com/
High High AllowsCensusstorytellerstoexploredataandcreatevisualizations.AllowsCensusstatisticianstoconnectthevisualizationplatformwithR/S+codeforadvancedstatisticalcapabilities
Draganddropvisualizationcapabilitiescombinedwithabilitytointerfacewithstatisticallanguages.
DatavisualizationTIBCOSpotfireExpress($79/month)TIBCOSpotfireforAnalytics($399/month)
PowerPivotwww.powerpivot.com
Low(Desktop) Low(Desktop) AllowsstorytellerstoleverageExcelfunctionalitieswithaddedvisualization.CanbeusedtoleverageSharePointinvestmentinintranet
Excelplugintoimprovevisualizationcapabilities.CanbeusedwithMicrosoftSharePointforserversolution
Datavisualization ExcelPlugIn‐Free
ArgyleSocialhttp://argylesocial.com/
Medium Low AllowsBureautounifypublicationofsocialmediacontent.Providesforcoordinatedcommunicationacrossplatform.MeasuresReturnonInvestment(ROI)foreachsocialmediacampaign.
Singleplatformtopublishcontentandtrack“conversions”acrossallTwitter,Facebook,etc.accounts
Socialmedia Agencyedition:$199/monthMarketerEdition‐$149/monthAdvancedEdition$499/month
SproutSocialhttp://sproutsocial.com/
Low Low AllowsBureautoidentifynewpotential“customers”whofitsimilarprofiletoCensus’mostactivesocialmediafollowers,andproactivelybuildcustomerbase.
LesspowerfulthanArgyleSocialinpublicationbuthasunique“findsimilarpeople”basedontheirFacebook,Twitter,andLinkedInpages.
Socialmedia SproutSocialProfessional$9/monthSproutSocialBusiness$49/month
ToolsTable 6/15/2012
AppendixC‐ToolsTable
NameandURL LaborCostSoftwareCost CensusUse GeneralUse Category Pricing
BuzzMgrhttp://www.buzzmgr.com/
Low Low EnablesBureautomonitorthesentimentofsocialmediaabouttheBureau.Helpssteersuccessfulcampaigns,quicklyidentifyandresolvenegativepress,anddemonstratesocialimpactofCensuscommunications.
SocialmediamonitoringplatformthatwatchesTwitter,Facebook,andotherSMsitesandassignssentimentscorestocomments,re‐tweets,shares,etc.
Socialmedia Variesbasedonrequirements
WebCEOhttp://www.webceo.com/
Low Low EnablesBureautomonitorandcontinuallyimproveitswebproperty’ssearchengineoptimization(SEO).
SEOcampaignmanagementsoftwaretoseekeywordrankings,trends,links(in/out),adcampaigns,etc.acrossover200internationalsearchengines
SEOWebCEOOnline•Free$0•Silver$49/month•Gold$149/month•Pro$99/month
WebCEOProfessionalSuitev8.11$499
Informaticahttp://www.informatica.com
High High EnablesBureautopruneoldcontentorduplicatedata,reducing“noise”forauserandhelpingtheuserfindtheintended,currentversiondatatheyseek.
Softwaretoidentifyinconsistent,duplicateoroutdateddataandaligncontentlifecyclewithanorganizationsgoals.
ContentLifecycleManagement
Variesbasedonfunctionality
Techneoswww.techneos.com
Medium Medium EnablesBureautoquicklybuildanddeploymobiledatacollectionappsthatrunonallmajorhandsetOSwithoutneedingtounderstandthe5,000+handset/OSvariationsinthemarket.
Aweb‐basedsurvey‐buildingtoolthatauto‐createsappsfordatacollectionfromtheweb‐surveyanddeploysthemtoBlackberry,Android,iPhone,andothermobileOS.
Mobile Variesbasedonrequirements
ToolsTable 6/15/2012
AppendixC‐ToolsTable
NameandURL LaborCostSoftwareCost CensusUse GeneralUse Category Pricing
FrontlineSMSwww.frontlinesms.com
Low N/A,opensource
EnablesBureautobuildanddeploySMS‐basedmobileapplicationsquicklyandatlowcost.
Free,opensourceplatformforcreatingandmanagingSMSapplications.UsedextensivelybyUSAID,StateDepartment.
Mobile Free
SalesForcewww.SalesForce.com
Medium Low EnablesBureautomanageprospectivesocialmediacustomersandmonitortheirengagementacrossallsocialmediaplatforms.Anincreasedunderstandingofthiscustomerbehaviorwillinformcommunicationsstrategyandchannelselection.
Widely‐usedandGSA‐approvedCustomerRelationshipManagement(CRM)solution
SocialMedia,CRM
•Unlimited$250/user/month•Enterprise$125/user/month•Professional$65/user/month•Group$25/user/month•ContactManager$5/user/month
SortSitehttp://www.powermapper.com/products/sortsite/index.htm
Low Low AllowsBureautodopost‐productionanalysisofthecontentitpublishes.Resultsinhigherlevelsofcomplianceforpublishedmaterialswithbestpractice.
Desktopsoftwareforcheckingwebpages/linksagainst20+compatibilityandcompliancestandardssuchasW3C,SEO,Section508,Usability,CrossBrowserCompatibility,etc.
ComplianceTesting
•SortSiteStandardSingleUser$149
•SortSiteProSingleUser$349
YahooPipeshttp://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/
Low N/A,free AllowsBureautomonitor“CensusintheNews”inatargetedandefficientmanner.
Compositiontooltoaggregate,manipulate,andmashupcontentfromaroundtheweb.
“CensusintheNews” Free
ToolsTable 6/15/2012
AppendixD‐ContentManagementPlatformsUsedbyFederalAgencies
Source:Howto.gov
Agency(orWebsite) ProductorServiceYear
Obtained
AirForce Broadvision(Portal)
ArizonaGovernmentInformationTechnologyAgency Mambo
ArlingtonCounty Rhythmyx
BureauofLaborStatistics In–housesystem 2003
CentralIntelligenceAgency Plone
CityofFortWorth Ektron
CityofKilleen,Texas ExponentCMS.org
CityofNewportNews Plone
CommodityFuturesTradingCommission Stellent
CommonwealthofMassachusetts InterwovenTeamSite
CountyofSantaClaraPublicPortal Vignette
CuyahogaCounty,Ohio SynapsePublisherCMS 2010
DefenseFinanceandAccountingService‐Documentum Documentum
DefenseFinanceandAccountingService‐Plumtree(Portal) Plumtree(Portal)
DefenseFinanceandAccountingServiceBizFlow(Workflow) BizFlow(Workflow)
Dept.ofAgriculture Stellent(usedagency–wide)
Dept.ofCommerce Drupal 2010
Dept.ofDefense‐MilitaryHealthSystem Sitefinity 2010
Dept.ofEducation InterwovenTeamSite 1999
Dept.ofEnergy‐OfficeofEnergyEfficiency&RenewableEnergy OpenText 2011
Dept.ofEnergy‐LawrenceLivermoreLabs Stellent
Dept.ofEnergy‐WesternAreaPowerAdministration SerenaCollage 2005
Dept.ofHealth&HumanServices Percussion
Dept.ofHealth&HumanServices‐NationalLibraryofMedicine InterwovenTeamSite 2001
Dept.ofHealth&HumanServices‐CDC Documentum 2002
Dept.ofHealth&HumanServices‐AdministrationonAging ContentStudio
Dept.ofHealth&HumanServices‐FDAOracle/StellentUniversalContentManagement(agency‐wide)
Dept.ofHealth&HumanServices‐NationalCancerInstitute/DivisionofCancerEpidemiologyandGenetics
PLONE 2011
Dept.ofHealth&HumanServices‐OfficeofCommunicationsandEducation Percussion 2011
Belowisalistofcontentmanagementsystems(CMSs)usedbyvariousgovernmentagencies.Mostarecommercialproducts,butsomeareproductsdevelopedin–house.Youcancontactthemformoreinformationaboutanagency’sexperiencewiththatproductorsystem.
ContentManagementPlatformsUsedbyFederalAgencies6/15/2012
Agency(orWebsite) ProductorServiceYear
Obtained
Dept.ofHomelandSecurity InterwovenTeamSite 2003
Dept.ofHomelandSecurity‐CitizenshipandImmigrationServices Vignette 2006
Dept.ofHomelandSecurity‐Customs&BorderProtection eXpressroom
Dept.ofHomelandSecurity‐TransportationSecurityAdministration(TSA) InterwovenTeamSite 2006
Dept.ofHomelandSecurity‐Immigration&CustomsEnforcement(ICE) Interwoven 1999
Dept.ofHomelandSecurity‐FEMA InterwovenTeamSite 2005
Dept.ofHomelandSecurity‐CoastGuard Broadvision(usedforIntranet)
Dept.ofJustice‐NationalInstituteofJustice Percussion
Dept.ofJustice‐TheDNAInitiative EZRO(opensource)
Dept.ofJustice‐EnvironmentalandNaturalResourcesDivision RedDot
Dept.ofLabor‐BureauofLaborStatistics In–housesystem 2003
Dept.ofLabor‐EmploymentandTrainingAdministration webZerve
Dept.ofState WaterFall 2003
Dept.ofState‐ConsularAffairs(Intranet) Percussion 2000
Dept.ofState‐InternationalInformationPrograms WaterFall 2003
Dept.ofState‐IRMBusinessCenter In‐house(PortalX1.3)
Dept.ofState‐America.gov WebGUI
Dept.ofTransportation None 2004
DouglasCounty,CO Stellent
EPA Documentum 2010
EPA‐EPA(Region8) Documentum 2010
EPA‐OfficeofWater CommonSpot 2010
FarmCreditAdministrationSerenaCollage(notpresentlyusingit)
2006
GeorgiaDepartmentofHumanServices Vignette
GSA(GSA.gov) Websphere
GSA‐GSAIntranetsite Websphere
GSA‐HowTo.gov Drupal 2010
GSA‐USA.govandGobiernoUSA.gov Percussion
InterstateCommissionforAdultOffenderSupervision DotNetNukeProfessionalEdition 2010
IRS Vignette
LibraryofCongress Interwoven 2002
MarineCorpsCommunityServicesIn‐house(ColdFusionwithOracledatabase)
MilleniumChallengeCorporation ExpressionEngine 2011
ContentManagementPlatformsUsedbyFederalAgencies6/15/2012
Agency(orWebsite) ProductorServiceYear
Obtained
NASA DigitalAssetManager 2003
NASA‐KennedySpaceCenter InmagicPresto 2007
NASA‐JetPropulsionLaboratory Plone
NationalInstituteofStandardsandTechnology CommonSpot 2008
NationalInstitutesofHealth‐OfficeofHumanResources AdobeContribute
NationalLaborRelationsBoard Drupal 2011
NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration Stellant
NationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdmin.‐NorthwestRegionalOffice CommonSpot
NationalParkService(Dept.ofInterior)CommonSpot(www.paperthin.com)
NavyEnterpriseMaintenanceSystem Documentum
NavyPersonnelCommandMicrosoft'sContentManagementServer
OPM Percussion 2005
PensionBenefitGuarantyCorporation Percussion 2004
PatentandTrademarkOffice None
SecuritiesandExchangeCommission Percussion 2005
Senate Documentum
SmithsonianInstitution Interwoven 2002
SocialSecurityAdministration None
StateofCalifornia Broadvision
StateofCalifornia‐DepartmentofFishandGame DotNetNuke
StateofHawaii,Dept.ofTaxation Plone3.0.5
StateofIllinois MicrosoftSharePoint 2009
StateofMichigan Vignette
StateofMissouri,Dept.ofConservation Drupal 2010
StateofNewYorkDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation RedDot 2006
StateofTexas Plone 2010
StateofTexas‐ParksandWildlifeDepartment Plone 2010
StateofWashington‐DepartmentofRetirementSystems InterwovenTeamSite
StateofWashington‐DepartmentofEcology InterwovenTeamSite
StateofWashington‐EmploymentSecurityDepartment InterwovenTeamSite
USA.gov Percussion 2010
U.S.Courts(Intranet) Sitefinity 2010
USForestService None
ContentManagementPlatformsUsedbyFederalAgencies6/15/2012
Agency(orWebsite) ProductorServiceYear
Obtained
U.S.Mint(Intranet) WebPublisher(Documentum) 2004
USAID Documentum
USPS(PostalService) Broadvision(e‐commerce)
USPS(PostalService) Interwoven(usps.gov)
SmallBusinessAdministration Alfresco
VeteransAffairs InterwovenTeamSite 2003
VeteransAffairs‐VAInformationResourceCenter AdobeContribute 2003
VeteransAffairs‐VeteransHealthAdministration InterwovenTeamSite 2003
VoiceofAmerica Clickability 2011
WhiteHouse Drupal 2009
+TheseofficeswithinFDAusetheirCMStodevelop,butnotpublish,content.
ContentManagementPlatformsUsedbyFederalAgencies6/15/2012
EvaluatingReturnonInvestmenttoCensusfromaContentManagementSystem 3/28/2011
EvaluatingReturnonInvestmenttoCensusfromaContentManagementSystemReturn on investment is a business concept that refers to the gains from an investment relative to the cost of the investment. In business IT
this is traditionally measured in a monetary sense but government has to estimate the return on investment using a broader set of indicators
because the government has to answer to citizens. Cresswell, Burke, and Pardo (2006) developed a framework to measure return on
investment in government IT.1 They argue that government IT investments can return value to the public through one or more of the
following four value‐generating mechanisms:
Increases in Efficiency: This refers to increased output with lower resource consumption and is similar to the business case for ROI
and focuses on efficiency gains through financial and other resource constraints.
Increases in Effectiveness: This refers to improvements in the quantity or quality of the good or service provided or desired.
Enablement: This refers to “providing means or allowing otherwise infeasible or prohibited desirable activity, or preventing or
reducing undesirable events or outcomes.” (p.3 and p.13)
Intrinsic Enhancements: This involves “changing the environment or circumstances of a stakeholder in ways that are valued for their
own sake”. An example of this is implementing a system that leads to improved transparency
There are no existing studies that examine the value generated by CMS systems in all four of these areas in a government context. We
therefore use information from external sources about ROI benefits through a CMS system and combine it with logical extrapolations that are
unique to Census. Through this process we developed the following calculator to estimate the ROI benefits to Census’ implementing a CMS
system.
The Gilbane Group (2009) developed an ROI calculator for web CMS systems that identify benefits in two dimensions: site development
costs, and costs of training content authors and web developers in proprietary authoring tools.2 We took their ROI calculator as a base and
built functionalities specific to Census using it. We assume that training costs of web developers is a sunk cost and do not include it in the
calculation. The calculator also does not include the startup cost of purchasing and implementing a CMS system. The only costs compared
here are the costs of site development with and without pre‐existing CMS templates.
1AnthonyM.Cresswell,G.BrianBurke,TheresaA.Pardo2006."AdvancingReturnonInvestmentAnalysisforGovernmentITAPublicValueFramework",CenterforTechnologyinGovernmentUniversityatAlbany,SUNY.http://www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/reports/advancing_roi/advancing_roi.pdfAccessedMarch28,20112GilbaneGroupInc.2009.“JustifyingWebContentManagement:TheBusinessCaseandROI”,Whitepaper.http://gilbane.com/whitepapers/Tridion/Tridion‐ROI‐wp‐final‐040209.pdfNote:ThisstudywassponsoredbySDLTridionwhodevelopwebcontentmanagementsystems.
EvaluatingReturnonInvestmenttoCensusfromaContentManagementSystem 3/28/2011
TheworksheetpredictsconsiderablereturnsoninvestmentonperwebpageandpersitedevelopmentbasiswiththeuseofCMSbasedtemplates.Toillustratethesavings,wevariedthenumberofhoursspentondevelopingthetemplatefrom2to25hours.Evenat25hourspertemplatethenetcostofdevelopingthesite,ceterisparibus,declinesby29%.AcaveatisthatthisROIcalculationissensitivetotheassumptionsused.Thisistheincreaseinefficiencyonanongoingbasisdefinedabove.
ThequalityofserviceimprovesbecauseCensusseekstoprovidethebestqualitycontenttocitizensanddatausers.Censuscandevotemoreresourcestoimprovingcontentqualityratherthanexpendingresourcesondevelopingeachpageandensuring508compliance.Simultaneously,Censuscanincreasethenumberofpagesbecausetheyfollowapredefinedlayoutthatisalready508compliant.Contentauthorscansimplyprovidecontenttothewebdeveloperswhocanquicklycreatepagesorcancreatethepagesthemselvesbyinsertingcontentonthetemplates.MoreinformationavailabilitycanhelpCensusachieveitsgoalsoftransparency.
ReplaceplaceholdervalueswithCensusBureauestimatestocalculateROI.Costs Formula ValuesWebPageDesignandDevelopmentCostsA Averagetimetodesign,develop,review,anddeployawebpage(hours) 2 2 2 2B FullyBurdenedCostofawebdeveloper(perhour) 50$ 50$ 50$ 50$C CostofOneWebPage AxB 100$ 100$ 100$ 100$D AverageTimespentinExaminingandCorrectingaPagefor508Compliance(hours) 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5E FullyBurdenedCostofa508ComplianceExpert(perhour) 50$ 50$ 50$ 50$F Costof508Compliancefor1WebPage DxE 25$ 25$ 25$ 25$G TotalCostof1WebPage (AxB)+(DxE) 125$ 125$ 125$ 125$H NumberofWebPagestobeDesignedandDeveloped 100 100 100 100I TotalEstimatedWebpagedesignanddevelopmentcostswithoutTemplate GxH 12,500$ 12,500$ 12,500$ 12,500$
WebTemplateDesignandDevelopmentCostsA Averagetimetodesign,develop,review,anddeployawebtemplate(hours) 2 5 10 25B Averagehourlyconsultantdevelopmentrate 50$ 50$ 50$ 50$C Costofonewebtemplate AxB 100$ 250$ 500$ 1,250$D AverageTimespentinExaminingandCorrectingaTemplatefor508Compliance 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5E FullyBurdenedCostofa508ComplianceExpert 50$ 50$ 50$ 50$F Costof508Compliancefor1WebTemplate DxE 25$ 25$ 25$ 25$G TotalCostof1WebTemplate (AxB)+(DxE) 125$ 275$ 525$ 1,275$H NumberofWebtemplatestobedesigned,developed,anddeployed 5 5 5 5I Totalestimatedwebtemplatedesignanddevelopmentcosts 625$ 1,375$ 2,625$ 6,375$
CostsofDevelopingaWebsiteUsingtheTemplateA Averagetimetodesign,develop,review,anddeployawebpageusingTemplate(hours) 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5B FullyBurdenedCostofawebdeveloper(perhour) 50$ 50$ 50$ 50$C CostofOneWebPage AxB 25$ 25$ 25$ 25$D NumberofWebPagestobeDeveloped 100 100 100 100E TotalEstimatedWebpagedesignanddevelopmentcosts CxD 2,500$ 2,500$ 2,500$ 2,500$
TotalCostincludingTemplateDevelopment 3,125$ 3,875$ 5,125$ 8,875$NetSavingsfromDevelopmentwithoutTemplatesinCMSinUS$ 9,375$ 8,625$ 7,375$ 3,625$PercentageSavings 75% 69% 59% 29%
GilbaneGroupInc.2009.“JustifyingWebContentManagement:TheBusinessCaseandROI”,Whitepaper.http://gilbane.com/whitepapers/Tridion/Tridion‐ROI‐wp‐final‐040209.pdfNote:ThisstudywassponsoredbySDLTridionwhodevelopwebcontentmanagementsystems.
AppendixE‐2ROICalculatorComparingWebPageandSiteDevelopmentCostswithandwithoutaCMSsystem
ROICalculatorComparingWebPageandSiteDevelopmentCostswithandwithoutaCMSsystem 4/1/2011
External Website ReviewQuestion Census.gov Grade Meaning
Information Availability + + Best
Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
2 5 2 2 Adequate
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
2 1 2 6 Poor
Geographic (national/local) 6 1 2 2 + Not Present
Topics (economic/demographic) 6 0 4 1 Average Score
Trends (over time) 3 4 3 1
Website Functionality +
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website? 3 6 1 1
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website? 3 1 2 5
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website? 0 2 1 8
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)? 3 4 4 0
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 1 4 6 0
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features? 1 2 1 7
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc? 6 3 2 0
User Support +
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site? 4 3 2 2
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
3 2 4 2
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
0 0 4 7
Grade Color KeyExternal Websites (11)
2
4
6
2
4
0
1
3
Question U.S. Census Statistics
Netherlands
Australian
Bureau of
Statistics
Statistics
Canada
Statistics
Singapore
Statistics
Denmark
Bureau of
Labor
Statistics
Bureau of
Justice
Statistics
National
Center for
Education
Statistics
Bureau of
Economic
Analysis
Stats Indiana KIDS COUNT
Data Center
Information AvailabilityIs it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on
the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)? 3 2 3 2 4 3 3 4 1 1 3 3
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide
access to the following types of data for different user groups
(e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?1 2 4 4 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 1
Geographic (national/local) 4 2 4 4 1 1 4 2 3 4 4 4
Topics (economic/demographic) 2 4 2 4 2 4 4 4 2 1 4 2
Trends (over time) 2 4 3 3 3 4 3 4 2 2 2 1
Website FunctionalityIs there a way to search for data sources on the website?
2 3 3 4 3 2 3 4 4 3 3 1
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer
on the website?3 4 1 2 1 4 4 2 3 1 1 1
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website?3 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 3 1 1 1
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g.,
graphics, maps, trends)?2 4 2 3 3 4 2 2 3 2 3 4
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout?1 4 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 3
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?1 3 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 4
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc?2 2 2 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 3
User SupportDoes the website provide text indicating the breadth of
information available on the site?1 3 2 4 2 3 4 4 1 1 4 3
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content
by topic without overwhelming the user with too much
information?
1 3 2 2 2 3 4 4 2 1 4 1
Does the website provide information about relevance and
appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data
sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you
are searching)?
1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
1
External Website Evaluations The U.S. Census Bureau Contract No. YA132309CQ0045, Task Order (TO) 001: Web Discovery: Data Visualization and the Future of Census.gov
Abt Associates, March 12, 2011
2
TableofContentsTable of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 2 ExternalWebsiteEvaluations ................................................................................................... 3
U.S. Census www.census.gov ...................................................................................................... 3 Statistics Netherlands ‐ http://www.cbs.nl/en‐GB/menu/home/default.htm .......................... 5 Australian Bureau of Statistics http://abs.gov.au/ ..................................................................... 7 Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.gc.ca/start‐debut‐eng.html ....................................... 9 Statistics Singapore http://www.singstat.gov.sg/ .................................................................... 11 Statistics Denmark http://www.dst.dk/HomeUK.aspx ............................................................. 13 Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/ ....................................................................... 15 Bureau of Justice Statistics http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/ ............................................................... 17 National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/ .................................................. 19 Bureau of Economic Analysis http://www.bea.gov/index.htm ................................................ 21 Stats Indiana http://www.stats.indiana.edu/index.asp ........................................................... 23 KIDS COUNT Data Center http://datacenter.kidscount.org/ .................................................... 25
3
ExternalWebsiteEvaluations U.S.Census‐www.census.gov
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
3 – Adequate
The website provides decent access to common geographic and economic statistics through the data finder links on the homepage.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
1 – Not Present The website does not provide different introductory pages for user types.
Geographic (national/local)
4 – Best
The website does a good job of providing access to geographic data through the population finder and area profiles links on the homepage.
Topics (economic/demographic)
2 – Poor
Although the website is generally organized into economic and demographic topics, it is difficult to navigate within and between these topics and to understand the true breadth of information available from the website.
Trends (over time) 2 – Poor
Although historical data is available for many surveys, it is difficult to find the data without knowing where to look.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website?
2 – Poor
The census search engine does not provide useful search results – results are not sorted by relevance and it is difficult to find information using search.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website? 3 – Adequate
The website does a decent job of allowing users to query for specific information in American Fact Finder.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website?
3 – Adequate
It is straightforward to find micro and meta data on individual survey pages, and American Fact Finder and DataFerrett provide central locations for downloading data across surveys.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
2 – Poor
There are limited mapping/visualization abilities in some areas of the site, e.g. American Fact Finder and the LEHD page; however visualization is not emphasized throughout the different sections of the website.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 1 – Not Present
The website fails to standardize formatting throughout different sub‐sections.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
1 – Not Present The website does not provide a mobile access option.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc? 2 – Poor
Subscriptions for updates are only available for a limited set of surveys/sections of site, and there is no
4
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
centralized update service. It is possible to sign up for news releases, and some individual surveys provide notification services.
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site?
1 – Not Present
The website fails to provide text indicating what is available on the website as a whole, and there is no centralized listing of topics.
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
1 – Not Present
There is no site map on the website other than the A to Z list of topics. The alphabetical index is comprehensive but does not group content by topic and provides too much information in some areas.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
1 – Not Present
The website does not provide information about relevance and appropriate use of similar data sets in American Fact Finder.
Noteworthy Features (list)
American Factfinder provides mapping abilities, LEHD and other sites provide some visualization of data. It is easy to search for geographic information directly from the homepage.
5
StatisticsNetherlands‐http://www.cbs.nl/en‐GB/menu/home/default.htm
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
2 – Poor
There are a limited number of key statistics available on the homepage and figures page; otherwise users must delve through topics and view complex tables to find answers to even common questions.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)? 2 – Poor
The website attempts to provide introductory pages for user types, but these pages are generally not helpful for orienting users to the information available on the website.
Geographic (national/local)
2 – Poor
The website does not emphasize geographic information as an organizing principle. The only way to find geographic information is by searching in Statline.
Topics (economic/demographic) 4 – Best
The website successfully organizes itself by themes, which are carried through all sections of the website.
Trends (over time)
4 – Best
The website succeeds in consistently providing trends data in all tables and many visualizations throughout the website.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website?
3 – Adequate
The website search is mediocre in terms of its helpfulness for finding data, but the Statline search results include links to the appropriate theme.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website? 4 – Best
Statline does a good job of allowing users to compose queries when searching by theme or geography.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website? 1 – Not Present
It is not possible to download microdata from the website. Users must apply and pay a fee to view microdata.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
4 – Best
The website places a strong emphasis on visualization, including interactive infographics linked from the homepage, visualizations available for most themes, and map and chart options for viewing data in Statline.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 4 – Best
The website successfully standardizes formatting by showing all tables in Statline.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
3 – Adequate Statline can be accessed on the iPhone.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc?
2 – Poor
The website does not provide an option to subscribe for updates about data releases, but it is possible to subscribe to receive press releases, web magazine, and discussion papers.
6
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site?
3 – Adequate
The website provides a single, comprehensive list of themes of information available, but it is not available directly on the homepage.
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
3 – Adequate The site map does a decent job of organizing the content of the website by theme and section.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
2 – Poor
Statline provides context for data sets on both in the search and results, but does not provide information to distinguish between similar data sets.
Noteworthy Features (list)
The website provides introductory pages for the media, policymakers, researchers, and survey respondents. Statline search results include links to the appropriate theme. Statline uses an interactive map to allow users to search by geography. Statline allows users to view results in charts and maps. Interactive infographics are linked from the homepage. Users can use Statline from the iPhone at no cost. It is possible to transpose tables in Statline.
7
AustralianBureauofStatisticshttp://abs.gov.au/
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
3 – Adequate
The website allows users to easily access common statistics through links to population data and key national indicators from the home page.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
4 – Best The website does a good job of providing access to different user types through its introduction page and user type pages.
Geographic (national/local)
4 – Best
The website succeeds in guiding users to regional data from the homepage and providing data for local regions. Geography is used as an organizing principle throughout the website.
Topics (economic/demographic)
2 – Poor
The website topics are not consistently implemented throughout the website – they are not always emphasized and topics change in some areas of the site.
Trends (over time)
3 – Adequate
The website does not emphasize trends as an organizing principle, however many tables include data from past years and some pages include options to graph trends.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website?
3 – Adequate
The website search engine does a decent job of guiding users to data, including highlighting suggested pages and offering an option to search using Google.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website?
1 – Not Present
The website does not offer a useful tool allowing users to query for data. There is a filter option for browsing data sets, but this is insufficient.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website? 1 – Not Present
It is not possible to download microdata from the website. Users must apply and pay a fee to view microdata.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
2 – Poor
The website does not emphasize visualization options. While there are some interesting visualization features, such as an interactive map and the use of charts in many sections, these features are not used extensively on the site.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 2 – Poor
The website fails to standardize table and page formats across different sections of the site.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
3 – Adequate The website provides a mobile site, but it is limited in scope.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc?
2 – Poor
There is no centralized option for subscribing to data releases, although it is possible to subscribe to newsletters within topic areas.
8
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site?
2 – Poor
The website fails to alert the reader to the breadth of information available on the site. The list of topics somewhat addresses this but is not used consistently throughout the website.
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
2 – Poor The organizing principle of the website’s site map is unclear and usefulness is limited.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
1 – Not Present
Website does not provide explanatory text for distinguishing between surveys in lists.
Noteworthy Features (list)
Website includes an introduction page with links to pages for different user groups Website uses an interactive map to guide users to regional data. Website offers a page for mobile access. Supertable is software users can download to manipulate data in tables.
9
StatisticsCanadahttp://www.statcan.gc.ca/start‐debut‐eng.html
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
2 – Poor
The website provides a limited number of popular statistics on the homepage (e.g., population); otherwise it is necessary to navigate through the various subject areas and tables to locate data.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
4 – Best
The website prominently uses landing pages for different user groups which guide the user types to the most relevant resources within the site. The first resource listed for analysts and researchers is CANSIM, a paid database.
Geographic (national/local)
3 – Adequate
It is easy to search for local data using the community profiles tool, which includes options to view data in maps and graphics. However, this tool is not linked prominently from the homepage. Geographic data are available for most data on the site.
Topics (economic/demographic)
4 – Best
It is easy to navigate subjects as they are one of the key organizing principles of the website, including being featured on the homepage.
Trends (over time)
3 – Adequate
The website does not emphasis trends as an organizing principle, but does include trends page that visualizes data from past censuses and many tables present data for multiple years.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website?
4 – Best
The website’s central search engine surpasses that of U.S. Census in providing options to limit and focus results by subject, type, and geography. Some of the tables linked from the search engine require payment for viewing. As with U.S. census, the search appears as a navigation option on most pages.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website?
2 – Poor
The website fails to provide a centralized data query tool (other than the main search), and it is difficult to locate query tools within sub‐sections of the website. CANSIM appears to be a statistics search tool however you must pay for access.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website? 2 – Poor
The website provides access to metadata and microdata, but fails to connect the two areas, and it is difficult to navigate
10
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
to the sections of the website containing meta and microdata. It appears that additional data is available from CANSIM, a paid service.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
3 – Adequate
The website provides many visualization options for viewing data (such as thematic maps, different chart and graph options, etc) that are available for many results tables and search engines.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 2 – Poor
The website fails to standardize table formats across different sections of the site.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
1 – Not present The website does not have a mobile access option.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc?
4 – Best
The website allows users to sign up for accounts in order to receive email notifications, purchase detailed tables, and access product subscriptions.
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site? 4 – Best
The website succeeds in providing a single, comprehensive list of subjects available directly on the homepage
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
2 – Poor
The website has a site map; however the organization is by generic areas (“search”, “statistics and studies”) rather than by topic, limiting its usefulness.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
1 – Not present
The website does not do a good job of providing information allowing users to distinguish between similar data sets in search results.
Noteworthy Features (list)
Website provides entry pages for analysts and researchers, students and teachers, and media from the homepage. The Community profiles tool allows users to search for data for local areas and view results maps. You can download and view thematic maps that show tends over time. Some search engines provide options to view data in different kinds of graphs and charts, as well as to download data in
different formats. Visualization options (charts, maps) are widely available in different sections of the website. Search engine is robust in allowing users to limit search results by subject, geography, type of information, and section
of website.
11
StatisticsSingaporehttp://www.singstat.gov.sg/
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
4 – Best
Website succeeds by listing recent key indicators on homepage and including a link for more information for a variety of common statistics.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide entry pages for different user groups.
Geographic (national/local) 1 – Not Present
Website does not offer data by geography.
Topics (economic/demographic)
2 – Poor
The website themes are not consistently implemented throughout the website – they are not emphasized and change in different areas of the site.
Trends (over time) 3 – Adequate
The website does a decent job of providing trends data in different sections of the website.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website? 3 – Adequate
The website search engine does a decent job of guiding users to relevant data sources.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website?
1 – Not Present The website fails to provide a data query tool.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website? 1 – Not Present
Website does not provide access to download microdata. Link to metadata goes to external website.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
3 – Adequate
Website provides interesting visualization tools linked from the homepage as well as charts, but fails to integrate features throughout website.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 3 – Adequate
Formatting is mostly consistent throughout the website.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
2 – Poor Website provides option to receive data via SMS.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc?
4 – Best
Website succeeds in providing a single page where users can sign up for updates across all surveys offered on the site.
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site?
2 – Poor
The website fails to provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the website. There is a list of topics but it is limited to a section of the website rather than used consistently throughout.
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
2 – Poor The website has a site map; however the organization is by areas of the website, limiting its usefulness.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information
1 – Not Present Website does not provide explanatory text for distinguishing between surveys and data sets.
12
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
you are searching)?
Noteworthy Features (list)
Website provides a centralized location to sign up for press releases and updates for various surveys offered by the site. Website provides option to receive data via SMS. Website provides animated visualizations. Many tables have accompanying charts. There is also a separate charts section of the website. There is a first visit page Customized data are available for a fee. It is possible to pay online.
13
StatisticsDenmarkhttp://www.dst.dk/HomeUK.aspx
Question
Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
3 – Adequate
The website provides decent access to common statistics through the key indicators page which is linked from the homepage.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide introductory pages for different user groups.
Geographic (national/local)
2 – Poor
The website does not emphasize geography as an organizing principle. While data for regions are available in StatBank, it is not easy to find.
Topics (economic/demographic) 4 – Best
The website successfully organizes different sections through a consistent set of topics.
Trends (over time)
4 – Best
The website succeeds in providing trends data throughout the website – via the presence of trends charts accompanying most key statistics, a separate short term trends page linked from the homepage, and the readily available historical data in StatBank.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website? 2 – Poor
The website search is inferior to Google search for finding information on the website.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website? 4 – Best
Statbank does a good job of allowing users to query information through the ability to select and customize tables.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website? 1 – Not Present
It is not possible to download microdata from the website. Users must apply and pay a fee to view microdata.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
4 – Best
Visualization is strongly emphasized throughout the website: most pages include charts, and all tables in Statbank can be viewed in graphs.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout?
3 – Adequate
For the most part formatting is consistent throughout website. Sometimes charts are not presented consistently.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
1 – Not Present Website does not offer mobile access.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc?
4 – Best
The website offers a service that emails subscribers when new datasets are available. It is unclear whether this service requires a fee.
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site?
3 – Adequate
The website provides a single, comprehensive list of topics of information available, but it is not available directly on the homepage.
14
Question
Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
3 – Adequate The site map does a decent job of organizing the content of the website by theme and section.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
2 – Poor
Although additional information is available when selecting data sets in StatBank, this feature does not help users to select the appropriate data set.
Noteworthy Features (list)
Tables in StatBank can be viewed as charts Charts appear with most data throughout website Website has a subscription service to alert users when new data are released. Website has a jokes and anecdotes page. Users can sign up for accounts in StatBank to save tables.
15
BureauofLaborStatisticshttp://www.bls.gov/
Question
Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)? 3 – Adequate
The latest indicators are presented on the homepage, and each survey page also presents the latest numbers.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
3 – Adequate
There is a resource for section successfully guides different user types to relevant sections of the website. However, this section is buried on the homepage, requiring scrolling to find the link.
Geographic (national/local)
4 – Best
The website successfully features geography topics by featuring regional data on the homepage and devoting a separate section of the website to geographic topics.
Topics (economic/demographic)
4 – Best
The website is organized by a set of topics that are the primary organizing principle and are used consistently throughout the website.
Trends (over time)
3 – Adequate
While trends are not stressed, most tables present historical data and the latest indicators provide links to show charts of historical data.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website? 3 – Adequate
The search tool does a decent job of guiding users to data sources. There is also an enhanced search in beta.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website?
4 – Best Each survey has a specialized search tool that can be used to create custom tables.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website?
3 – Adequate
Some surveys allow users to download microdata and metadata directly from the website; others require users to order data.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
2 – Poor
Overall visualization is not stressed on the website. There are some visualizations – charts showing historical data for the latest indicators and ability to map data in beta.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout?
3 – Adequate
For the most part formatting is consistent throughout the website. Tables produced using data retrieval tools are formatted differently from readily available tables on the site.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide a mobile access option.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc?
4 – Best
The website does an excellent job of allowing users to subscribe for data releases, and includes options for selecting which surveys to receive updates about.
User Support
16
Question
Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site?
4 – Best
The website succeeds in providing a single, comprehensive list of subjects available from the homepage and used to organize content throughout the site.
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
4 – Best Site map successfully guides readers to content through an organization based on subject area.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
2 – Poor
Within each subject area there is text distinguishing between surveys, but there is no contextual information on the global data retrieval page or within search options.
Noteworthy Features (list)
Website provides introductory pages for business leaders, economists, the media, students and teachers, etc. The geographic guide which indicates which data are available for different types of geographies. There are charts showing historical data for the latest indicators. The ability to map data in beta.
17
BureauofJusticeStatisticshttp://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
4 – Best
Key facts are their own section in the navigation. Each key fact is accompanied by a chart with a sentence providing context.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide entry pages for different user groups
Geographic (national/local)
2 – Poor
Website does not emphasize geographic data. A limited number of data sets provide geographic information, but are difficult to locate.
Topics (economic/demographic)
4 – Best
The website is organized by a set of topics that are prominently located on the homepage and used to organize the sub‐sections of the website.
Trends (over time)
4 – Best
The website successfully integrates trends data throughout its content, including emphasizing trends in the key facts section and including historical data for most data sets.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website?
4 – Best
The BJS search function is especially useful because users can limit search results by information type or topic, search results are organized by information type, and it incorporates Google search results as a separate option within the search function.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website?
2 – Poor
Although the BJS provides a tool to search for data, the tool is buried within the site and limited in the scope of data coverage.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website?
1 – Not Present Website fails to provide access to microdata.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
2 – Poor
Website fails to integrate visualization and graphics throughout website, and does not offer visualization tools. However, most PDF publications include charts, as does the key facts page.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 2 – Poor
The website fails to standardize table formats across different sections of the site.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
1 – Not Present Website does not have a mobile access option.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc?
3 – Adequate
Website provides a simple service allowing users to subscribe to receive updates when new information is available.
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of 4 – Best The website indicates the breadth of
18
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
information available on the site? information available through the consistently implemented topics list, which are available directly from the main page.
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
4 – Best
The site map successfully orients the user without providing an overwhelming amount of information, and is organized by area and topic.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
2 – Poor
Although the website provides brief context in search results, this is insufficient for allowing users to discern the most appropriate data set to use.
Noteworthy Features (list)
Key facts are accompanied by charts and short blurbs discussing the trend. The search allows users to limit search results by information type or topic, search results are organized by information
type, and it incorporates Google search results as a separate option within the search function. There is a separate publications and products search.
19
NationalCenterforEducationStatisticshttp://nces.ed.gov/
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
1 – Not Present
The website fails to provide access to common questions on the homepage, and the Fast Facts section requires navigation and reading through large pieces of text to find answers.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)? 2 – Poor
Website does not provide entry pages for different user groups; however it does feature a separate Kids’ Zone section. The NAEP sub‐program provides information for different user groups.
Geographic (national/local)
3 – Adequate
Though not emphasized as an organizing principle, geographic data is readily available in different areas of the site, for example through the state/district profile data tools and build a table.
Topics (economic/demographic)
2 – Poor
The website provides a set of topics that are used in isolated areas of the website. Topics are not consistently used as the organizing principle for viewing data on the website.
Trends (over time) 2 – Poor
Website does not emphasize trends as an organizing principle, but does provide historical data in some areas.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website?
4 – Best
Website provides a versatile tool that allows users to search entire website, products, and tables. Table search results include information about topic area, source, and year. Publication search results are sortable by date and include abstracts.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website?
3 – Adequate
The website provides many data tools for locating customized data (see noteworthy features), but fails to provide a central data query tool for retrieving information other than the search (see previous question)
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website?
3 – Adequate
The website provides access to some microdata sets directly from the website, whereas other microdata sets require a data license to access.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
3 – Adequate
The website provides a number of interesting interactive tools in the data tools (see noteworthy features below), but visualization is not prominent in the other sections of the website.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 2 – Poor
The website fails to standardize table formats across different sections of the site.
20
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide mobile access.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc? 4 – Best
Newsflash succeeds in allowing users to sign up for updates specific to their particular area of interest.
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site? 1 – Not Present
The website fails to provide text indicating the breadth of information available from the website.
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
2 – Poor
Sitemap provides an overwhelming amount of information and organization is not by topic or area of website, making it confusing to use.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
1 – Not Present
Search results do not indicate the most appropriate data source to answer a question.
Noteworthy Features (list)
Website includes a separate Kids’ Zone section. Newsflash allows users to sign up for updates specific to their particular area of interest. Website allows users to search entire website, products, and tables. Table search results include information about topic
area, source, and year. Publication search results are sortable by date and include abstracts. Geographic data are readily available through the state/district profile data tools and build a table. State comparisons tool features an interactive map option in the results. State education data profiles include an option to chart results of state compared to national. The School District Demographics System Map Viewer provides an interactive map that shows U.S. Census and ACS data
by school district and is customizable by theme. Quickstats allows users to build custom tables through an interactive interface. The NAEP sub‐program provides information for different user groups.
21
BureauofEconomicAnalysishttp://www.bea.gov/index.htm
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
1 – Not Present
Website does not present key statistics on the homepage, and there is no way to find common statistics other than by accessing the main data pages of the website.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide entry pages for different user groups.
Geographic (national/local)
4 – Best
The website organizes itself around geography ‐ the major topics are international, national, and regional data, which are featured directly on the homepage.
Topics (economic/demographic) 1 – Not Present
Topics are generally not used to organize the content of the website.
Trends (over time)
2 – Poor
Trends are not emphasized as an organizing principle and historical data are not easy to find throughout the website.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website? 3 – Adequate
The search engine does a decent job of guiding users to data. Search results can be limited by clusters.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website?
1 – Not Present Website does not offer a data query tool.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website?
1 – Not Present Microdata are not available on the website, but must be conducted on‐site.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)? 2 – Poor
Website offers a limited number of interactive maps. Charts are sometimes presented with data.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 2 – Poor
The website fails to standardize table formats across different sections of the site.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide mobile access.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc? 4 – Best
Websites succeeds in allowing users to sign up for updates specific to different indicators or other areas.
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site? 1 – Not Present
Website does not provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the website.
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
1 – Not Present Website does not have a site map. However, there is an A to Z index of topics.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
1 – Not Present
Search results do not indicate the most appropriate data source to answer a question.
22
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Noteworthy Features (list)
Website includes a site‐wide glossary. Interactive tables and charts are relatively widespread on the website. However, functionality of interactive tables is
limited. Interactive maps are used in the regional section. Search results can be limited by clusters.
23
StatsIndianahttp://www.stats.indiana.edu/index.asp
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)? 3 – Adequate
The website provides decent access to common statistics by geography through the area profile links on the homepage.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide entry pages for different user groups.
Geographic (national/local)
4 – Best
The website succeeds in providing geographic data directly from the home page and various areas of the website provide local data.
Topics (economic/demographic) 4 – Best
Website is well‐organized by topics that are presented prominently on the home page and in the navigation.
Trends (over time) 2 – Poor
Website does not stress trends as an organizing principle, and historical data are only available in some topic areas.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website? 3 – Adequate
The website uses a site‐specific Google search that does a good job of locating data sources.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website?
1 – Not Present There is no data query tool on the website.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website?
1 – Not Present
Website does not provide microdata; however as website provides data from national surveys specific to the state this may not be applicable.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)?
3 – Adequate
Website succeeds in providing interactive features in the maps & tools section and in some areas of the topics section.
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 2 – Poor
The website fails to standardize table formats across different sections of the site.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide mobile access.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc? 3 – Adequate
Website allows users to subscribe for a new data newsletter, and other publications.
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site? 4 – Best
The website succeeds in providing a single, comprehensive list of subjects available directly on the homepage
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
4 – Best
Site map successfully orients user by presenting topic areas and other areas of website without presenting an overwhelming amount of links.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
1 – Not Present
Search results do not indicate the most appropriate data source to answer a question.
24
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Noteworthy Features (list)
Website includes an acronyms guide Website provides several profiles tools that provide local data and are prominently linked from the homepage. The leading index page features an interactive chart. The website provides thematic and interactive maps.
25
KIDSCOUNTDataCenterhttp://datacenter.kidscount.org/
Question Evaluation
Comment (Compared to U.S. Census)
(Are features paid access only?)
Information Availability Is it possible to easily locate answers to common questions on the website (e.g., What is the population of the country?)?
3 – Adequate
Some common statistics are featured in the “Now you Know” section of the homepage. State profile pages also include featured indicators.
Are the homepage and introductory pages organized to provide access to the following types of data for different user groups (e.g., casual, sophisticated, expert)?
1 – Not Present Website does not provide entry pages for different user groups.
Geographic (national/local)
4 – Best
Website successfully organizes content by geography through access to state profiles and data across states directly from the homepage.
Topics (economic/demographic)
2 – Poor
Although state profiles and comparison data are organized by the same set of topics, these topics are not emphasized and are not readily available from the homepage.
Trends (over time) 1 – Not Present
Trends and historical data do not appear to be available from the website.
Website Functionality
Is there a way to search for data sources on the website? 1 – Not Present Website does not have a search engine.
Is there a way to compose a query to retrieve a specific answer on the website?
1 – Not Present Website does not have a data query tool.
How do you download microdata & metadata from the website?
1 – Not Present Website does not offer microdata.
What visualization tools are offered and to what extent (e.g., graphics, maps, trends)? 4 – Best
Website successfully features visualizations throughout the site. (See noteworthy features).
Does website employ consistent formatting throughout? 3 – Adequate
Table formats are mostly standardized throughout the website.
Does the website provide mobile access to some of its features?
4 – Best Website provides data on a mobile access site.
Can users subscribe for updates about new data releases, etc? 3 – Adequate
The website offers a mailing list, but it is not specific to data updates.
User Support
Does the website provide text indicating the breadth of information available on the site?
3 – Adequate The short blurb and topic descriptions on the main page adequately address this.
Does the website provide a site map that organizes the content by topic without overwhelming the user with too much information?
1 – Not Present There is no site map.
Does the website provide information about relevance and appropriate use and/or contextual information for similar data sets (e.g., which is the right data source for the information you are searching)?
1 – Not Present
Search results do not indicate the most appropriate data source to answer a question.
Noteworthy Features (list)
Homepage features graphs comparing key statistics by state. Each state page includes an interactive map All topics in the data across states section include options to map, graph, and rank data.
HowTo.govgeneraloverviewofCMSsystems http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/cms.shtml
ListofCMSsystemsusedbyGovernmentagencies http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/products/cms.shtml
IssuestoconsiderwhilechoosingaCMSsystemhttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/03/05/10‐things‐to‐consider‐when‐choosing‐the‐perfect‐cms/
ListofcaveatstoconsiderwhileselectingaCMSsystem
http://www.idealware.org/articles/top‐ten‐mistakes‐when‐selecting‐cms
GuidelinesforSelectingaCMSSystem http://www.noupe.com/php/choosing‐cms‐tips.html
RequirmentstoolkitwithcommonlyusedrequirementsforCMSsystemRFPs(Australian)
http://www.steptwo.com.au/products/toolkit
HowTo.govsocialmediaportal http://www.howto.gov/social‐media
ArchivedwebinarslidesandrecordingonmeetingFederalwebrequirements.
http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/wmu/spring2011/federal‐web‐requirements.shtml
Archivedwebinarslidesandrecordingonsocialmediaguidelinesforgovernmentemployees
http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/wmu/newmedia/spring2010/socialmediaguidelines.shtml
HowTo.govbestpracticesforBlogging http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/wmu/newmedia/blogger.shtml
BestpracticesforTwitter http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/microblogging/twitter.shtml
RecordedwebinarwithslidesandrecordingonbestpracticesforFacebook
http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/wmu/newmedia/spring2010/facebook.shtml
DescriptionofPodcastingandsuggesteduse. http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/podcasting.shtml
BestPracticesforsearchengines http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/search/bestpractices.shtml
Archivedwebinaronbestpracticesforsearch http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/wmu/fall2009/bestpracticesofsearch.shtml
SearchEnginebasics http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/search/guidance.shtml
SearchEngineOptimizationthroughkeywords http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/search/optimization/keyword.shtml
SearchEngineOptimizationbasics http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/search/optimization.shtml
HowTo.Govmobileportal http://www.howto.gov/tech‐solutions/mobile
BestPracticeslearnedfromCDCTextMessagingPilot http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/wmu/spring2011/cdc‐text‐messaging.shtml
InventoryofGovernmentMobileAppshttp://www.usa.gov/webcontent/documents/Inventory_of_Government_Mobile_Apps_March_2010.xls
W3C.orgMobileWebBestPractices http://www.w3.org/TR/mobile‐bp/
ToolstoHelpPeopleConnectwithMobileStrategies
ResourcesforImplementingDisseminationSolutions
InvestinanEnterprise‐levelContentManagementPlatform
ExpandStandoutSocialMediaSharingToolsusedatCensus
ToolstoHelpPeopleFindaResource
ManageSearchEngineOptimization
1
SummaryofInterviewswithCensusBureauStaffOverthecourseoftwomonths(November2010‐January2011),AbtAssociatesconductedseventeeninterviewswith22CensusstafffromacrosssevenDirectorates.TheseinterviewswereintendedtorepresenttherangeofCensusBureauprogramsandprogramactivitiesassociatedwithdissemination.SelectionofintervieweeswasmadebytheWorkgroupandNMCPstaff.Thoughframedbyaninterviewprotocol,theinterviewswerelargelyopen‐endeddiscussionsaddressingeachofthefollowingtopics:
Programmissionandactivities Audience Capabilities Needsandvisionoffuturechanges Impedimentstochange Expectationsfortheprojectsummaryreport
Intervieweeswerepromisedanonymity;thissummarydoesnotattributeviewsorstatementstoindividualsororganizationalgroups.
ListofInterviewswithCensusBureauStaffStaff OrganizationalAffiliation(s)
MarianE.Brady;JeffSisson AmericanFactFinder, DataAccessandDissemination
RobertMarske OfficeofEconomicPlanningandInnovation
CarolynnHammersmith SystemsSupportDivision
BlakeSanders SystemDesignandSupportBranch,ForeignTrade
MarcPerryPopulationDivision
WebTeam AmericanCommunitySurvey Office
JamesWhitehorne,CathyMcCully Redistricting
JoeKafchinski DataDisseminationBranch,ForeignTrade
AviBender IT‐ EnterpriseArchitectureandInnovations
JaneIngold DecennialManagementDivision
ShawnaOrzechowski,MattOlsen 2007EconomicCensus,EconomicPlanning&Coordination
MichaelRatcliffe,JenniferHolland,CourtneyHannon GeographicDivision
JoanneDickinson CenterforNewMedia,Census2010PublicityOffice
RobertKominski Housing& HouseholdEconomicStatistics
VickiBurke PartnershipWeb,DataStaff,Field
BurtonReist AssociateDirectorforCommunications
NancyGordon StrategicPlanningandInnovation
2
Inthefollowinggraphic,Directorateswithstaffinterviewsarenotedinaquablue.Theimmediateorganizationalunitswithstaffarenotedbyastar.
3
SummaryofStaffInterviewsToaperson,intervieweeswereproudoftheworkoftheirgroupaswellasthemissionandworkoftheCensusBureau.Thatsaid,theyfrequentlystatedthattherewassignificantpotentialforimprovement,particularlyregardingdisseminationandincreasingexternaluseandrecognitionoftheCensusBureau’sinformationproducts.Thefollowingsummaryisorganizedbytopicswherestafffeltthatchangewasneeded.Itisnotaperformanceassessment,wherecurrentactivitiesandinformationproductsarecomparedtogoalsandplans.Instead,thissummaryisavariantofagapanalysis,whereeachofthecontributorsdefinedafuturepotentialstate.oftheCensusBureauanddescribedthecurrentcapabilitiesandimpedimentstochange.ViewsonDisseminationandServingtheFullRangeofCustomersOnlyafewstaffcouldciteexistingincentivesorexpectationsforimprovingpublicaccess.Therearegroupsandindividualsthathavetakenonthejobofimprovingusers’understandinganduseofCensusBureauinformationproductsanddevelopingnewinnovations.Oftenthisappearstobebecauseofpersonalorprofessionalcommitmentofoneorafewindividualsratherthanamission‐orientedassignmentfrommanagement.Twostaffmentionedthattheirpersonalperformanceplanwouldincludedisseminationsuccessbeyondprimaryassignment,whichispublishinginformationproductsaccuratelyandontime.Therewasasignificanthesitationinaboutone‐halfofthestafftochangingthestatusquoofinformationproductpublication,especiallywithoutdirection.Theyreportedthattherewasanactualorimplieddirectivetobeaneutralproviderofinformation,andnottointerprettheinformation.Othersdescribedarangeofthoughtfullydevelopedanalyticalproducts,visualrenderings,orcompilationsofinformationthataddedvalueforusers.Afewstaffwerecomfortableinterpretinginformationwhenrespondingtoinformalrequests.Staffinteractingwithend‐userswantedtoseeimprovementsthatwouldimproveuser’sabilitytofindtheappropriateCensusBureauinformation.Audiences/CustomersThefollowinglistofaudiencesandnumberoftimesstaffmentionedeachwerereportedacrosstherangeofDirectorates.Staffwerenotlimitedinhowmanytypesofend‐userstheycouldreport:
Staffatotherfederal,stateandlocalgovernmentagencies(5) Businesscommunitypowerusers/Thoseundertakingmarketresearch(4) Everyone(3) Public(3) Internal(3) Contentareainterestgroups,publicandcommercial(2) Academics/Researchers(2) Journalists(1) Librarians(1)
Severalstaffdidnotthinktheirinformationproductshadaspecificaudienceandhadlittleinteractionwithusers.GovernanceThemoststronglyvoicedandmostfrequentlyreportedneedforchangewasgovernanceofdisseminationactivities,particularlyforweb‐basedefforts.Thelackofanarticulated
4
web/disseminationstrategyandoperationalgovernancestructureswasseenasimpedinganumberofdownstreaminitiatives,suchas:
ITinvestmentssmallandlarge;revisingCensus.govhomepagetoimproveuserexperience; Compliancewithwebandotherstandards;and Increasingthestaffandtechnological
capabilityneededtoprovidevisualizationsolutions.
MakingthepointthatavarietyofIT‐relatedstandardsneedtobedisseminated,oneITstaffstatedthatthereshouldbenoaccidentalenterprisearchitecturesolutionsattheCensusBureau.Approximatelyone‐thirdofintervieweesmentionedanimmediateneedforamobile(device)strategytodirectthelevelofinvestmentandtypesofprojectsundertakenacrossallDirectorates.Moststaffmentionedthatstrongerandclearcentralplanningfromthesenior‐mostmanagementwillstandardizeandhelpsettheproperinvestmentlevelsfordisseminationsolutionsacrossandwithinDirectorates,increasethevalueoftheCensusBureau’swebpresenceandbrand,and,mostimportantly,betterservetherangeofCensusBureaucustomers.Severalstaffthoughtthatdefiningthescopeandgoalsofdisseminationwouldhelporganizationalunitsandstaff“focusonwhattheBureaudoesbest.”Moststaffreportedthattheircurrentresponsibilitiesdonotincludesignificantdisseminationtasksorgoals.TheyhavebeentoldthatCensusBureauis“toobusygettingreportsoutfornextmonth.”Solutionsaredevelopedatthelocallevel,creatingthe“1,000flower”problem(anoft‐citedcharacterization).Relatedtothispoint,therearefewincentivesassociatedwithservicetothepublicusers–thiswasmentionedforboththeindividualstaffandorganizationalunitlevels.Inarelatedvein,severalstaffmentionedthatthejobcategoriesintheirorganizationdoesnotfittheprofessionalskillsetsneededfor1)webdissemination,2)visualizationand3)dealingwiththepublic.VisualizationandInterpretiveInformationProductsMostofthestaffwantedtoseemoredescriptionandinterpretiveproducts(seerelatedcommentinOthercategorybelow).Lessthanone‐thirdfeltthatwouldbedifficultorinappropriate.Amongthesuggestionsforimprovingvisualizationwere:
Moreoptionsfordatabase‐drivenapplicationsandweb‐displays; On‐the‐flymappingandcharting(line,bar,scatter)forusers; ExpandAPIsforexternalstorytellers; Querytoolswithembeddedfeaturesandbusinessrulesthathelpcasualusersanswermost
frequentquestions(e.g.,theZIPcodesearch);and Aboutone‐halfofthestaffmentionedthatdeliverytomobileuserswasofinterestor
important.Somehadstartedtoinvestigatethisnewmeansofdelivery–especiallyforhigh‐valueinformationproductswithfrequentupdates.Onestaffsaid,“We’renotiPhone/iPadWe’reclunky.”
ContentManagementSystemCMS‐Ingeneral,respondentsviewedintroductionofacontentmanagementsystem(CMS)asapositivechangeorwereneutral;nonegativeopinionswerevoicedaboutintroductionofCMS.The
Tablesaretheworstinformationformatknowntoman.”An
interviewedCensusBureaustaffmember
5
benefitsofaCMScitedbystaffwerethatitwouldfixmanyofthecontentandcompliancesitemanagementissues,aviewthatwasstronglystatedbyseveralstaff.Inadditiontodocumentandweb‐pagemanagement,itwassuggestedthatvideos,interviews,andgraphicsbeincludedintheCMSsolution.OtherNeeds,GoodIdeasandImpedimentsThefollowingisacompilationofwiderangingideasexpressedduringtheinterviews.Mostofthesesuggestionsandideasappearedtoemanatefromthestaff’sdirectexperiences.Thatis,staffcitedcurrentcapabilitieswithintheirDirectorateorwithintheCensusBureauthattheywishedcouldbeimprovedordeliveredmorewidelyorefficiently.Staffsuggesteditmightbemoreeffectivetoprovidesomedisseminationandoutreachsoftware,hardware,staffing,andtrainingsolutionscentrallyoratleastimprovecollaborationandsharingofservicesacrosstheDirectorates.Collaborationneededfor“world‐classwebandITsolutions.”Approximatelyonehalfofthestaffcalledforchangesindatacaptureandprocessingassociatedwithpublishedinformationproducts.Forexample,developinteroperabledatasointegrateddataproductscanbebuiltthatdisplaytrendsandcouldintegrate,forexample,economicdatawithdemographics.Imaginebeingabletoprovideasmallbusiness(e.g.,day‐carecenter)withadigestedreportofdemographicsandcurrentlevelsofservice/competitionwithinaselectedarea.Itwasrecognizedthatthistypeofsolutionwouldrequiregreaterstandardization(ofbusinessrules)acrossdataflows.Itwasmentionedthatdifferencesinmethodsiscitedasareasonnottointegratebutthosedifferencesmaynotbeanimpedimentformanyend‐uses/informationproductsthatcouldbegenerated.Itwasmentionedthatmanyusersareprobablyinterestedinseeingtrendsandchangesovertimedisplayedingraphsandtables,butthatforsomeprogramsthestatisticalstaffareanimpedimenttoreleasingsuchinformation.Developinformationproductssimilarto“HotReports,”whichwerementionedasgoodexamplesofpackageddatathatprovidedmoretexturebutdidnottaketheinterpretationasfarasstorytelling.Toassistwithculturalshiftsassociatedwithdissemination,create“adayinthelifeofadatafile”andpublishinternally,digestsofuserfeedbacktoeducatestaffaboutendusers.Anotherideamentionedtochangethestovepipedorganizationistofostermorestaffmobilityacrossareaandsupportforjointhiring.Staffdirectlyinvolvedinwebdisseminationwouldliketosee/have:
Moreconsistentlook,feel,andnavigationacrossallofCensus.govwebpages.(“Payattentiontowhatfitsonatypicalscreen”)
“Census.gov”isnotusable.Whenaskedtofindsomethingontheirown,newusersarelikeadeerinheadlights.”Redesigntomeetmostcommonrequests.Makeit:attention‐grabbing,interactive,andeasy‐to‐useforalltypesofusers.
Moreuserhelp(liveandothermeansofsupport) Socialmediaconnectionstoexplainthat“Censusisbusymeasuring....[the
economy/America]” Bettermappingforpublicfacingproducts
Increasedservicingofandcollaboration(e.g.,on‐linetoolsatCensusBureauandpublishingefficiency–e.g.,dataformats)withinterpretersofCensusBureauinformationhasbeendoneandnewinitiativesareunderwayinseveralDirectorates.Therangeofpartnersincludesnewsmedia,commercialventures(includingGoogleandgeographicserviceproviders),otherfederal,stateand
6
localgovernments.Severalstaffmentionedthattheywouldliketoseemore/betterbrandingofCensusBureauinformation,suchas:1)allowingvettedinterpreterstouseaCensusBureauor“CensusBureauApproved”logointheirsecondarypublishing;and2)incorporatingCensusBureauattributionexpectationsintodistributed/downloadablefiles.Asidefromchangingwebanddisseminationgovernance,staffmentionedafewwaystopromoteinnovativedisseminationandchange:
AlteringInnovationawardstotakeintoaccountdisseminationgoals. ImprovingtheOperationalEfficiencyprogramsothatitisalignedwithstrategicplan–add
criteriatoincentivizecross‐silosolutions. Createalaboratoryorservicecentertocreateandtestthevalueof“coolwebproductsand
displays.” Inventoryandadvertiseorhighlighttothepublic(possiblyonthehomepage)someofthe
innovativevisualizationandinformationproductsthatalreadyexist.
25 POINT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO R EFOR M FEDER AL
INFOR M ATION TECHNOLOGY M ANAGEMENT
Vivek KundraU.S. Chief Information Officer
D E C E M B E R 9, 2 0 10
i★ ★
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
PART I: ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
A . Apply “Light Technology”and Shared Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1 . Complete detailed implementation plans to consolidate at least 800 data centers by 2015 . . 5
2 . Create a government-wide marketplace for data center availability . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3 . Shift to a “Cloud First” policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4 . Stand-up contract vehicles for secure IaaS solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5 . Stand-up contract vehicles for commodity services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
6 . Develop a strategy for shared services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
PART II: EFFECTIVELY MANAGING LARGE-SCALE IT PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
B . Strengthen Program Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
7 . Design a formal IT program management career path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8 . Scale IT program management career path government-wide . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
9 . Require integrated program teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
10 . Launch a best practices collaboration platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
11 . Launch technology fellows program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
12 . Enable IT program manager mobility across government and industry . . . . . . . . 16
C1 . Align the Acquisition Process with the Technology Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
13 . Design and develop a cadre of specialized IT acquisition professionals . . . . . . . . 17
14 . Identify IT acquisition best practices and adopt government-wide . . . . . . . . . . 19
15 . Issue contracting guidance and templates to support modular development . . . . . 19
16 . Reduce barriers to entry for small innovative technology companies . . . . . . . . . 20
25 PoinT imPlemenTaTion Plan To RefoRm fedeRal infoRmaTion TeChnology managemenT
ii★ ★
C2 . Align the Budget Process with the Technology Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
17 . Work with Congress to develop IT budget models that align with modular development . 23
18 . Develop supporting materials and guidance for flexible IT budget models . . . . . . 24
19 . Work with Congress to scale flexible IT budget models more broadly . . . . . . . . . 25
20 . Work with Congress to consolidate commodity IT spending under Agency CIO . . . . . 25
D . Streamline Governance and Improve Accountability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
21 . Reform and strengthen Investment Review Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
22 . Redefine role of Agency CIOs and Federal CIO Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
23 . Rollout “TechStat” model at bureau-level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
E . Increase Engagement with Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
24 . Launch “myth-busters” education campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
25 . Launch interactive platform for pre-RFP agency-industry collaboration . . . . . . . . 32
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
1★ ★
introductionInformation technology should enable government to better serve the American people . But despite spending more than $600 billion on information technology over the past decade, the Federal Government has achieved little of the productivity improvements that private industry has realized from IT . Too often, Federal IT projects run over budget, behind schedule, or fail to deliver promised functionality . Many projects use “grand design” approaches that aim to deliver functionality every few years, rather than breaking projects into more manageable chunks and demanding new functionality every few quarters . In addition, the Federal Government too often relies on large, custom, proprietary systems when “light technologies” or shared services exist .
Government officials have been trying to adopt best practices for years – from the Raines Rules of the 1990s through the Clinger Cohen Act and the acquisition regulations that followed . But obstacles have always gotten in the way . This plan attempts to clear these obstacles, allowing agencies to leverage information technology to create a more efficient and effective government .
Over the last 18 months, we have engaged the Federal IT, acquisition, and program management com-munities; industry experts; and academics . We have conducted listening sessions with Congress, Agency CIOs, and Senior Procurement Executives . We have received detailed input and recommendations from many industry groups such as TechAmerica . This engagement process has led to recommendations for IT reform in the areas of operational efficiency and large-scale IT program management .
A 25 point action plan is detailed below to deliver more value to the American taxpayer . These actions have been planned over the next 18 months and place ownership with OMB and agency operational centers, as appropriate . While the 25 points may not solve all Federal IT challenges, they will address many of the most pressing, persistent challenges . This plan requires a focus on execution and is designed to establish some early wins to garner momentum for our continued efforts . Active involvement from agency leadership is critical to the success of these reforms . As such, the Federal CIO will work with the President’s Management Council to successfully implement this plan .
Some highlights of the implementation plan include:
•• Turnaround or terminate at least one-third of underperforming projects in IT portfolio within the next 18 months
•• Shift to “Cloud First” policy . Each agency will identify three “must move” services within three months, and move one of those services to the cloud within 12 month and the remaining two within 18 months .
•• Reduce number of Federal data centers by at least 800 by 2015
•• Only approve funding of major IT programs that:
•− Have a dedicated program manager and a fully staffed integrated program team
•− Use a modular approach with usable functionality delivered every six months
•− Use specialized IT acquisition professionals
25 PoinT imPlemenTaTion Plan To RefoRm fedeRal infoRmaTion TeChnology managemenT
2★ ★
•• Work with Congress to:
•− Consolidate commodity IT funding under the Agency CIOs and
•− Develop flexible budget models that align with modular development
•• Launch an interactive platform for pre-RFP agency-industry collaboration
This plan is divided into two sections: Achieving Operational Efficiency and Managing Large-Scale IT Programs Effectively . The first section outlines the steps being taken to adopt cloud solutions and lever-age shared services . The second section covers the structural areas that impact the success rates of large IT programs across government . The 25 action items listed throughout the plan are summarized in the chart at the end of the document .
3★ ★
PaRT i: aChieVing oPeRaTional effiCienCy
As part of a broader IT transformation, the Federal Government needs to fundamentally shift its mindset from building custom systems to adopting light technologies and shared solutions . Too often, agen-cies build large standalone systems from scratch, segregated from other systems . These systems often duplicate others already within the Federal Government, wasting taxpayer dollars . The growth in data centers from 432 in 1998 to 2,094 in 2010 highlights this problem .
Leading private sector companies have taken great strides to improve their operating efficiencies . Cloud technologies and Infrastructure-as-a-Service enable IT services to efficiently share demand across infrastructure assets, reducing the overall reserve capacity across the enterprise . Additionally, leveraging shared services of “commodity” applications such as e-mail across functional organizations allows organizations to redirect management attention and resources towards value-added activities . The massive scale of the Federal Government allows for great potential to leverage these efficiencies .
The following section outlines actionable, achievable steps to improve the government’s operational efficiency .
5★ ★
a. apply “light Technology”and Shared Solutions
The shift to “light technologies,” that is, cloud services, which can be deployed rapidly, and shared solutions will result in substantial cost savings, allowing agencies to optimize spending, and allow-ing agencies to reinvest in their most critical mission needs . For example, GSA recently entered into a contract to shift email services to the cloud, resulting in a 50% cost reduction over five years – a savings of about $15 million . Agencies must focus on consolidating existing data centers, reducing the need for infrastructure growth by implementing a “Cloud First” policy for services, and increasing their use of available cloud and shared services .
1.• Complete•detailed•implementation•plans•to•consolidate•at•least•800•data•centers•by•2015
In February 2010, the Administration launched the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI) and issued guidance for Federal CIO Council agencies . The guidance called for agencies to inventory their data center assets, develop consolidation plans throughout fiscal year 2010, and integrate those plans into agency fiscal year 2012 budget submissions .
The FDCCI is aimed at assisting agencies in identifying their existing data center assets and formulating detailed consolidation plans that include a technical roadmap and clear consolidation targets . The FDCCI will cut down the number of data centers across the government and assist agencies in applying best practices from the public and private sector, with goals to:
•• Promote the use of Green IT by reducing the overall energy and real estate footprint of govern-ment data centers
•• Reduce the cost of data center hardware, software, and operations
•• Increase the overall IT security posture of the government, and
•• Shift IT investments to more efficient computing platforms and technologies .
After an 8 month peer review process, we now know that the government is operating and maintaining almost 2,100 data centers . Through the FDCCI, a minimum of 800 data centers will be closed by 2015 .
To meet this reduction target, OMB and Agency CIOs will take the following steps:
1.1 Identifyagencydatacenterprogrammanagerstoleadconsolidationefforts
Large IT projects often fail to meet goals because of distributed accountability for success . Large, com-plex, and critical infrastructure programs, such as data center consolidation, require a single person to lead the coordinated effort .
Within the next six months, each agency will designate a senior, dedicated data center consolidation program manager with project management experience and technical competence in IT infrastructure . Because data center consolidation requires interactions with many stakeholder groups, the data center
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program manager must also have strong communication skills . The data center program manager at each agency will be responsible for developing a plan with interim, verifiable milestones to reach the agency’s data center reduction target and monitor progress toward those goals .
1.2 LaunchaDataCenterConsolidationTaskForcetoensuresuccessfulexecution
Within the next three months, the Federal CIO Council will launch a government-wide Data Center Consolidation Task Force comprised of the data center program managers, facilities managers, and sustainability officers . The Data Center Consolidation Task Force will be responsible for working together to share progress toward individual agency goals and the overall Federal target of a minimum of 800 data center closures by 2015 . The Data Center Consolidation Task Force will meet monthly to review progress of each consolidation project and ensure government-wide alignment between agency efforts where appropriate . The Task Force will serve as a “community of practice” for Agency CIOs and data center program managers to share best practices from this effort and enhance consolidation effectiveness .
1.3 Launchapubliclyavailabledashboardtotrackdatacenterconsolidationprogress
OMB will launch a publicly available dashboard to serve as a window into progress of the data center consolidation program . The dashboard will ensure transparency and accountability, and keep the overall program in plain view of the public .
2.• Create•a•government-wide•marketplace•for•data•center•availability
Within the next 18 months, OMB and GSA will create a government-wide marketplace that better utilizes spare capacity within operational data centers .
This online marketplace will match agencies with extra capacity to agencies with increasing demand, thereby improving the utilization of existing facilities . The marketplace will help agencies with available capacity promote their available data center space . Once agencies have a clear sense of the existing capacity landscape, they can make more informed consolidation decisions .
3.• Shift•to•a•“Cloud•First”•policy
In the private sector, a web-based multimedia production company used the cloud to allow anyone with access to an Internet connection the ability to create their own fully customized, professional-quality, TV-like videos . Consumers can then share the resulting videos with friends and family across the world . The cloud allowed for a rapid response when demand jumped from 25,000 users to more than 250,000 users in three days, eventually reaching a peak rate of 20,000 new customers every hour . Because of the cloud, the company was able to scale from 50 to 4,000 virtual machines in three days to support increased demand on a real-time basis .
In contrast, the Federal Government’s Car Allowance and Rebate System (CARS, more commonly known as “Cash-For-Clunkers”) failed when faced with peak loads . To process the anticipated 250,000 transac-tions, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) deployed a customized commercial application hosted in a traditional data center environment on June 19, 2009 . When dealer registrations
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began on July 24, 2009, demand far exceeded initial projections, and within three days, the system was overwhelmed, leading to numerous unplanned outages and service disruptions . Ultimately, approxi-mately 690,000 CARS transactions were processed . However, lacking the ability to scale rapidly, system stability was not achieved until August 28, 2009, over a month after registrations started coming in .
The Federal Government must be better prepared in the future . Beginning immediately, the Federal Government will shift to a “Cloud First” policy .
The three-part strategy on cloud technology will revolve around using commercial cloud technologies where feasible, launching private government clouds, and utilizing regional clouds with state and local governments where appropriate .
Cloud computing brings a wide range of benefits:
•• Economical: Cloud computing is a pay-as-you-go approach to IT, in which a low initial invest-ment is required to begin, and additional investment is needed only as system use increases .
•• Flexible: IT departments that anticipate fluctuations in user demand no longer need to scramble for additional hardware and software . With cloud computing, they can add or subtract capacity quickly and easily .
•• Fast: Cloud computing eliminates long procurement and certification processes, while providing a near-limitless selection of services .
When evaluating options for new IT deployments, OMB will require that agencies default to cloud-based solutions whenever a secure, reliable, cost-effective cloud option exists . To facilitate this shift, we will be standing up secure government-wide cloud computing platforms .
3.1 Publishcloudstrategy
Within the next six months, the Federal CIO will publish a strategy to accelerate the safe and secure adoption of cloud computing across the government .
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will facilitate and lead the development of standards for security, interoperability, and portability . NIST is working with other agencies, industry, academia, standards development organizations, and others to use existing standards as appropriate and develop cloud computing standards where gaps exist . While cloud computing services are currently being used, experts cite security, interoperability, and portability as major barriers to further adoption . The expectation is that standards will shorten the adoption cycle, enabling cost savings and an increased ability to quickly create and deploy enterprise applications .
3.2 Jump-startthemigrationtocloudtechnologies
Each Agency CIO will be required to identify three “must move” services and create a project plan for migrating each of them to cloud solutions and retiring the associated legacy systems . Of the three, at least one of the services must fully migrate to a cloud solution within 12 months and the remaining two within 18 months .
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Each migration plan will include major milestones, execution risks, adoption targets, and required resources, as well as a retirement plan for legacy services once cloud services are online . These new cloud implementations should be compatible with the secure, certified platforms currently provided in the private sector . Migrating these services will build capabilities and momentum in the Federal Government, encourage industry to more rapidly develop appropriate cloud solutions for government, and reduce operating costs .
4.• Stand-up•contract•vehicles•for•secure•IaaS•solutions
Federal, state, and local governments will soon have access to cloud-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offerings . GSA’s IaaS contract award allows 12 vendors to provide government entities with cloud storage, virtual machines, and web hosting services to support a continued expansion of governments’ IT capabilities into cloud computing environments .
Within the next six months, after completing security certification, GSA will make a common set of contract vehicles for cloud-based Infrastructure-as-a-Service solutions available government-wide .
A government-wide risk and authorization program for cloud computing will allow agencies to rely on the authorization completed by another agency or to use an existing authorization, so that only additional, agency-specific requirements need to be separately certified . Our aim is to drive to a set of common services across the government supported by a community, rather than an agency-specific risk model . This will allow the Federal Government to “approve once and use often .”
5.• Stand-up•contract•vehicles•for•commodity•services
The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) E-mail Working Group, formed in June 2010, has begun to identify and develop the set of baseline functional and technical requirements for government-wide cloud email solutions and is working towards developing business case templates for agencies who are considering transitioning to SaaS e-mail .
Within 12 months, GSA will utilize these requirements to stand up government-wide contract vehicles for cloud-based email solutions . GSA will also begin a similar process specifically designed for other back-end, cloud-based solutions .
6.• Develop•a•strategy•for•shared•services
Within the next 12 months, the Federal CIO will develop a strategy for shared services . That strategy will build on earlier Federal Government successes in shared services and include benchmarks on current usage and uptake rates, as well as service level agreements (SLAs), customer satisfaction levels, costs, and overall economic effectiveness .
Managing partners of shared services will assess the current state of shared services and each release a roadmap to improve quality and uptake . Ultimately, the managing partners will be responsible for executing these roadmaps and will be held accountable for improvements on SLAs and reductions in cost . These efforts will enable the current shared services to be accessible government-wide at higher quality levels .
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Actionitemowneranddeadlines
Action Item Owner(s) Within 6 mos.
6-12 mos.
12-18 mos.
1 Complete detailed implementation plans to consoli-date 800 data centers by 2015
OMB, Agencies ·
2 Create a government-wide marketplace for data center availability OMB, GSA ·
3 Shift to a “Cloud First” policy OMB, Agencies ·
4 Stand-up contract vehicles for secure IaaS solutions GSA ·5 Stand-up contract vehicles for “commodity” services GSA ·6 Develop a strategy for shared services Federal CIO ·
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PaRT ii: effeCTiVely managing laRge-SCale iT PRogRamS
IT has transformed how the private sector operates and has revolutionized the way in which it serves its customers . The Federal Government has largely missed out on these transformations, due in part to its poor management of large technology investments .
To address these execution problems, we launched the IT Dashboard in June 2009, allowing the American people to monitor IT investments across the Federal Government and shining a light onto government operations . While this unprecedented transparency was an important first step, it was not enough to simply shine a light on problems and hope that solutions would follow .
Building on the foundation of the IT Dashboard, we launched TechStat Accountability Sessions (“TechStats”) in January 2010 . A TechStat is a face-to-face, evidence-based review of an IT program with OMB and agency leadership . TechStat sessions enable the government to turnaround, halt, or terminate IT investments that do not produce dividends for the American people .
As a result of more than 50 TechStat reviews, OMB now has a sharper picture of the persistent problems facing Federal IT . One of the most consistent problems lies in project scope and timeline . In TechStat sessions, OMB found that many current IT projects are scheduled to produce the first deliverables years after work begins, in some cases up to six years later . In six years, technology will change, project spon-sors will change, and, most importantly, program needs will change . Programs designed to deliver initial functionality after several years of planning are inevitably doomed .
Modular development delivers functionality in shorter timeframes and has long been considered best practice in the private sector and in some areas of government; in fact, both Raines Rules and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) advise agencies to plan programs in this way . Successful organizations using modular development base releases on requirements they define at a high level and then refine through an iterative process, with extensive engagement and feedback from stakeholders . To maintain the disci-pline of on-time and on-budget, organizations push out additional functionality and new requirements for major changes into future releases and prioritize critical needs and end-user functionality .
Evidence shows that modular development leads to increased success and reduced risk . However, because this is a new way of thinking about IT programs for some groups within government, it requires additional training, templates, and tools . Many existing government processes – from planning to budgeting to procurement – naturally favor larger, more comprehensive projects . As such, far too many Federal IT programs have multi-year timeframes well beyond the now accepted 18- to 24-month best practice . The activities outlined in this plan attempt to address the structural barriers to implementing modular development consistently across government .
Moving forward, Federal IT programs must be structured to deploy working business functionality in release cycles no longer than 12 months, and, ideally, less than six months, with initial deployment to end users no later than 18 months after the program begins .
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Program managers need to define each phase of the IT development lifecycle and rigorously manage scope . These timelines should encompass the entire process – from concept through requirement analysis, development, test, and delivery . Today, a number of agencies have implemented these modular practices successfully . The Department of Veterans Affairs now requires that large IT programs deliver working functionality every six months .
The following practices will help achieve the promises of modular development:
•• Ensuring each module aligns with overall program and business objectives and has clear quan-titative and qualitative outcome measures for success
•• Awarding contracts that incorporate clear business objectives and performance outcomes, a vision for future state architecture, and parameters for iterative design and development
•• Delivering new working functionality to users at least every 12 months, with no more than 3 months dedicated to creating detailed system specifications
•• Regularly capturing and incorporating user feedback through an iterative process that assesses user satisfaction with each release, continuously refining design to ensure alignment with business needs
•• Preventing scope creep by defining high-level requirements upfront, locking down the current release, and pushing additional non-critical functionality to future releases
•• Moving resources from one release phase to the next as soon as they complete their work (e .g ., the requirements team builds requirements for the next release, while developers build current release)
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B. Strengthen Program managementEffectively managing modular IT programs requires a corps of program and project management pro-fessionals with extensive experience and robust training . Strong program management professionals are essential to effectively steward IT programs from beginning to end, align disparate stakeholders, manage the tension between on-time delivery and additional functionality, and escalate issues for rapid resolution before they become roadblocks . The size and criticality of large Federal Government IT programs are considerable . The people managing these programs must represent the best of the best .
Challenges with program management are pervasive across the Federal Government due to a general shortage of qualified personnel . However, pockets of excellence exist in the government . For example, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has a developed a multi-tier career track for program managers that requires both training and experience for advancement . Program managers advance by gaining experience on small projects before moving to larger, more complex programs . SSA feels so strongly about the critical role of program managers that it will not begin a new program unless the right man-ager is in place and dedicated to lead it .
High-performing IT organizations have a well-developed program management talent strategy . The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), working with the Chief Human Capital Officers Council, will need to take steps to significantly enhance the supply of IT program management talent in the Federal Government . Steps include creating a career path to attract and reward top performers, establishing integrated, multi-disciplinary program teams with key skills before beginning major IT programs, requir-ing program managers to share best practices at the close of each program, launching a technology fellows program, and encouraging mobility of program managers across the government .
7.• Design•a•formal•IT•program•management•career•path
In the next six months, OPM, with input from agencies and OMB, will create a specialized career path for IT program managers (PMs) . This will likely require creating a separate Occupational Series specific to IT program management within the current IT family with career advancement paths that are more competitive with the private sector . The path should require expertise and experience for advancement . It will also require the development of a competency model for IT program management consistent with the IT project manager model .
Finding, recruiting, and hiring top IT program management talent is challenging . In the next six months, OPM will work with OMB to provide agencies with direct hiring authority for IT PMs as necessary .
Further, agencies will identify specific IT program management competency gaps in the next Human Capital Management Report and develop specific plans to close the IT PM gap . To ensure that agencies are executing these plans, senior agency executives will review their progress and provide an interim report to OMB, 12 months after the next Human Capital Management Report is published .
OPM will work with the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to pilot the IT program management career track .
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8.• Scale•IT•program•management•career•path•government-wide
After piloting IT program management career paths at Treasury and USDA, OPM will work to expand the IT program management career paths more broadly across the Federal Government .
9.• Require•integrated•program•teams
A primary challenge impacting the successful delivery of IT programs is the need to manage a broad set of stakeholder communities, including agency leaders, business process owners, IT, acquisition, financial management, and legal . The typically siloed nature of government stakeholder communities is ill-suited for the multi-disciplinary and rapidly evolving needs of major IT program management processes .
High-performing private sector firms quickly bring together small multi-disciplinary, integrated program teams (IPTs) consisting of the following functions: business process owners who have a clear vision of the problem they are solving, IT professionals who understand the full range of technical solutions, acquisition professionals who plan and procure needed labor and materials, and finance staff to secure required funding . In addition, other functions such as HR and legal are included on the program team as needed . At the hub of these IPTs is a strong and effective program manager who stewards the process from beginning to end .
Examples of high-functioning IPTs exist in pockets of the Federal Government in which a complete IPT is required for major programs prior to beginning the investment review process . However, the practice is still only unevenly applied . The healthcare .gov initiative at the Department of Health and Human Services provides a good example of what a fully integrated multi-disciplinary team can do in the Federal Government . The healthcare .gov team successfully launched a citizen-facing website within 90 days of program initiation to rave reviews .
Over the next six months, OMB will issue guidance requiring an IPT, led by a dedicated, full-time program manager and supported by an IT acquisition specialist, be in place for all major IT programs before OMB will approve program budgets .
9.1 Dedicateresourcesthroughouttheprogramlifecycleandco-locatewhenpossible
For each large IT program, critical members of the IPT will serve as full-time resources dedicated to the program . This must include a 100% dedicated IT program manager, but other roles will vary by program . Key members of the IPT will also be co-located during the most critical junctures of the program . This is especially important during the requirements-writing phase, when business, IT and acquisition must define and modify requirements in short iterative cycles, and when “translation issues” have historically caused problems .
The core of the IPT, including all IT program leadership roles, will be in place throughout the program lifecycle, from the initial concept development phase through the delivery of the last increment under the contract . For major IT investments, agency leadership will approve the composition of the integrated program team and the dedicated program manager .
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9.2 Agencieswillholdintegratedprogramteammembersaccountableforbothindividualfunctionalgoalsandoverallprogramsuccess
A pervasive issue in government programs is that individual stakeholders focus primarily on perfor-mance metrics within their functions, and not on the holistic outcomes of the program . For example, IT or program staff may push to award work to a particular vendor, or to add “bells and whistles” that fail to take into account time pressures and budgetary constraints . Similarly, contracting staff may focus so much on competition requirements and small-business participation goals that they fail to look for solutions that meet these important requirements while also satisfying program needs . We need to replace these “stovepiped” efforts, which too often push in inconsistent directions, with an approach that brings together the stakeholders and integrates their efforts .
Agency executives will work with their senior procurement executives (SPEs), CIOs, and program leaders to take action and drive towards a more balanced set of individual and program success metrics based on the following two recommendations:
•• First, agencies should set up individual performance goals that cover individual and program objectives . Performance goals for acquisition, IT, and business personnel need to include a combination of individual and program objectives .
•• Second, agencies must also ensure that the individual and program metrics balance speed, quality, effectiveness, and compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations . Supervisors must utilize a balanced set of performance metrics to evaluate individual performance . Individuals who provide exemplary contributions to the team will be recognized for their success (e .g ., acquisition recognition through the Federal Acquisition Institute Awards & Recognition Program for individuals who effectively meet program needs without sacrificing compliance) .
10.• Launch•a•best•practices•collaboration•platform
Within six months, the Federal CIO Council will develop a collaboration portal to exchange best prac-tices, case studies, and allow for real-time problem solving . To institutionalize this best practice sharing, agency PMs will submit post-implementation reviews of their major program deliveries to the portal . These reviews will populate a searchable database of synthesized and codified program management best practices that all PMs can access .
11.• Launch•technology•fellows•program
Within 12 months, the office of the Federal CIO will create a technology fellows program and the accompanying recruiting infrastructure . By partnering directly with universities with well-recognized technology programs, the Federal Government will tap into the emerging talent pool and begin to build a sustainable pipeline of talent . The technology fellows programs should specifically target competency gaps that are identified in the Human Capital Management Reports submitted by agencies .
The program will aim to cut bureaucratic barriers to entering public service and provide access to unique career opportunities in government agencies . At the same time, these roles will provide new fellows with relevant training in large IT program management .
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12.• Enable•IT•program•manager•mobility•across•government•and•industry
The Federal CIO Council, OMB, and OPM, over the next 12 – 18 months, will be responsible for developing a process that will support and encourage movement of program managers across government and industry . Rotational opportunities allow the Federal Government to leverage its size to share knowledge and expertise across agencies . IT program managers with experience on specific types of programs or with specific types of systems should have opportunities to apply this experience on similar programs across government . Similarly, program managers should be given opportunities to learn from leading private companies . The Federal CIO Council, OMB, and OPM will work to design opportunities for industry rotation to allow Federal program managers to remain up-to-date with the latest skills while managing conflict of interest issues .
To support PM mobility, the Federal CIO Council will build a repository of information on all Federal Government IT PMs, including relevant background, specific expertise, implementation experience, and performance as part of its best practices collaboration platform .
Action Item Owner(s) Within 6 mos.
6-12 mos.
12-18 mos.
7Design a formal IT program management career path
OPM, OMB ·8 Scale IT program management career path OPM, Agencies ·9 Require Integrated Program Teams OMB ·10 Launch a best practices collaboration platform
Federal CIO Council ·
11 Launch technology fellows program Federal CIO ·12
Enable IT program manager mobility across government and industry
OMB, CIO Council, OPM ·
Actionitemowneranddeadlines
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C1. align the acquisition Process with the Technology Cycle
The acquisition process can require program managers to specify the government’s requirements up front, which can be years in advance of program initiation . Given the pace of technology change, the lag between when the government defines its requirements and when the contractor begins to deliver is enough time for the technology to fundamentally change, which means that the program may be outdated on the day it starts .
The procurement reforms enacted in the 1990s provided tools to speed up the acquisition process, but the government has failed to take full advantage of those tools, so we continue to see programs delayed longer than the life of the technology . In particular, the use of multiple-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contracts, called for in the 1994 Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA), was intended to allow quicker issuance of task orders, to be competed through streamlined “fair opportunity” mini-competitions among the multiple contract holders . The creation of government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) for purchasing IT goods and services was also intended to provide a limited number of specialized vehicles open to the entire government that could quickly respond to individual agency needs .
While the innovations in FASA have produced benefits, too often those tools are not used or not used effectively . IT acquisition, particularly for large projects, continues to move intolerably slowly . We need to make real change happen, by developing a cadre of specialized acquisition professionals and by educat-ing the entire team managing IT projects about the tools available to streamline the acquisition process .
In addition, requirements are often developed without adequate input from industry, and without enough communication between an agency’s IT staff and the program employees who will actually be using the hardware and software . Moreover, agencies often believe that they need to develop a cost estimate that is low in order to have the project approved . As a result, requirements are too often unrealistic (as to performance, schedule, and cost estimates), or the requirements that the IT profes-sionals develop may not provide what the program staff expect – or both . Speeding up the acquisition timeline and awarding more successful contracts for IT requires a multifaceted set of solutions including increased communication with industry, high functioning, “cross-trained” program teams, and appropri-ate project scoping .
13.• Design•and•develop•a•cadre•of•specialized•IT•acquisition•professionals
Effective IT acquisition requires a combination of thorough knowledge of the Federal acquisition system, including the tools available, a deep understanding of the dynamic commercial IT marketplace, and the unique challenges inherent to successfully delivering large IT programs in a modular time-boxed manner . Agency CIOs and SPEs advised that acquisition professionals who were specialized in IT were more effective . This specialization is also consistent with private sector best practice . To bring these
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increased capabilities online, we will be creating standardized training and development opportunities to develop a cadre of acquisition professionals with the specialized knowledge and experience required to expedite complex IT acquisitions across the Federal Government .
Over the next six months, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) and the Federal CIO, with input from agencies, will design a specialized IT acquisition cadre . In doing so, they will need to answer the following questions:
•• What is the process for acquisition professionals to become specialized in IT?
•• How do professionals progress within the community (i .e ., transition from entry-level through to senior contributor)?
•• How do you ensure that community members can focus on participating in IT acquisition?
•• What training, experience, and certification are needed?
•• What will be the impact on the remaining acquisition workforce and non-IT acquisitions if some of the staff are dedicated to IT acquisition?
A number of agencies have already developed IT acquisition specialists who can serve as a means to expedite IT programs . Useful lessons can be learned from drawing on the experience of the GWACs and the staff that support them at GSA, NASA, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) .
In the case of smaller agencies, where IT-only acquisition groups may be impractical, leveraging GWACs or using specialized cadres at larger agencies through Economy Act transactions may be the best solu-tion (e .g ., the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Technology Acquisition Center and Treasury Department’s BPD Acquisition Resource Center) . In addition, both the GWACs and these other agencies can potentially provide cross-functional support through experienced IT program management and technical staff . Access to these resources will, of course, not be limited to smaller agencies, as they can often provide an efficient alternative to in-house IT acquisition even for larger agencies . Particularly within the current budgetary constraints, agencies may have only a limited capability to hire new staff as candidates for the IT cadre, so drawing on other agencies’ resources may be vital to success .
13.1 StrengthenITacquisitionskillsandcapabilities
Within six months, OFPP, with input from agencies, will develop guidance on requirements for IT acquisi-tion specialists . In addition, OFPP will develop guidance on curriculum standards to cross-train program managers and IT acquisition professionals .
In particular, the guidance will focus on increasing cross-functional knowledge of the IT marketplace, IT program management, and IT acquisition . OFPP will build upon its current Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) to develop a path for IT expertise . OFPP will leverage existing cur-riculum that may exist within agencies that already host specialized IT acquisition professionals . Skills development will include:
•• Classroom training: OFPP will leverage and strengthen, where necessary, existing classes at the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) and the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), and engage these and other training providers to develop additional offerings as necessary .
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•• On-the-job experience: As is true with acquisition in general, the skills needed to successfully handle large IT acquisitions call for a blend of classroom training and on-the-job experience . For example, contracting professionals with hands-on IT experience are better equipped to help IT and program staff translate business and technical requirements into a statement of work that can help ensure a smooth procurement .
•• Mentorship: Building a strong culture of mentorship enables IT acquisition professionals to more quickly learn “the art of the possible” to deliver effective IT acquisition solutions . OFPP can encourage this by building on FAI’s ongoing efforts to foster mentorship and networking opportunities, within and between agencies .
As an immediate action to implement these recommendations, OFPP will consider these initiatives as part of its review of the Federal Acquisition Certifications for Program/Project Managers (P/PMs), Contracting Officer Technical Representatives (COTR), and contracting professionals in the next six months .
14.• Identify•IT•acquisition•best•practices•and•adopt•government-wide
OFPP will lead an effort over the next six months to study the experience of those agencies that have already created specialized IT acquisition teams, in order to develop a model to scale more broadly . Among the key questions to be considered will be the length of time individuals need to spend devoted solely to IT acquisition in order to add value to IT program teams, the kind of training and experiences that are most valuable, appropriate organizational structures, and successful acquisition strategies and practices .
Drawing on that experience, OFPP should work closely with senior agency leadership at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Energy (DOE) as they rollout their IT acquisition cadres in the next year . The next step, over the following 18 months, is to scale the specialized IT acquisition cadre government-wide .
15.• Issue•contracting•guidance•and•templates•to•support•modular•development
Over the next year, OFPP will work with the acquisition and IT communities to develop guidance on contracting for modular development . As part of this effort, OFPP will hold an open meeting with industry leaders to solicit ideas/feedback on contracting for modular development . OFPP will develop templates and samples, and will create communities of practice to facilitate adoption of modular con-tracting practices .
This guidance will address a variety of factors that IT program managers as well as contracting officers will need to consider as they plan for modular development efforts, such as whether to award to a single vendor or multiple vendors; how to ensure that there is appropriate competition at various stages in the process; how broad or specific the statements of work should be; when to use fixed-price contracts or rely on other pricing arrangements; and how to promote opportunities for small business . As noted above, the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 provides a variety of flexibilities for acquiring
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commercial items and for streamlining competition that will be reflected in the guidance to ensure IT program managers and others are aware of existing authorities that can further support modular IT development .
When evaluating acquisition strategies, agencies will need to prioritize those solutions that promote short deadlines for deliverables (generally less than three months), allow for responsiveness to rapidly evolving program and technical requirements, and facilitate a streamlined award process . One innovative example is at the Department of Transportation (DOT), which has recently formed IT “Agility Platforms” with contract vehicles in place that simplify how business owners can quickly access technology .
16.• Reduce•barriers•to•entry•for•small•innovative•technology•companies
Small businesses in the technology space drive enormous innovation throughout the economy . However, the Federal Government does not fully tap into the new ideas created by small businesses . Unlike larger, more established firms, new entrants have little at stake in current technological systems ranging from software standards, to operating system and file standards, to business processes . While large firms drive many incremental improvements to the status quo, smaller firms are more likely to produce the most disruptive and creative innovations . In addition, with closer ties to cutting edge, ground-breaking research, smaller firms often have the best answers for the Federal Government .
However, small businesses too rarely approach the Federal Government as a customer because of the real and perceived barriers to contracting . The sales process is perceived as lengthy and complex, and, therefore, not seen as worthwhile unless done at scale . Without existing knowledge or access to spe-cialized lawyers and lobbyists, small firms default to more traditional channels . And given their limited size, small businesses often find it difficult to bid on the large chunks of government work that require a substantial workforce across many functional capabilities . Ultimately, the government contracting process is easier to navigate by large, existing players, who in turn dominate the volume of contracts and therefore create a track record making them “less risky” and more likely to win future contracts .
To address the barriers that small businesses face generally (both in IT and more broadly), in April 2010, the President established an interagency task force to make recommendations for improving the participation of small companies in Federal contracts . The task force made 13 recommendations in its August 2010 report, which are currently in various stages of implementation . Of the 13 recommenda-tions, six were also included, in whole or in part, in provisions of the recently-enacted Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 .
As part of this effort, and to enable small IT companies to work with the Federal Government, SBA, GSA, and OFPP will take concrete steps over the next 18 months to develop clearer and more comprehensive small business contracting policies .
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Action Item Owner(s) Within 6 mos.
6-12 mos.
12-18 mos.
13Design and develop cadre of specialized IT acquisition professionals
OMB, Agencies ·
14Identify IT acquisition best practices and adopt government-wide
OFPP ·15
Issue contracting guidance and templates to support modular development
OFPP ·16
Reduce barriers to entry for small innovative technology companies
SBA, GSA, OFPP ·
Actionitemowneranddeadlines
23★ ★
C2. align the Budget Process with the Technology Cycle
The rapid pace of technological change does not match well with the Federal government’s budget formulation and execution processes . In addition, modular development means that lessons learned from an early cycle in an IT program will likely inform the detailed plans for the next cycle . As such, agencies need more flexibility to manage IT programs responsibly . To compensate for this misalignment between the realities of IT program management and the need for detailed budgets several years in advance, several agencies have worked with Congress to achieve greater IT budget flexibility through multi-year and/or agency-wide portfolio appropriations .
To deploy IT successfully, agencies need the ability to make final decisions on technology solutions at the point of execution, not years in advance . Agencies need the flexibility to move funding between investments or projects within their portfolio to respond to changes in needs and available solutions . But at the same time, Congress has a legitimate and important need for oversight; and given the history of project failures and wasted investments, it is understandable that Congress requires compliance with a rigid system for managing IT investments .
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) presents an interesting model . Greater budget flexibility has allowed the VA CIO to freeze projects that are off track and either restructure them for success or cancel them . VA established an accountability system so projects that are missing milestones are flagged early . Greater budget flexibility paired with real-time visibility is leading to success at VA – and minimizing the risk of “big bang” failures .
17.• Work•with•Congress•to•develop•IT•budget•models•that•align•with•modular•development
Working with Congress to design ways to better align funding to the technology cycle will reduce waste and improve the timeliness and effectiveness of provided solutions . Creating and leveraging flexible IT budget models requires work by OMB, Congress, and agency leadership .
17.1 AnalyzeworkingcapitalfundsandtransferauthoritiestoidentifycurrentITbudgetflexibilities
Over the next six months, OMB will work with Congress to analyze existing working capital funds (WCFs) and other vehicles for pooling funds and extending availability of funding . Working capital funds (WCFs) are agency revolving funds for managing common administrative services that add budgeting flexibility within the agency . In addition to WCFs, franchise funds and other accounts can potentially provide added IT funding flexibility . These accounts add flexibility by pooling bureau-level funds to serve agency-wide purposes .
This analysis will address limits on the amount of funding that could flow through such accounts under current law across all appropriations and agencies, any limits on the types of activities that may be
25 PoinT imPlemenTaTion Plan To RefoRm fedeRal infoRmaTion TeChnology managemenT
24★ ★
funded, and any other limitations on the use of transfer authorities to feed such accounts from contrib-uting accounts . This analysis would also include a comprehensive review of the legislative language for accounts receiving funds such as WCF accounts, General Provisions, or other legislative limits on transfer authorities, and the legal limits on use of general transfer authorities such as the Economy Act or the E-Government Act of 2002 . The analysis will also identify examples of the use of the existing funding flexibility vehicles for IT projects and develop best practices guidance on applicability and implementa-tion across the government, as well as identify where skill gaps exist in developing costing models and managing funds .
17.2 Identifyprogramsforwhichtopilotflexiblebudgetmodels
Within six months, Agency CIOs and CFOs will identify programs at several agencies for which added budget flexibility could save money and improve outcomes . OMB and agencies will work with Congress to develop proposed budget models to complement the modular development approach . In addition, OMB and agencies will evaluate mechanisms for increased transparency for these programs .
18.• Develop•supporting•materials•and•guidance•for•flexible•IT•budget•models
In order to support agencies and appropriations staff in leveraging budget flexibility, the Federal CFO Council, in collaboration with the Federal CIO Council, will develop a set of best practices and materials that explain the need for these types of funding, and prescribe a path to achieving more flexible models .
As a first step, the Federal CIO Council will create a segmentation of common IT program types and the associated funding requirements . The Federal CFO Council will then work with the Federal CIO Council to create detailed “playbooks” mapping each IT program type to specific budget vehicles based on examples of past investments and IT needs (e .g ., multi-year funding for programs with several discrete deliverables) . The playbooks will also explain in detail how the recommended budget flexibility improves delivery of the corresponding IT program results . Agencies will utilize these templates and training to clearly outline their financial needs to successfully deliver IT programs .
Program leaders and CIOs with increased budget flexibility will face higher expectations around suc-cessful delivery from agency leaders and Congress . Achieving greater flexibility in funding also requires greater transparency into spending effectiveness . Agencies will need to engage in more frequent dialogues with appropriations staff and to clearly demonstrate the performance of IT investments in achieving mission goals .
The Federal CFO and CIO Councils will create a set of guidelines for increasing transparency in the utilization of IT funds . Agencies will follow these guidelines and institute additional review processes for multi-year funds and portfolio funding to prevent mismanagement of increased funding flexibility (e .g ., masking program delays or overruns) .
C 2. a li g n T h e B u d g e T P Ro C e S S w i T h T h e T e C h n o l o g y C yC le
25★ ★
19.•• Work•with•Congress•to•scale•flexible•IT•budget•models•more•broadly
Within 12 months, OMB will engage several agencies to work with Congress to launch flexible IT budget models where appropriate . As pilot agencies demonstrate success with flexible IT budget models on selected programs, OMB will continue to work with Congress to scale flexible budget models across major IT programs government-wide .
20.•• Work•with•Congress•to•consolidate•commodity•IT•spending•under•Agency•CIO
Agencies, departments, bureaus, and, at times, even programs currently design, build, and operate inde-pendent systems for “commodity” IT services (e .g ., e-mail, data centers, content management systems, web infrastructure) . Their functionality and the infrastructure that supports them are often duplicative and sub-scale . These independent systems currently draw resources away from IT programs that deliver value to the American taxpayer . With few exceptions, the minor differences between agency-specific systems and their associated operational processes do not drive value for the agencies .
Consolidating these systems and their associated infrastructure (e .g ., data centers) will be difficult and complex if the current funding models are maintained . Within the next six months, OMB will work with Congress to develop a workable funding model for “commodity” IT services . These funding models will be applicable to both inter-agency IT services and intra-agency IT services . On an annual basis, the Agency CIOs and the Federal CIO Council will identify “commodity” services to be included in this funding model as they are migrated towards shared services .
A benefit of consolidated commodity IT spending is the ability to move more rapidly to adopt strategic sourcing solutions . Once agencies with common business needs can effectively coordinate or con-solidate the procurement of IT-related goods and services and demand is aggregated within agencies, it will be easier for the government to more effectively negotiate for volume discounts and improved service levels .
Actionitemowneranddeadlines
Action Item Owner(s) Within 6 mos.
6-12 mos.
12-18 mos.
17Work with Congress to create IT budget models that align with modular development
OMB, Agencies ·
18Develop supporting materials and guidance for flexible IT budget models
OMB, CFO Council, CIO Council ·
19Work with Congress to scale flexible IT budget models more broadly
OMB, Agencies ·
20Work with Congress to consolidate Commodity IT spending under Agency CIO
OMB, Agencies ·
27★ ★
d. Streamline governance and improve accountability
To strengthen IT governance, we need to improve line-of-sight between project teams and senior execu-tives, increase the precision of ongoing measurement of IT program health, and boost the quality and timing of interventions to keep projects on track . These improvements will both boost the efficiency of project oversight and better manage programs in distress .
Our strategy for strengthening IT governance centers on driving agency adoption of the “TechStat” model currently used at the Federal level . TechStat Accountability Sessions are face-to-face, evidence-based reviews of agency IT programs with OMB and agency leadership . Using data from the Federal IT Dashboard, investments are carefully analyzed with a focus on problem-solving that leads to concrete action to improve performance .
TechStats have led to accelerated deliverables, budget reductions, and project terminations . Results include:
•• $3 billion reduction in lifecycle costs
•• Average acceleration of deliverables from over 24 months to 8 months
Our goal is to scale this capability across the Federal Government, increasing the number of programs that can be reviewed and hastening the speed at which interventions occur . Through this strategy, we aim to enable agencies to grow their own performance management standards and focus OMB direct involvement on a limited number of highest-priority cases .
21.• Reform•and•strengthen•Investment•Review•Boards
Investment Review Boards (IRBs) were created to control and evaluate the results of all major IT invest-ments . In practice, these review boards have frequently failed to adequately manage the IT program portfolio by establishing successful projects or taking corrective action . Today, typical IRB meeting agendas currently set aside two hours to review the entire IT portfolio, far too little time to adequately review dozens of technical projects . These IRBs will be restructured according to the “TechStat” model .
21.1. RevampITBudgetSubmissions
OMB Exhibits 53 and 300 have come to support stand-alone processes to request and justify funding rather than serving as management tools for monitoring program health . In many cases, these docu-ments are prepared in large part by third-party contractors and there is minimal involvement by agency executives and program managers .
These exhibits will be revamped to better align them to agency budgeting and management processes, make them more relevant and useful, and ensure they promote the use of modular development prin-ciples . The improved exhibits will also alleviate reporting burden, increase data accuracy, and serve as the authoritative management tool .
25 PoinT imPlemenTaTion Plan To RefoRm fedeRal infoRmaTion TeChnology managemenT
28★ ★
By May of 2011, OMB will reconstruct the 300s and 53s around distinct data elements that drive value for agencies and provide the information necessary for meaningful oversight . The timing of these elements will be separated into distinct streams to clarify objectives, give agencies adequate time to assemble strong responses, and improve data quality . These streams will include:
•• Budget justification for new major Development, Modernization and Enhancement (DME) invest-ments, significant re-engineering of existing DME investments, and annual re-justification of DME investments .
•• Health monitoring of existing DME investments and Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
•• Portfolio governance to ensure the IT portfolio and individual projects are consistent with the agency mission and Federal policy objectives
Importantly, OMB and agencies must evaluate the way in which IT programs are reviewed so that bud-get approval for large IT programs is tied to key implementation steps rather than seemingly upfront, wholesale approval of massive programs . OMB will evaluate ways to ensure agencies can demonstrate strong performance in earlier modules in order to receive approval for funding of subsequent modules .
21.2 Rollout“TechStat”modeldepartment-wide
By March 2011, OMB will work with Agency CIOs and other agency leaders to stand up the “TechStat” model at the departmental level . Steps include:
•• OMB will assist agencies in designing tools and enforcing their use, to provide the transparency required for the “TechStat” model to be effective
•• OMB analysts will provide in-person training to Agency CIOs in “TechStat” methodology includ-ing accountability guidelines, engagement cadence, evaluation processes, and reporting processes .
•• Agency leaders will lead, sponsor, and manage the process within their departments
22.• Redefine•role•of•Agency•CIOs•and•Federal•CIO•Council
Currently, Agency CIOs and the Federal CIO Council spend a majority of their mindshare on policymak-ing and maintaining IT infrastructure . As we move forward with the IT reforms, CIO focus must shift towards portfolio management . This shift will be encouraged by activities such as the restructuring of the Investment Review Boards . Similarly, agencies will be increasingly freed from low-value activities (e .g ., building redundant infrastructure) as they adopt technologies such as cloud computing .
•• Agency CIOs will be responsible for managing the portfolio of large IT projects within their agencies . This portfolio management role will include continuously identifying unmet needs to be addressed by new projects, terminating or turning around poorly performing projects, and retiring IT investments which no longer meet the needs of the organization . Steps will include:
•• As described above, Agency CIOs will take on responsibility for the “TechStat” governance process within their agencies as of March 2011 .
d. S T R e a m li n e g oV eR na n C e a n d i m P RoV e aCCo u n Ta B i li T y
29★ ★
•• Agencies will turnaround or terminate at least one-third of poorly performing projects in their portfolio within the next 18 months . The Federal CIO Council will play a similar portfolio management role, but at a cross-agency level . Within six months, the Federal CIO Council will periodically review the highest priority “TechStat” findings assembled by the Agency CIOs . These reviews will enable CIOs to share best practices and common sources of failure to improve success rates over time .
23.• Rollout•“TechStat”•model•at•bureau-level
Once cemented at the agency level, the “TechStat” model will be deployed at the bureau-level to ensure the effective management of large programs . Within 18 months, Agency CIOs, in collaboration with other agency leaders, will be responsible for deploying the tools and training necessary to ensure rollout has been completed .
Actionitemowneranddeadlines
Action Item Owner(s) Within 6 mos.
6-12 mos.
12-18 mos.
21 Reform and strengthen Investment Review Boards OMB, Agencies ·22
Redefine role of Agency CIOs and Federal CIO Council
Federal CIO, Agency CIOs ·
23 Rollout “TechStat” model at bureau-level Agency CIOs ·
31★ ★
e. increase engagement with industryThe Federal Government does not consistently leverage the most effective and efficient available technologies . Federal IT contracts have been difficult to manage because they were not well-defined or well-written . These contractual challenges produce waste, delay program delivery, and erode the value of IT investments .
In many cases, agencies have been hindered by inadequate communication with industry, which is often driven by myths about what level of vendor engagement is permitted . The result has been barriers between industry and government buyers, whose efforts are often frustrated by a lack of awareness of the most efficient and effective technologies available in the private sector . These barriers negatively affect the full breadth of the acquisition process including needs identification, requirements definition, strategy formulation, the proposal process, and contract execution . Educating the community on the myths of vendor engagement will increase constructive and responsible engagement with the private sector IT community and improve the quality and cost effectiveness of the IT services provided .
24.• Launch•“myth-busters”•education•campaign
Commonly-held misunderstandings about how industry and government can engage with one another during the acquisition process place an artificial barrier between Federal agencies and their industry partners . These myths reduce the government’s access to necessary market information as government officials, both program managers and contracting officers, are often unsure how to responsibly engage with their industry counterparts . They may have inaccurate information about the rules, may be overly cautious in their interactions, or may be unaware of communication strategies that can help the govern-ment define its requirements and establish sound acquisition strategies . The fact is that the statutory and regulatory framework for communications between industry and government allows significantly greater engagement than current practice . The government therefore needs to raise awareness of these flexibilities to its workforce .
OFPP will identify the major myths that most significantly hinder requirements definition and the devel-opment of effective acquisition planning and execution . In January 2011, OFPP will issue a memorandum identifying these myths and the related facts and strategies to improve constructive engagement . This effort will be supported through discussions and other outreach efforts with key stakeholders in early 2011 including, but not limited to:
•• Professional associations and other industry representatives
•• Federal stakeholders including program managers, contracting professionals, agency attorneys, and ethics officials
25 PoinT imPlemenTaTion Plan To RefoRm fedeRal infoRmaTion TeChnology managemenT
32★ ★
Throughout 2011, the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) and OFPP will conduct a “myth-buster” aware-ness campaign to eliminate artificial private sector engagement barriers . Steps will include at least the following:
•• Launch an online community of practice within the next six months using technologies such as video channels to provide a Q&A forum, celebrate successes, and share “myths” and potential “myth-busters”
•• Conduct FAI webinar for the acquisition workforce hosted by OFPP by late January 2011
•• Create mandatory, continuous learning program through the FAI website
•• Present at conferences such as the GSA Expo, the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) World Conference, and NCMA Government Contract Management Conference through-out 2011
25.• Launch•interactive•platform•for•pre-RFP•agency-industry•collaboration
The government benefits when there is broad engagement with industry before beginning an IT project . Recently, the government used an online wiki tool to rapidly and effectively explore solutions for a planned Federal IT investment . Tens of thousands of visitors participated from all 50 states and workers at Fortune 500 companies interacted with the owners of a 10-person business to discuss the best solutions for the government . The dialogue allowed participants to tag and vote on the best ideas, providing the agency with a list of top priorities and key themes that made the feedback both more comprehensive and more actionable than what could have been obtained through traditional methods . Technological opportunities were discussed, weighed, and judged by the community that were not immediately obvious at the onset of the effort .
Inexpensive, efficient solutions such as these should be made available to all agencies to effectively tap the understanding of industry partners, especially in the period prior to issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) . Within the next six months, GSA will launch a government-wide, online, interactive platform for this purpose . Action item owner and deadlines
Action Item Owner(s) Within 6 mos.
6-12 mos.
12-18 mos.
24 Launch “myth-busters” education campaign OFPP ·25
Launch an interactive platform for pre-RFP agency-industry collaboration
GSA ·
Actionitemowneranddeadlines
33★ ★
SummaryFrom delivering benefits to our veterans to advancing biomedical discovery, Federal Government IT investments are designed to serve the American people . By focusing on execution, oversight, and transparency, this plan will deliver tangible results to stakeholders across the Federal Government and the American taxpayers .
Individually and together, the 25 actions detailed above will move the government towards the future – more nimble, more cost effective, and more citizen-focused . These IT reforms require collaboration with Congress; engagement with industry; and commitment and energy from government leadership and IT, acquisition, and financial management professionals . They require relentless focus on near-term execution, recognition of past lessons, and a long-term vision for the future . But these efforts are worth the hard work . By shifting focus away from policy and towards execution and oversight, these IT reforms will succeed in delivering results for the American people .
The future picture for Federal Government IT is exciting . IT enables better service delivery, enhanced collaboration with citizens, and dramatically lower costs . We must get rid of the waste and inefficiencies in our systems . Outdated technologies and information systems undermine our efficiency and threaten our security .
Federal IT projects will no longer last multiple years without delivering meaningful functionality . Poorly performing projects will be identified early and put under a spotlight for turnaround – those that continue to flounder will be terminated . No longer will large IT contracts be negotiated by individuals without IT expertise . No longer will one agency build expensive new data centers when other agencies have excess capacity . And no longer will rigid budgeting constraints prevent executives from making smart decisions with taxpayer dollars; flexible models will allow agency leaders to shift funds where and when they are needed, ensuring that results matter more than plans .
A government powered by modern information technology is a faster, smarter, and more efficient gov-ernment . While IT projects throughout the government will always have risks, there are no excuses for spectacular failures . And while not all projects can be perfect, major errors must and will be caught early and addressed appropriately . Projects should never be so far behind schedule that the primary activity of program managers shifts to waging a constant public relations battle to ensure continued funding . Instead, with streamlined governance and experienced program managers, issues can be caught early and course corrections can be made without wasting time and money .
The Federal Government will be able to provision services like nimble start-up companies, harness avail-able cloud solutions instead of building systems from scratch, and leverage smarter technologies that require lower capital outlays . Citizens will be able to interact with government for services via simpler, more intuitive interfaces . IT will open government, providing deep visibility into all operations . With this 25 point plan, the Federal Government will turn the corner on implementing the most critical reforms, ensuring that large IT programs perform as expected and can be delivered on time and on budget in order to deliver for the American people .
25 PoinT imPlemenTaTion Plan To RefoRm fedeRal infoRmaTion TeChnology managemenT
34★ ★
Actionitemowneranddeadlines
Action Item Owner(s) Within 6 mos.
6-12 mos.
12-18 mos.
1 Complete detailed implementation plans to consolidate 800 data centers by 2015
OMB, Agencies ·
2 Create a government-wide marketplace for data center availability OMB, GSA ·
3 Shift to a “Cloud First” policy OMB, Agencies ·
4 Stand-up contract vehicles for secure IaaS solutions GSA ·
5 Stand-up contract vehicles for “commodity” services GSA ·
6 Develop a strategy for shared services Federal CIO ·7 Design a formal IT program management career
path OPM, OMB ·8 Scale IT program management career path OPM,
Agencies ·9 Require Integrated Program Teams OMB ·10 Launch a best practices collaboration platform Federal CIO
Council ·11 Launch technology fellows program Federal CIO ·12 Enable IT program manager mobility across
government and industryOMB, CIO Council, OPM ·
13 Design and develop cadre of specialized IT acquisition professionals
OMB, Agencies ·
14 Identify IT acquisition best practices and adopt government-wide OFPP ·
15 Issue contracting guidance and templates to support modular development OFPP ·
16 Reduce barriers to entry for small innovative technology companies
SBA, GSA,OFPP ·
S u m m a Ry
35★ ★
Action Item Owner(s) Within 6 mos.
6-12 mos.
12-18 mos.
17 Work with Congress to create IT budget models that align with modular development
OMB, Agencies ·
18 Develop supporting materials and guidance for flexible IT budget models
OMB, CFO Council, CIO Council ·
19 Work with Congress to scale flexible IT budget models more broadly
OMB, Agencies ·
20 Work with Congress to consolidate Commodity IT spending under Agency CIO
OMB, Agencies ·
21 Reform and strengthen Investment Review Boards
OMB, Agencies ·
22 Redefine role of Agency CIOs and Federal CIO Council
Federal CIO, Agency CIOs ·
23 Rollout “TechStat” model at bureau-level Agency CIOs ·24 Launch “myth-busters” education campaign OFPP ·25 Launch an interactive platform for pre-RFP
agency-industry collaboration GSA ·
DRAFT–DonotCirculate 1
Expert Review of Component Websites within Census.gov The U.S. Census Bureau Contract No. YA132309CQ0045, Task Order (TO) 001: Web Discovery: Data Visualization and the Future of Census.gov
Abt Associates, April 1, 2011
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TableofContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 2
I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 3
1. ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT ................................................................................................................. 4
II. SUMMARY OF RESULTS ............................................................................................................................. 5
1. OVERARCHING CHALLENGES FACING CENSUS BUREAU CUSTOMERS .................................................................. 5 2. FINDABILITY RESULTS ................................................................................................................................ 5 3. PERSONA TESTING RESULTS ....................................................................................................................... 5 4. USABILITY REVIEW BASED ON FORESEE CALLOUTS RESULTS ............................................................................ 6
III. FINDABILITY .............................................................................................................................................. 7
1. FINDINGS ................................................................................................................................................ 7 2. RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 8
IV. PERSONA TESTING .................................................................................................................................... 9
1. SUMMARY OF RESULTS ............................................................................................................................ 10 2. FINDINGS .............................................................................................................................................. 12
2.1 Problem #1: User is disorientated .......................................................................................... 13 2.2 Problem #2: User searches for content not available from website ...................................... 17 2.3 Problem #3: User navigates or conducts queries based on trial and error ............................ 18 2.4 Problem #4: User does not understand the website content ................................................ 20 2.5 Problem #5: User must format tables or search for alternate sources ................................. 21 2.6 Problem #6: User must search for definitions of terms in queries/tables ............................. 23 2.7 Problem #7: User’s interest not captured and user not engaged by website ....................... 24
3. RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 25
V. USABILITY TESTING BASED ON FORESEE CALLOUTS ................................................................................. 27
1. FINDINGS .............................................................................................................................................. 28 1.1 Navigation ............................................................................................................................... 28 1.2 Text & Terminology ................................................................................................................. 29 1.3 Expectations ............................................................................................................................ 29 1.4 Organization ............................................................................................................................ 30 1.5 Page Layout ............................................................................................................................. 30 1.6 Graphics, Tables & Icons ......................................................................................................... 31 1.7 Search ...................................................................................................................................... 31 1.8 Help ......................................................................................................................................... 32
2. RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 32
VI. LIST OF WEBSITES REVIEWED .................................................................................................................. 34
VII. GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................................... 35
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I. IntroductionU.S.CensusBureauleadershavecommittedthemselvesandtheCensusBureautomodernizetheCensus.govwebsiteaccordingtobestpracticesinordertobetterservetheCensusBureau’smissionandtheAmericanPublic.Tofurtherthisgoal,areviewofCensus.govwasconductedwhichevaluatedindividualcomponentwebsites.Thereviewwasdesignedtodeterminetowhatextentcomponentwebsitesarefindableusingtypicalsearchqueries,howwellthesewebsitesservetheiraudiences,andtowhatdegreethetopusabilityissuesfoundonCensus.govareproblematiconhighuseorhighprofilecomponentwebsites.Thisreportpresentsthefindingsofthesereviewsandprovidesrecommendationstoaddressthemajorissuesidentified.FromDecember7,2010throughFebruary1,2011,threetypesofreviewswereundertakenon52componentwebsitesunderthedomainofCensus.gov.ThereviewedsiteswereprimarilynominatedbyCensusBureaustaffasrepresentativeoftherangeofsitesdevelopedandmaintainedforthedisseminationofinformationflowsgeneratedbytheCensusBureau.Thesesiteswerealsoconsideredtoreceiveasignificantnumberofvisitorsand/orbeimportantinformationportalsfortheirrespectiveinformationflows.ThelistofnominatedsitesincludestheCensus.govhomepage,andspansthewebsitesmaintainedbythevariousDirectorates.ThefulllistofwebsitesreviewedcanbefoundinSectionVIofthisreport.Eachcomponentwebsitewassubjecttothreetypesofassessments: Findability:Thisassessmentevaluatedtheeasewithwhichuserswereabletolocateparticular
Census.govwebsitesusingbothexternal(GoogleSearch)andinternal(theCensus.govhomepage)searchengines.
Userexperiencebasedonpersonatesting:ThepersonatestingevaluationassessedwhethertypicalaudiencesareabletoeffectivelyuseCensus.govwebsitestoobtaindesiredinformation.Threepersonaswerechallengedwithfindinganswerstoquestionsrelevanttoeachofthenominatedwebsites:
CasualUser:Thecasualuserisinterestedinobtaininginformationaboutaspecifictopicandistypicallyseekingtheanswertoasinglequestion(e.g.,generalpublic,k‐12teacher,k‐12student).Forexample,acasualusermaybeastudenttryingtofindinformationforaschoolassignment.SophisticatedUser:Thesophisticateduserisinterestedinobtainingdetailedinformationononeormorerelatedtopicsintheformoftabularandothertypesofestimatesinordertoassistinbusinessorpolicydecisions(e.g.,business/industryofficial,local/state/federalgovernmentofficial,journalist,NGO,librarian).Forexample,asophisticatedusermaybeasmallbusinessownerattemptingtolocateinformationabouttheirindustry.ExpertUser:Theexpertuserisinterestedindownloadingmicrodatasetsfordetailedanalysispurposes(e.g.,professionalresearcher,academic,consultant).
AssessmentofsitesusingForeSee’stopCensus.govusabilityissues:TheusabilityevaluationbuildsonexistingusabilityreviewsofCensus.govtodeterminetheextenttowhichthetopissuesfoundonCensus.govareproblematiconhighuseorhighprofilecomponentwebsites.ThisassessmentcomparedCensus.govcomponentwebsitesagainstasetofknownissuesfromUsabilityAuditReviewsofCensusBureauwebsitesconductedbyForeSeeResults.1,2
1Bergstrom,JenniferRomanoandJenniferM.Chen.TopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau:AReviewof12YearsofUsabilityTestReports.CenterforSurveyandMeasurement(CSM),HumanFactorsandUsabilityResearchGroup,U.S.CensusBureau.November8,20102ForeseeResultsspecializesincustomersatisfactionanalytics,andhasprovidedUsabilityAuditReviewsofCensus.gov.
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Althoughthesethreeevaluationswereconductedindependentlyofoneanother,theresultsareinterdependent.Forexample,thepersonatestingwasconductedforindividualcomponentwebsiteswithinCensus.gov,whereevaluatorsweregiventhewebsiteURLasastartingpoint.However,inrealityuserswouldmostlikelynotbeginonthecomponentwebsitehomepage,butwillstartsearchingusingaplainEnglishquestionorkeywordsusinganinternetsearchengine(notknowingthatCensusBureauisanauthoritativesourceoftheinformationtheyseek)orfromCensus.gov.(notknowingtheremaybemultiplesourceswithincensus.govwithpossiblyrelevantinformation).ThefindabilityresultsshedlightontheabilityofuserstolocateCensus.govwebsitesusingtypicalsearchmethods.
1. OrganizationofthisReportThisreportisorganizedasfollows:SectionII:SummaryofResultspresentsasummaryofthenotableresultsfromthethreeassessmentsconductedinthisreview:findability,personatesting,andusabilitytestingbasedonForeSeecallouts.SectionIII:FindabilityaddresseswhetherusersareabletofindCensus.govcomponentwebsitesusingtypicalsearchqueries.Thissectionincludestheresultsofthefindabilityassessmentandprovidesrecommendationstoaddresstheidentifiedissues.SectionIV:PersonaTestingdescribestheexperienceofcasual,sophisticated,andexpertusersoncomponentwebsiteswithinCensus.gov;identifieskeyproblemsintheuserexperience;diagnosesthecausesoftheproblems;andprovidesrecommendationstoaddressthesecausesandimprovetheuserexperienceonCensus.gov.ThesepersonareviewsestablishtheextenttowhichCensus.govcomponentwebsitesmeettheiraudiences’needs.SectionV:UsabilityTestingbasedonForeSeeCalloutscomparesthe52nominatedcomponentwebsitestoasetofknownissuesonCensus.govtoevaluatetheextenttowhichtheseissuesareproblematiconhighuseorhighprofilecomponentwebsites.Thissectiondiscussesthefindingsforeachissue,anddescribestherelatedbestpracticesandnotableissuesidentified.SectionVI:ListofWebsitesReviewedprovidesalistofthe52Census.govcomponentwebsitesevaluatedinthisreview.SectionVII:Glossarydefinesalistoftermsusedinthisreport.AppendixA:PersonaTestingAssessmentincludesthedetailedpersonatestingevaluationsforeachofthe52componentwebsitesreviewed.AppendixB:FindabilityandForeSeeUsabilityAssessmentincludesthedetailedfindabilityandusabilitytestingbasedonForeSeeCalloutsevaluationsforeachofthe52componentwebsitesreviewed.
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II. Forthisanalysis,52componentorwebpagesoftheCensus.govwebsitewerereviewed.3Eachwebpagewasevaluatedusingthreeseparateassessments–websitefindability,personatesting,andusability–foratotalof156completedevaluations.Theresultsoftheseevaluationsprovidegranulardataabouteachofthewebpagesreviewed,thefullresultsofwhicharepresentedintheappendicestothisdocument.Thissectionsummarizesthenotableissuesidentifiedacrossthe52webpagesbythesethreeassessments;moredetailedfindingsandrecommendationsfollow.
1. OverarchingChallengesFacingCensusBureauCustomersAlthougheachoftheevaluationswasconductedindependentlyoftheothers,theresultsareinterconnected.Forexample,theproblemsaffectingtheuserexperiencedetectedduringthepersonatestingmayhavetheirrootcausesinfindabilityorusabilityissues.Additionally,theissuesdiscussedinthisreportareonlythoseidentifiedbasedonthethreereviewsconducted;theremaybeotherissuesnotcoveredbythisportionoftheinvestigation.Basedonaggregatingtheresultsacrossthethreeassessments,thefollowingoverarchingchallengesfacingCensusBureaucustomerswereidentified:
ThemostsignificantchallengeusersfaceisfindingtheirwaytoandthroughCensus.govtoasingle,appropriatedatasource;
Lackofconsistencyamongthecomponentwebsitesneedlesslycomplicatestheuserexperience;and
Whileredundantdataflowsareunavoidable,thelackofdetailedmissionandscopedescriptionsforeachsurvey/websitemakesselectingtherightdatasourcedifficult.
2. FindabilityResultsTheFindabilityassessmentevaluatedwhetherusersareabletofindCensus.govcomponentwebsitesusingtypicalsearchqueries.ThisevaluationcomparesthelistedorderinwhichaCensus.govcomponentwebsiteappearswhensearchingusingGooglesearchandtheCensusBureauhomepage,withwebsitetitle,textonthepage,andkeywordsrelatingtothecontentasthesearchterms.Basedonthisapproach,thefindabilityassessmentfoundthat:
Itisdifficultforuserstodeterminethemostappropriatecomponentwebsitetoansweraquestion.
Google‐basedsearchproducesroutinelygoodreturnsforCensus.govpages. Census.govsearchisinadequate.
Formoredetailontheresultsofthefindabilityevaluation,seeSectionIII.
3. PersonaTestingResults
ThepersonatestingassessmentevaluatedtheextenttowhichCensus.govcomponentwebsitesmeettheiraudiences’needs.Threeusers(casual,sophisticated,andexpert)recordedtheirexperiencelocatingtheanswertoatypicalquestionthatusergroupmightaskonacomponentwebsite.ThefollowingsevenrelatedproblemswereencounteredbythepersonatestersonCensus.govcomponentwebsites(presentedherecollapsedacrossthethreeusertypes):3ThefulllistofwebsitesreviewedispresentedinSection6.
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Problem#1:Userexperiencesdisorientationordifficultybrowsingcontentonwebsite,
resultinginconfusionandwastedtime. Problem#2:Userspendstimesearchingforcontentthatisnotavailablefromwebsite. Problem#3:Usernavigateswebsiteorconductsqueriesbasedontrialanderror,
expendingmoretimethannecessarytofinddata. Problem#4:Userdoesnotunderstandthewebsitecontent,potentiallylimitingabilityto
findthedesiredcontent. Problem#5:Theuserspendsadditionaltimeformattingdatatables,searchingfor
alternatedatasources,orsearchingfordatainalternateformats. Problem#6:Theuserspendsadditionaltimesearchingfordefinitionsofterminologyused
insearchqueriesordatatables. Problem#7:Theuser’sinterestisnotcapturedandtheuserdoesnotfindtheexperience
browsingthewebsiteengaging.Formoredetailontheresultsofthepersonatestingevaluation,seeSectionIV.
4. UsabilityReviewBasedonForeSeeCalloutsResultsTheusabilityreviewbasedonForeSeecalloutsassessmentbuildsonexistingusabilityreviewsofCensus.govtoevaluatetheextenttowhichthetopissuesfoundonCensus.govareproblematiconhighuseorhighprofilecomponentwebsites.Theresultsforeachcriterionareasfollows:
Navigation:Whilemanysitesutilizeausefulandtransparentsitedesignandprovideadequatenavigationtools,therearesignificantissuesandthelackofconsistentnavigationtoolsacrosscomponentwebsitesisproblematic.
Text&Terminology:Mostcomponentwebsitesdoanadequatejobofavoidingterminologyandjargon.
Expectations:ThelackofinformativetextoncomponentwebsitesisawidespreadproblemthroughoutCensus.gov.However,manypagesprovideoverviewsonlinkedpageswhichcouldbebetterlinkedorexcerptedtoaddresstheproblem.
Organization:Thefailuretofeaturecontentonthemainpageisawidespreadissueacrossthecomponentwebsites.Graphicsandvisualizationscouldbebetterutilizedtoaddressthisproblem.Whileorganizationwithinasinglecomponentwebsiteisgenerallynotanissue,theorganizationofinformationacrossallCensus.govwebsitesisproblematic.
PageLayout:Althoughpagelayoutisgenerallyadequateandconsistentwithincomponentwebsites,thelackofauniformtemplateacrossCensus.govisproblematic,especiallywithsomecomponentwebsitesutilizingolderlayoutdesigns.Census.govshouldimplementaconsistent,usertestedtemplateacrossallcomponentwebsites.
Graphics,Tables&Icons:GraphicsandiconsaregenerallyunderusedonthecomponentwebsitesofCensus.gov.However,severalexamplesofbestpracticesprovidetemplatesthatcouldbemorewidelyusedthroughoutthecomponentwebsites.
Search:AsmentionedintheFindabilitysection,theCensusBureausearchengineisgenerallyinsufficientforlocatingcomponentwebsites.Thepresenceofmultiplewebsitesprovidingsimilardatamakesitdifficultforuserstolocatethemostappropriatedatasource.
Help:TheinconsistentuseoftheCensus‐wideQuestion&Answerswebsiteversussite‐specificFrequentlyAskedQuestions(FAQ)pagesisamajorissueonCensus.gov.ThereisaneedtoeitherbetterorganizethecentralQ&Asitesoitiseasiertouseortoprovidesite‐specificFAQpagesforeveryindividualwebsite,whereapplicable.
FormoredetailontheresultsoftheusabilitytestingbasedonForeSeeCalloutsevaluation,seeSectionV.
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III. FindabilityThefindabilityevaluationassessedwhetherCensus.govcomponentwebsitesareoptimizedtobefoundbysearchenginesinordertoevaluatewhetherusersareabletofindCensus.govcomponentwebsitesusingtypicalsearchqueries.TheresultscomparethelistedorderinwhichacomponentwebsiteappearswhenusingGooglesearchandtheCensus.govhomepagesearch.Thesearchtermsincludedthetitleofthewebsite,textfromthewebsite,andkeywordsrelatingtothewebsitecontent.Thetitleusedinsearchquerieswasthetitleofthewebpageappearinginthewebsiteheader–forexample,“2007EconomicCensus”or“EducationalAttainment”.Thesearchfortextonthepagewasconductedbyselectingthefirstfewlinesoftextappearingonthewebsitemainpageandenteringthistextintothesearchengine.Keywordswereidentifiedbasedonthecontentofthewebsiteandtermsappearingwithinthewebsite.Therefore,eachofthe52websiteswasreviewedthreetimesbythefindabilityassessment–oncefortitle,oncefortext,andonceforkeywords.Section1presentsthefindingsofthefindabilityevaluation.RecommendationstoaddresstheseissuesarediscussedinSection2.ThefullfindabilityevaluationsforindividualcomponentwebsitescanbefoundinAppendixB.
1. FindingsThissectionpresentsasummaryofthefindingsfromthefindabilityevaluations.Thetablesbelowindicatethepercentofthe52websiteswhichappearedasthefirstlistedsearchresult,secondtofifthlistedsearchresult,andgreaterthanfifthlistedsearchresult(ordidnotappearinsearchresultlistings),foreachofthethreequerytypesusingGoogleandCensusBureausearchengines.
Search by Title Search by Text on Page Search by Keyword
Listed order in Search Results
Google Search
Census Bureau Search
Listed order in Search Results
Google Search
Census Bureau Search
Listed order in Search Results
Google Search
Census Bureau Search
1 71% 48% 1 75% 48% 1 37% 8%
2-5 12% 0% 2-5 19% 6% 2-5 10% 6%
>5 or 0 17% 52% >5 or 0 6% 46% >5 or 0 54% 87%
Note: 0 indicates that the website did not appear within the first three pages of search result listings.
TheseresultshighlightseveralissuesrelatingtothefindabilityofCensus.govcomponentwebsites: TheCensus.govsearchengineisinadequate.Manycomponentwebsitemainpagesdonot
appearinsearchresultswhenqueryingusingpagetitles(52%)ortextfromthepage(46%).o Thelowsuccessrateinreturningwebsitesbasedontitledoesnotappeartoberelatedto
thespecificityofthetitle,asagenericwebsitetitlelike“Poverty”returnedtherelevantcomponentwebsitemainpageasthefirstsearchresult,whileaqueryforthemorespecific“2007SurveyofBusinessOwners”returnsseveralrelatedwebsitesbutdoesnotreturnthewebsitemainpagewithinthefirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
o Inmanycases,apagewithinthecomponentwebsitemayappearhighwithinthesearchresults,butthecomponentwebsitemainpageeitherdoesnotappearorisfartherdowninthelistedorder.Forexample,asearchfor“StatisticalAbstract”returnsthe“State&LocalGov’tFinances&Employment”pagewithinthewebsiteasthefirstsearchresult,butdoesnotreturntheStatisticalAbstractmainpagewithinthefirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
Google‐basedsearchproducesroutinelygoodreturnsforCensus.govpages–71%of
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componentwebsitemainpagesappearasthefirstlistedresultwhensearchingontitle,75%whensearchingontextonpage.
TheuseofKeyMatchesintheCensus.govsearchengine,thoughnotdirectlyaddressedbythisassessment,increasessitevisibilitywhenthequerysearchresultsarenotuseful.ThescopeofthisfeatureiscurrentlylimitedonCensus.gov.o Forexample,asearchfor“EconomicCensus”returnsaKeyMatchtothe2007Economic
Censushomepageabovetheregularsearchresults.Thispagedoesnototherwiseappearwithinthefirsttenpagesofsearchresults.
Thoughnotaddressedbythisassessment,amajorissueaffectingtheusefulnessofsearchreturnsforCensus.govcomponentwebsitesisthepresenceofmultiplewebsitesorinformationflowswithsimilarinformationappearinkeywordsearchresults.Thepresenceofmultiplepotentialresultswithoutcontextdirectinguserstothemostappropriatedatasourcemakesitdifficultforuserstodeterminewhichwebsitewillmostappropriatelyprovidetheanswertotheirquestion.
2. RecommendationsInordertoallowuserstomoreeasilylocateinformationwithinCensus.gov,theCensus.govsearchengineneedstobeimproved.ThefollowingrecommendationswillallowuserstomoreeasilylocateCensus.govcomponentwebsitesusingsearchandselectthemostappropriatewebsitetoanswertheirquestion: CensusBureaushouldconfiguretheinternalGoogleSearchApplianceandpagestodriveusers
usingcommonsearchtermstothepagesthatorientthemmostefficientlytotheanswerstheyarelikelytowant.
Webmastersshouldtagpagesandprovideweightstoindicaterelevanceonthesite.Byvaryingthesesettingsandtags,CensusBureaucandriveallsimpletermssearchestothematicpageslike“poverty”or“housing”,whileallowinguserstofindlesserweightedpageswithmorespecifickeywords.
Forexternalsearchengines(suchasGooglesearch),CensusBureaushouldfocusonsearchengineoptimizationeffortsthatpromoteCensus.govingeneralanddrivetheoptimumorderwithinCensusBureaupagereturns.
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IV. PersonaTestingThepersonatestingevaluationassessedtheeasewithwhichusersofCensus.govwebsitesareabletolocatedesiredinformationonacomponentwebsitewithinCensus.gov.TheresultsfromthisevaluationindicatewhetherCensusBureauwebsitesareoptimizedfortheiraudiences.Apersonaisaprofileofatypeofuserlikelytovisitagivenwebsite.ThefollowingthreepersonasweredevelopedfortheCensus.govwebsite:
CasualUser:Thecasualuserisinterestedinobtaininginformationaboutaspecifictopicandistypicallyseekingtheanswertoasinglequestion(e.g.,generalpublic,k‐12teacher,k‐12student).Forexample,acasualusermaybeastudenttryingtofindinformationforaschoolassignment.
SophisticatedUser:Thesophisticateduserisinterestedinobtainingdetailedinformationononeormorerelatedtopicsintheformoftabularandothertypesofestimatesinordertoassistinbusinessorpolicydecisions(e.g.,business/industryofficial,local/state/federalgovernmentofficial,journalist,NGO,librarian).Forexample,asophisticatedusermaybeasmallbusinessownerattemptingtolocateinformationabouttheirindustry.
ExpertUser:Theexpertuserisinterestedindownloadingmicrodatasetsfordetailedanalysispurposes(e.g.,professionalresearcher,academic,consultant).
Thistestingwasusedtoanswerthreequestionsthatunderlietheuserexperience:
Willusersfindtherelevantsite(s)andinformation? WillusersunderstandCensusBureauinformationanditsappropriateuse? Willtheyfindtheanswerstotheircontentquestions?
Oneevaluatorwasassignedtoeachpersona,andvisitedeachofthe52selectedcomponentwebsitestoassesshowwellthewebsiteservesthatusergroup.Theevaluatorswereselectedbasedonfamiliaritywiththetypesofquestionstheirassignedusergroupmightask.Forexample,theexpertevaluatorwasadataanalystselectedbasedonfamiliaritywithmicrodata.Eachevaluator(casual,sophisticated,andexpert)wasgiventhetasktoseekananswertoaquestionspecifictoacomponentwebsitewithinCensus.govwhichatypicaluserinthataudiencegroupmightbeseeking.Forthecasualuser,thismeantseekingasingledatapointtoanswerasimplequestion(e.g.,Whatisthepopulationofmytown?).Thesophisticateduserneededtolocatetabulardataordetailedinformationtoanswercomplexquestions(e.g.,Ineedinformationaboutthechangeovertimeinvalueofretailsalesinordertoreporttheimpactoftherecession.).Theexpertuserwastaskedwithfindingthelatestyearsmicrodataoneachcomponentwebsite.Thecasualandsophisticateduserquestionsweredevelopedbasedonreadilyavailableinformationaboutthewebsitecontent.EvaluatorsweregiventhewebsiteURLasastartingpoint,andwerenottaskedwithfindingthemostappropriateinformationwithinCensus.gov.Section1presentsasummaryoftheuserexperienceforthecasual,sophisticated,andexpertuser.Section2identifiesthespecificproblemsexperienced,alongwiththecausesoftheproblem,potentialsolutions,examples,andbestpracticeswithinCensus.gov.Recommendations,aggregatedacrossthepersonas,arepresentedinSection3.ThefullpersonaevaluationsforindividualcomponentwebsitescanbefoundinAppendixA.
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1. SummaryofResultsThissectionsummarizestheabilityofthecasual,sophisticated,andexpertpersonastolocateinformationoncomponentwebsiteswithinCensus.gov,aswellasthemajorissuesdetractingfromtheexperienceofeachusergroup.CasualUser
Whilenotalwayseasy,thecasualuserwasabletolocatetheexactinformationtoanswertheirquestion69%ofthetime.However,informationwasmoderatelyorverydifficulttolocate75%ofthetime.
Difficultyfindingdatacanprimarilybeattributedtothelackofbackgroundinformationgearedtowardsthecasualuser(81%ofcases),whichhadanegativeimpactonthecasualuserexperience.
Thecasualuserspentamedianof3minutesperwebsitesearchingforinformationtoanswerasimplequestion.Themediannumberofmouseclicks(23)requiredtolocatethedatawaslargerthantheamountoftimeacasualuserwouldtypicallyspendonthesite.
Thecasualuserexperiencewasalsonegativelyimpactedwhendatawerenotavailableinfamiliarformats,buthadtobedownloadedandviewedasanExcelorPDFfile.Theeasiestdataformatforcasualuserstoaccesswouldbeanhtmlortextpage.
Casual User Experience Statistics
Q1 Q2 Q3 Max
Time on task (min) 1.6 2.6 4.2 18.8
# Left Mouse Clicks 12 23 40 298
# Webpage Changes 5 8 18 54
Time spent in excel (min) Null Null 0.05 1.0 Q1 = 1st Quartile; Q2 = 2nd Quartile; Q3 = 3rd Quartile; Max = Maximum
Quality of Casual User Experience
Did User Locate Desired Information?
Yes (Exact Information)
Yes (Similar Information)
No
69% 29% 2%
Difficulty of Locating Desired Information
Easy Moderate Difficult
25% 38% 37%
Was the Website Geared Towards the Persona?
Yes Somewhat No
19% 46% 35%
Did User Understand How to Find & Interpret
Data?
Yes Somewhat No
67% 17% 15%
Depth of Information Available from Website
Shallow Moderate Complex
54% 23% 23%
SophisticatedUser
Whilenotalwayseasy,thesophisticateduserwasabletolocatetheexactdatatoanswertheirquestion73%ofthetime.Inanadditional27%ofcases,thesophisticateduserwasabletolocateinformationthatpartiallyansweredthequestion.
Thesophisticateduserspentamedianof3minutesperwebsitesearchingfordatatoansweraquestion.Thenumberofmouseclicksrequiredtolocatethedatawashigh(median27clicks).
Forthesophisticateduser,thelackofconsistencyinnavigationoptions,pagelayout,andorganizationamongcomponentwebsitesacrossCensus.govmadelocatingdatadifficult.
Onacomponentwebsitescale,thelackofdescriptivetextprovidingdetailabouttheinformationsource/surveyandtheirscopemadeitdifficulttoknowwhatdatawouldbecontainedwithineachcomponentwebsite.
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Sophisticated User Experience Statistics
Q1 Q2 Q3 Max
Time on task (min) 1.6 3.1 4.8 58.8
# Left Mouse Clicks 14 27 51 1134
# Webpage Changes -a - a - a - a
Time spent in excel (min) Null Null 0.4 3.2 Q1 = 1st Quartile; Q2 = 2nd Quartile; Q3 = 3rd Quartile; Max = Maximum aData not captured for 60% of sophisticated user evaluations.
Quality of Sophisticated User Experience
Did User Locate Desired Information?
Yes (Exact Information)
Yes (Similar Information)
No
73% 27% 0%
Difficulty of Locating Desired Information
Easy Moderate Difficult
48% 42% 10%
Was the Website Geared Towards the Persona?
Yes Somewhat No
67% 29% 4%
Did User Understand How to Find & Interpret
Data?
Yes Somewhat No
83% 13% 4%
Depth of Information Available from Website
Shallow Moderate Complex
27% 44% 29%
ExpertUser
Theexpertuserwasabletofindtheexactinformationorsimilarinformation41%ofthetime.However,the60%ofcasesforwhichinformationcouldnotbefoundincludes:o Websiteswithrestrictedusemicrodatawhichrequireauthorization;o Websitesprovidingsummaryleveldatarequiringtheuseofothercomponentwebsites
reviewedelsewhere;and,o Websiteswithgeneralinformationnotofinteresttotheexpertuser.
Insomecasesthefailuretolocateinformationwasduetothelackofinformationgearedtowardsexpertusers(73%).Ofthe52websitesevaluated,notallweredesignedtoprovidemicrodataforexpertusers.Inothercases,microdatawerenotdirectlyavailablefromthecomponentwebsite.However,sinceitwaseasytolocateinformationin73%ofcases,manywebsitesweresuccessfulatindicatingthisinformationtoexpertusers.
Theexpertuserspentamedianof4minutesperwebsitesearchingformicrodatadownloads.Thenumberofmouseclicksrequiredtolocatethedatawashigh(median23clicks).
Thelackofadequatedirectionindicatingwheretolocatemicrodatafileswasthebiggestproblemtheexpertuserexperienced.
Expert User Experience Statistics
Q1 Q2 Q3 Max
Time on task (min) 2.2 3.7 4.7 18.3
# Left Mouse Clicks 15 23 37 113
# Webpage Changes 6 10 16 40
Time spent in excel (min) -a -a -a -a
Q1 = 1st Quartile; Q2 = 2nd Quartile; Q3 = 3rd Quartile; Max = Maximum aNot applicable
Quality of Expert User Experience
Did User Locate Desired Information?
Yes (Exact Information)
Yes (Similar Information)
No
29% 12% 60%
Difficulty of Locating Desired Information
Easy Moderate Difficult
73% 21% 6%
Was the Website Geared Towards the Persona?
Yes Somewhat No
27% 50% 23%
Did User Understand How to Find & Interpret
Data?
Yes Somewhat No
79% 21% 0%
Depth of Information Available from Website
Shallow Moderate Complex
33% 42% 25%
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2. FindingsThissectionidentifiestheproblemsintheuserexperiencedocumentedbythethreepersonaevaluators.Thefollowingproblems,describedinmoredetailinthepagesthatfollow,wereencounteredanddocumentedbypersonatesting:
Problem#1:Userexperiencesdisorientationordifficultybrowsingcontentonwebsite,resultinginconfusionandwastedtime.
Problem#2:Userspendstimesearchingforcontentthatisnotavailablefromwebsite. Problem#3:Usernavigateswebsiteorconductsqueriesbasedontrialanderror,
expendingmoretimethannecessarytofinddata. Problem#4:Userdoesnotunderstandthewebsitecontent,potentiallylimitingabilityto
findthedesiredcontent. Problem#5:Theuserspendsadditionaltimeformattingdatatables,searchingfor
alternatedatasources,orsearchingfordatainalternateformats. Problem#6:Theuserspendsadditionaltimesearchingfordefinitionsofterminologyused
insearchqueriesordatatables. Problem#7:Theuser’sinterestisnotcapturedandtheuserdoesnotfindtheexperience
browsingthewebsiteengaging.Foreachoftheaboveproblems,thefollowingpagesincludemoredetailedinformationaboutthecauses,personasaffected,potentialsolutions,examplesoftheproblem,andbestpractices.Notethatwhereexamplesarepresented,hyperlinkstotherelevantwebpagesareprovidedandthenumberofthecomponentwebsiteinthelistofwebsitesreviewed(seeSectionVI)isalsolistedforconvenience.Theproblemsidentifiedintheuserexperiencemayhaveoneormorecauses.Forexample,thetimespentsearchingforcontentnotavailablefromthewebsitewascausedbybothcontent(alackofadequatetextindicatingthescopeofinformationavailablefromthewebsite)anddataaccess(microdatadownloadsnotreadilyavailablefromthewebsite).Itisimportanttonotethatinmanycasestheseproblems,causes,andsolutionsareinterconnected,andimplementingonesolutionmayaddressseveralproblems.
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2.1 Problem#1:UserisdisorientatedOnsomecomponentwebsites,theuserexperiencesdisorientationordifficultywhilebrowsingcontentonwebsite,resultinginconfusionandwastedtime.Thiswasthemostsignificantissuethesophisticateduserencounteredbecausethelackofconsistencybetweenwebsitesmadelocatingdatadifficult.Theexpertuserexperienceddifficultylocatingdatasetswhennavigationordataaccessoptionswereunclear.Thecasualuserwasalsonegativelyimpactedbytheseissues. Content:SomeCensus.govcomponentwebsitesincludeduplicatewebsitespresentingthe
sameorsimilarcontent.Inothercases,acomponentwebsitemayfailtoconnectrelatedsectionsofinternalorexternal(withinCensus.gov)pages.Bothinstancesresultinconfusionfortheuserandadditionaltimespentnavigatingthewebsite.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated,Expert
Solution(s):Removeredundant,duplicated,oroutofdatepagesasnewerpagesbecomeavailable,bothacrossCensus.govandwithinindividualcomponentwebsites.Alwaysprovideprominentlinksbetweendatasetsanddocumentation.Ensurethatrelatedpagesarewelllinked,bothwithinthesamecomponentwebsiteandacrossthecomponentwebsitesofCensus.gov.Forexample,interconnectivitycouldbeincreasedbyincludingalistorpageofintra‐Census.govlinkstocomponentwebsitesandsurveysprovidingrelatedinformation.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
TheMonthlyandAnnualRetailTradewebsite(#18‐20)failstocross‐linkrelatedinformationindifferentsub‐sectionsforthedifferentsurveys.
TheSurveyParticipationwebsite(#30)doesnotprovidelinkstotherelatedhouseholdsurveywebsites.
TherearetwoseparateCensusinSchools(#48)websites.
ThePovertywebsite(#43)containstwopagescoveringsimilartopics‐“PovertyDataSources”and“DescriptionofIncomeandPovertySources”.
Somewebsites,suchastheHealthInsurancewebsite(#44)orthePovertywebsite(#43),doagoodjoboflinkingtotheappropriatesurveyswithrelevantdata.
TheIncomewebsite(#42)providesagreatexplanationoftheincomedataavailableacrossthemajorCensusBureausurveys,includingdetailsaboutwhichdatasourcetouseorwhichpurpose.
DataAccess:Severalissuesresultindifficultyaccessingdataandnecessitatedadditionaltime
tolocatedatasetsand/ordocumentation.Mostoften,datarelatingtothetopicofacomponentwebsitearenotdirectlyaccessiblewithinthepagesofthecomponentwebsite.AnotherCensus.govcomponentwebsite(suchasAmericanFactFinderorDataFerrett)orexternalwebsite(suchastheBureauofLaborStatistics)mustbeaccessedinordertoviewand/ordownloaddata.Onmanywebsites,externallocationstofinddataarenotclearlyindicatedoradequatelydescribed.Inarelatedissue,sometimesdocumentationisnotcloselylinkedtodownloadabledatasetsandmustbelocatedseparately.SomeofthedatasearchtoolsonCensus.govdonotallowuserstoeasilyaccessdatabylimitingthesizeofdownloads.Finally,itissometimesunclearwheretofindthemostrecentdataset.Revisedormoredetaileddatamaynotbereflectedinthemostrecentormostcomprehensivedownload.Persona(s)Affected:Sophisticated,Expert
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Solution(s):Designatedataaccesspagesclearlyonallrelevantcomponentwebsites,andprovidelinkstodocumentationwithalldatasets.Ifdatacannotbeaccesseddirectlyfromwithinthecomponentwebsite,indicatethisandprovideprominentwell‐labeledlinkstoaccessdata.Ensurethatdownloadsizelimitsreflectthevolumesrequiredbyusers.Includetextindicatingthemostrecentsourceofdatafordifferentneedsandwhenthenextsetofdatawillbereleased.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
SomedataontheSurveyofIncomeandProgramParticipationwebsite(#17)isonlyaccessibleviaDataFerrett(#14).
DataFerrett(#14)limitsdownloadsto50variablesatatime.
OntheCensusofGovernmentswebsite(#6),itisnotclearthatthe2007datasetismoredetailedthan2008or2009data.
Fortherecentlyreleased2005‐2009ACS(#2)PUMSthereisnoSASdatasettodownloadfortheentireUnitedStatesbutthereareSASdatasetsavailableforeachindividualstate.
The2007EconomicCensuswebsite(#9)providesaccesstothemostrecentreleasesonthemainpageandprovidesanadditionalpagedetailingthereleaseschedule.
TheAmericanCommunitySurveywebsite(#2)isuptodateandprovidesgoodinstructionontypesofdataavailableandhowvariousdatasetsshouldbeused.
TheSurveyofBusinessOwnerswebsite(#25)includesa“NotifyMe”featurethatsendsusersnotificationsofupcomingdatareleases.
LinkLabeling:Linkdestinationsaresometimesunexpected.Forexample,alinkmaynotgoto
themostrecentormostappropriatepagewithinawebsite.OftenalinktoanothercomponentwebsitewithinCensus.govwillfailtoprovidethedesiredinformation,anduserswillbeunabletoreturntotheinitialcomponentwebsitewithoutrelyingonthebrowser’sbackbutton.Linkstoexternalwebsitesarenotconsistentlylabeled.Linksmayalsoresultinunexpectedfiledownloads.Sometimeslinksunexpectedlyopeninnewbrowserwindows.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated
Solution(s):Standardizelinkingpractices,andprovidemoredescriptivetextdetailingthecontentoflinkstoothercomponentwebsiteswithinCensus.gov.Labelexternallinksexplicitly,andstandardizethepracticeacrossCensusBureauwebsites.Forexample,onewaytoallowforeasiernavigationcouldbetoopenlinkstoothercomponentwebsitesorexternalwebsitesinnewbrowserwindows.Alwaysindicatefiletypesfordownloads,andthesizeoffileswherepossible.Tosomedegreethishasalreadybeenimplementedwiththeuseoftheexternal,excel,andPDFicons;howeverthispracticeisnotwidelyandconsistentlyusedacrosscomponentwebsites.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
ThelinktoAmericanFactFinderfromthePopulationEstimateswebsite(#4)goestothemainpageratherthanapagetosearchforthedesireddata.
LinkstodatatablesonthemappageoftheAmericanCommunitySurveywebsite(#2)leadtounexpecteddownloads.
TheStatisticalAbstractwebsite(#39)doesanexcellentjobindicatingfiletypesandsizes.
TheRandomSamplingsblog(#35)openslinkstootherwebsitesinnewwindows,sotheusercaneasilyreturntotheblog.
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NavigationTools:Somewebsitesdonotprovideaconsistentlyimplementedinternal
navigationsystem.Thewebsitemaylackanavigationsystementirely,orprovideinconsistentnavigationoptionsondifferentpageswithinthecomponentwebsite.SomewebsitesmayalsolacktheCensus.govglobalnavigationoptionsthatshouldappearoneverypageofCensus.gov.ThelackofaconsistentformatforinternalcomponentwebsitenavigationsystemsacrossthecomponentwebsitesonCensus.govcausesadditionaldisorientation.Thepresenceofself‐referencinglinksinnavigationtoolsisconfusingforusers,asthelinkforthecurrentpageisactiveinthenavigationbarandmaybeclicked,eventhoughtheuserisalreadyonthepage.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated,Expert
Solution(s):ApplyastandardizednavigationtemplatewithcommonnavigationfunctionsacrossallcomponentwebsitesonCensus.gov,andensurethatnavigationoptionsareconsistentacrossthepagesofacomponentwebsite.ManywebsitesintheeconomicsectionandotherpartsofCensus.govarealreadyutilizingacommonnavigationtemplatethatcouldbeappliedtoallcomponentwebsites.Eliminateself‐referencinglinksinnavigationbars.EnsurethattheCensus.govglobalnavigationoptionsappearoneverycomponentwebsite.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
TheCurrentPopulationSurveywebsite(#3)lacksaconsistentlydeployednavigationsystem.
TheLongitudinalEmployer‐HouseholdDynamicswebsite(#27)lackstheCensus.govglobalnavigationbar.
TheNewResidentialConstructionIndexwebsite(#26)isverydifficulttonavigate,andnavigationmenusweredifficulttouse.
TheForeignTradewebsite(#37)isdifficulttonavigate,aslinksappearanddisappearinlefthandpanel.
Thefollowingwebsitesfeatureverystraightforwardnavigationsystems:SurveyParticipation(#30),About(#31),RegionalOffices(#32),StatisticalAbstract(#39).
TheAmericanCommunitySurveywebsite(#2)iseasytonavigate,offeringseveraloptionsfornavigationthatsuccessfullyleadusertodesiredinformation.
Someeconomicpagesshareasimilarnavigationstructure,makingiteasytonavigateforthosefamiliarwithCensusBureauwebsites.Forexample,AnnualSurveyofManufactures(#21),SurveyofBusinessOwners(#25),etc.
PageLayout:Thepagelayoutonacomponentwebsiteisinternallyinconsistentorfeelsoutof
date.Manywebsitesemployclunkypagelayoutdesignsthataredifficulttouse.ThelackofaconsistentformatforpagelayoutacrossthecomponentwebsitesonCensus.govcausesconfusionforusers.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated,Expert
Solution(s):ApplyonecleanandusertestedpagelayoutformatacrossallcomponentwebsiteswithinCensus.gov.ManywebsitesintheeconomicsectionandotherpartsofCensus.govarealreadyutilizingashared,unclutteredtemplatethatcouldbeappliedtoallcomponentwebsites.Pagesshouldalsobeformattedtooptimallyusevisualspaceandreducescrolling.
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Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
ThePublicationswebsite(#29)employsaclunky,oldsitedesign.
TheBusinessHelpwebsite(#38)shiftsbetweentwodifferentpagelayouts.
TheForeignTradewebsite(#37)shiftsbetweentwopagelayouttemplates.
Someeconomicpagesshareapagelayouttemplate,makingiteasytouseforthosefamiliarwithCensusBureauwebsites.Forexample,AnnualSurveyofManufactures(#21),SurveyofBusinessOwners(#25),etc.
Search:ThesearchfunctionwithinCensusBureauwebsitedoesnotallowuserstoeasilylocate
themostappropriatedatasourcetoanswertheirquestion.SeetheFindabilitysection.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated
Solution(s):Re‐indextheCensus.govsearchengineandexpandtheuseofKeyMatcheswithinthesearchengine.Addkeywordstomainpagestoimprovefindability.Ensurethatcomponentwebsite‐specificsearchesreturnresultsinthesameformatastheCensus.govsearchengine.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
ThecentralCensus.gov‐widesearchengine(#1)doesnotdoagoodjoboflocatingrelevantcomponentwebsites.
GooglesearchisverysuccessfulatlocatingthecomponentwebsitesofCensus.gov.
VerticalStructure:Thewebsitedoesnotconsistentlymaintainthesamehierarchyofcontent
withinitspages,makingnavigationdisjointedandconfusing.Manycomponentwebsiteslackbreadcrumbtrailsindicatingtheverticalstructureandcurrentlocationwithinthewebsite.Persona(s)Affected:Sophisticated
Solution(s):Buildsiteswithawell‐definedverticalstructureandimplementbreadcrumbtrailsonallwebsites.Betterarticulatetheverticalstructureofwebsitesthroughconsistenttargetsandnavigationoptions.Forexample,ensurethatthehierarchyofinformationandorganizationofpagesisconsistentthroughoutthewebsiteandaccuratelyreflectedinnavigationtools.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
TheverticalstructureisinconsistentontheCensusofGovernmentswebsite(#6),whichswitchesbetween“CensusofGovernments”and“Federal,State,andLocalGovernments”.
TheAmericanCommunitySurveywebsite(#2)isoneexampleofawebsitewithawell‐designedverticalstructureandsuccessfuluseofbreadcrumbtrails.
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2.2 Problem#2:UsersearchesforcontentnotavailablefromwebsiteInsomecasestheuserspendstimesearchingforcontentthatisnotavailablefromthewebsite.Thiswasasignificantissueexperiencedbyallthreepersonas.Theconfusionexperiencedbycasualandsophisticateduserscanbeattributedprimarilytothelackofadequatetextindicatingthescopeofdataavailableoncomponentwebsites,andresultedinwastedtimeforusers.Expertusersexperienceddifficultywhenmicrodatadownloadswerenotreadilyavailablefromcomponentwebsites. Content:Textonthewebsitefailstoeffectivelyconveythescopeofcontentavailable.Inmany
cases,thisconfusionisduetoabsentorinsufficientexplanatorytextindicatingthecontentofthewebsite.Theexplanatorytextonthewebsitemaydescribedatathatarenotavailablefromtablesorquerytools,orfailtoindicatetheappropriatelevelofdetailforwhichdataareavailable.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated
Solution(s):Componentwebsitesneedtodoabetterjobofindicatingthescopeofandlocationofdata.Componentwebsitesshouldprovideaprominentlylocatedinventoryofthedataavailable,includingthetypeofdata,levelofdetailwhichisavailable,anddatasource.Thisissuecouldalsobeaddressedthroughbetterintroductorytextconveyingthescopeandlocationofdata.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
ThePopulationEstimateswebsite(#4)failstoindicatethatcertaindataareonlyavailableforsomegeographytypes.
TextontheAmericanCommunitySurveywebsite(#2)referstodatathatcannotbeaccessedinAmericanFactFinder.
TheHealthInsurancewebsite(#44)providesaguidancepagedescribingthescopeofthesurveysandthemostappropriateusesforeachsurvey.
DataAccess:Thewebsitedoesnotprovidereadilyavailabledownloadsofmicrodata.Insome
cases,microdatacannotbedownloadeddirectlybutareavailableafterregistrationorforpurchase.Notethatoneconomicwebsites,onlyCensusBureauemployeescanaccessmicrodata.Onsomewebsitesthereisnoindicationoftheavailabilityofmicrodatafiles,althoughsometimesstaffcontactinformationisprovided.Persona(s)Affected:Expert
Solution(s):Allrelevantcomponentwebsitesshouldindicatewhethermicrodatafilesareavailableandhowtoaccessthemifapplicable.Thisinformationshouldbepresentedclearlyandprominentlyonthewebsite.Oneconomicwebsites,itwouldbeusefultohaveeasytofindlinkstotheCenterforEconomicStudiesandtheResearchDataCenterssothatindividualslookingformicrodatacanlearnabouttheissuesrelatedtoaccessingrestrictedusemicrodata.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
SeveralSurveysdonotmentionmicrodataonthewebsite.
MicrodataareeasytofindonDataFerrett(#14)asthereisafilterformicrodata‐onlydatasets.
OntheIncomewebsite(#42),an“IncomeMicrodataAccess”pageprovidesagreatsummaryofallthemicrodatasourceoptions.
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2.3 Problem#3:Usernavigatesorconductsqueriesbasedontrialanderror
Theuserissometimesforcedtonavigatethewebsiteorconductqueriesbasedontrialanderror,expendingmoretimethannecessarytofinddata.ThisproblemisexacerbatedonCensus.govbythecombinationofinadequateprovisionofcontextualcluesandalargenumberofoptionsforusers.Thiswasthemostsignificantissueexperiencedbycasualusers,whoareunfamiliarwithwebsitecontentandrelyoncontextualcluestolocatedata.Theabsenceoftheseclues,incombinationwithlargeamountsoftextandlinks,addedtimeandconfusiontotheuserexperience.Sophisticatedandexpertusersalsoexperienceddifficultyaccessinginformationduetotheseissues. Content:Theoverviewtextonthemainpagefailstoprovidesufficientorientationtothe
organizationofthewebsite.Themainpagemaylacktextorlinkspointinguserstodata.Somecomponentwebsitemainpagesprovidelittleornointroductorytexttoguideusers.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated
Solution(s):Provideconcise,informativeintroductionsandoverviewsonthemainpageofeverycomponentwebsite.Websitemainpagesshouldalsoincludeprominentlinkstoappropriatedatasources.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
TheMonthlyandAnnualRetailTradewebsite(#18‐20)mainpagedoesnotprovideintroductorytexttoorientusers.
ThePopulationandHouseholdEconomicTopicswebsite(#5)mainpagedoesnotincludeanyexplanatorytextanywhereonthewebsite.
TheEconomicCensuswebsite(#9)mainpagedoesanexcellentjobofprovidingconciseinformativetextwithreadilyapparentlinks.
TheCensusofGovernmentswebsite(#6)mainpagealsodoesagoodjoboforientinguserswithintroductorytext.
DataAccess:Thedataaccesspageordataquerytoolprovidestoomanysearchoptionsor
tablesthattheusermustscrollthroughandevaluate.Thedataquerytoolprovidesanumberofsearchoptionsthattheuserdoesnotunderstand.Often,thereisalackoforinsufficientexplanatorytexthelpinguserstoevaluateandselectsearchoptionsordatatables.Persona(s)Affected:Casual
Solution(s):Betterorganizedataaccesspagesanddataquerytoolssothatuserscanmoreeasilynavigateandselectsearchoptions.Includeexplanatorytextallowinguserstoselectthemostappropriatesearchoptionortableandprovidedatadictionariesandhelppagesforallsearchtools.
Example(s)ofProblem BestPractices
Usersareabletosearch1‐,3‐,and5‐yeardatafromtheAmericanCommunitySurvey(#2)inAmericanFactFinder,withlittleindicationofthemostappropriateoption.
QuickFacts(#34)providesaverystraightforwarddataquerytoolforitspurposeofprovidingquickaccesstobasicdatapointsforgeographicareas.
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LinkLabeling:Thewebsiteprovideslinkstomultipledatasources,pages,ortableswithinsufficientornoaccompanyingbackgroundinformation.Theuserthereforehasnocontextualcluesguidinghimorhertothemostappropriatedatasource,andisforcedtoclickthroughlinksonebyoneorrandomlyuntilthedesireddataarefound.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated
Solution(s):Betterorganizelonglistsoflinksortablestobetterguidetheusertoappropriateresources.Forexample,longlistsoftablescouldbebetterorganizedthroughatableofcontentsandheadings.Componentwebsitesalsoneedtoincorporatebetterbackgroundtextdistinguishingsimilardatasources,pages,andtablesfromeachothersothatuserscanmoreefficientlynavigatetodata.
ExamplesofProblem BestPractices
TheEducationalAttainmentwebsite(#41)provideslinkstoseveraldifferentdatasourceswithoutprovidingsufficienttextindicatingthemostappropriatesource.
ThePovertywebsite(#43)doesagoodjobofdescribingthedifferentdatasourcesavailable,allowingtheusertodifferentiateandselectthemostappropriatelink.
PageLayout:Usefulinformationandlinksarenotprominentlylocatedonthepage.Themost
directlinktoaccessdatamaybeoverlookedbecauseitislocatedinthecornerorbottomofthepage.Relatedandpotentiallycompoundingthisissueisthepresenceoftoomuchinformationonthepage,limitingtheabilityoftheusertofindthemostrelevantlink.Theuserthereforedoesnotfindthemostdirectwaytoaccessdataandspendsadditionaltimenavigatingthewebsite.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated,Expert
Solutions:Optimizethepagelayouttoemphasizesearchtoolsandusefuldatalinks,especiallyoncomponentwebsitemainpages.Betterorganizethecontentsothattheuserisnotoverwhelmedbytoomuchtextortoomanyoptionsandcaneasilylocatethedesiredinformation.
ExamplesofProblem BestPractices
ThePublicationswebsite(#29)haslonglistsoflinksintermixingdestinationhtmlpagesandPDFs.
ThelargeamountofcontentontheLongitudinalEmployer‐HouseholdDynamicswebsite(#27)mainpagemakesitdifficulttolocatenavigationoptions.
TheAnnualandQuarterlyServiceswebsite(#22‐23)doesnotprovideaprominentlylocatedlinktotechnicaldocumentation.
TheCountyBusinessPatternswebsite(#10)locatesdetailsonhowthedataarecollectedonaneasytofindtabacrossthetopofthepage,andclearlystatesthelatestavailabledataonthemainpage.Dataaccesslinksarelocatedprominentlyonthemainpage.
TheSurveyofIncomeandProgramParticipationwebsite(#17)highlights“AccessSIPPData”and“DataProductSchedules”onthemainpageaseasy‐to‐findredtabs.
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2.4 Problem#4:UserdoesnotunderstandthewebsitecontentSometimes,theuserdoesnotunderstandthewebsitecontent,potentiallylimitinghisorherabilitytofindthedesiredinformationonthewebsite.Thisconfusionmayberelatedtotheactualcontentofthewebsiteortheformatinwhichthecontentispresented.Thecasualuserexperienceisoftennegativelyimpactedbythelackofauserappropriateoverview,whilebothcasualandsophisticatedusersexperiencedifficultyaccessingdatainunfamiliarformats. Content:Thewebsitedoesnotprovideasufficientoverviewofthecontent,and/orspecifically
doesnotprovidecontextforcasualusers.Websitesmaynotincludeanyreadilyavailableexplanatorytext,employvagueorobscureterminologywidely,orfailtoprovideinformationofinteresttoacasualuser.Thislimitstheabilityofthecasualusertounderstandandaccessthecontentavailablefromthewebsite.Persona(s)Affected:Casual
Solutions:Provideanoverviewonthemainpageofeverycomponentwebsite.Includeaconcise,informativeintroductionthatisatanappropriatelevelforallexpectedusers.Makesuretheoverviewiscomprehensibletouninitiatedviewerswhilestillprovidingtheinformationnecessarytolocatedataandotherimportantinformationonthewebsite.Insomecasesthisinformationisavailableonlinkedpagesthatcouldbeemphasizedonthemainpage.Elsewherenocontentorientingusersisavailableonthecomponentwebsiteandnewcontentmustbegenerated.
ExamplesofProblem BestPractices
TheSurveyofIncomeandProgramParticipationwebsite(#17)usesterminologyunfamiliartocasualusers.
TheGeowebsite(#12)doesnotappeartoprovideinformationofinteresttocasualusers.
TheRandomSamplingsblog(#35)isanexcellententrypointforthecasualuser,asitfeaturesinterestingcontentgearedtowardscasualusers.
DataAccess:Thefileformatforaccessingdataisunfamiliar.Manywebsitesonlyprovidedata
insomecombinationofXLS,CSV,orPDFfiles,whichthecasualusermayhavedifficultyopening.OtherwebsiteslinktoDataFerrettfordataaccess,whichisunfamiliartobothcasualandsophisticatedusers.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated
Solutions:Providemultiplemodesforaccessingdata.Forexample,makealldataavailableinbothTXT/HTMLformatsothatcasualuserscanaccessdatawithoutnecessitatingdownloadsofunfamiliarorinconvenientfiletypesandinXLS/CSVformatsothatsophisticateduserscandownloadandanalyzethedata.PlacelessemphasisonlinkstoDataFerrettifotherfileformatsarealsoavailable.
ExamplesofProblem BestPractices
ThePopulationEstimateswebsite(#4)providesdataonlyinXLSandCSVformat.
TheSurveyofIncomeandProgramParticipationwebsitelinkstoDataFerretttoaccessdata.
TheForeignTradewebsite(#37)providesdatainTXT,PDF,XLS,andDOCformats.
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2.5 Problem#5:Usermustformattablesorsearchforalternatesources
Theuserspendsadditionaltimeformattingdatatables,searchingforalternatedatasources,orsearchingfordatainalternateformats.Thecasualuserexperienceddifficultywhendatawerenottabulatedbythedesiredvariableoratthedesiredlevelofdetail,requiringthatadditionaltimebespentformattingdata(whichisnotalwaysstraightforward)orsearchingforalternativedatasources.Thesophisticateduserexperiencewasnegativelyimpactedwhendatawerenotmadeavailableinaspreadsheetcompatibleformatforfurtherprocessing. Content:Thepresentationofthedatadoesnoteasilyadapttodifferenttypesofquestions.
Datamaynotbebrokendownatthedesiredlevelofdetail,aggregatedatahigherlevel,orsearchablebymultiplevariables.Inothercases,tablesmaycontaintoomanyrowsorcolumns,forcingtheusertospendtimefilteringdata–aprocesswhichisnotalwaysstraightforward.Persona(s)Affected:Casual
Solutions:Allowforcustomizeddatatablesandprovideintuitivefilteringinautomaticallygeneratedtables.Clearlyindicatethelevelofdetailforwhichdatamaybeviewed,andprovidedataatdifferentlevelsofdetailwherepossible(i.e.,subjecttodisclosurerulesandpolicies)tomoreadequatelyaccommodateuserneeds.
ExamplesofProblem BestPractices
SometablesinAmericanFactFinder4containtoomanyrowsorcolumns,forcingtheusertospendadditionaltimefilteringthedata.
InAmericanFactFinder,itisdifficulttosearchEconomicCensus(#9)orCountyBusinessPatterns(#10)databymultiplevariables(geographyandindustry).
DatatableswithintheCountyBusinessPatternswebsite(#10)allowuserstoviewdataatthe2‐,3‐,4‐,5‐and6‐digitNAICSlevel.
ThePopulationEstimateswebsite(#4)providesdataforthenation,states,counties,incorporatedplacesandminorcivildivisions,metropolitanandmicropolitanstatisticalareas,etc.
DataAccess:Thedatacannotbedownloadedinaspreadsheetcompatibleformat.Sophisticatedusersfrequentlyrequiredatathatbedownloadedandmanipulatedforfurtheranalysis.Whendataarenotreadilyavailableinthisformat,usersmustspendadditionaltimesearchingfordatainthedesiredfiletype.Persona(s)Affected:Sophisticated
Solutions:Providedifferentmodesofaccessingdataandmakethedifferentformatsreadilyavailabletousers.Forexample,ensurethatalltabulardataareavailableinXLS(orCSV).InsomecasesthiswillsimplyrequiremorethoroughlinkingpracticestodatafilesalreadyavailableonCensus.gov,whileinothercasesthecontentisnotcurrentlyavailableandmustbegenerated.
4Thoughnotoneofthe52websitesreviewed(seefulllistinSection6),manyofthereviewedwebsiteslinktoAmericanFactFinderfordataaccess.
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5Thoughnotoneofthe52websitesreviewed(seefulllistinSection6),manyofthereviewedwebsiteslinktoAmericanFactFinderfordataaccess.
ExamplesofProblem BestPractices
TheCityandCountyDataBookwebsite(#11)providesdataonlyinPDFsonsomepages,andinPDFandExcelonotherpages.
DatatablesinAmericanFactFinder5canbedownloadedasCSVfiles.
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2.6 Problem#6:Usermustsearchfordefinitionsoftermsinqueries/tables
Theuserspendsadditionaltimesearchingfordefinitionsofterminologyusedinsearchqueriesordatatables,inmanycasesaftertheuserhasalreadylocatedthedesireddata.Thisproblemprimarilyaffectscasualusers,whoaremorelikelytobeunfamiliarwithterminologyusedonthewebsite. Text&Terminology:Manysearchqueriesanddatatablesdonotprovidedatadictionariesor
linkstodefinitionspagesforterminologyincolumnheadingsorsearchoptions.Theusermustthenspendadditionaltimeonthewebsitesearchingforthedefinitionsofunfamiliarterms.Persona(s)Affected:Casual
Solutions:ThepresenceoflinkeddatadictionariesordefinitionspagesonsearchqueryanddatatablepagesshouldbeimplementedforallrelevantcomponentwebsiteswithinCensus.gov.Inmanycases,thisinformationalreadyexistselsewhereonthecomponentwebsiteondefinitionspagesorotherdocumentationandneedonlybereformattedandlinkedappropriately.
ExamplesofProblem BestPractices
DatatablesontheCountyBusinessPatternswebsite(#10)labelNAICScodesas“IndustryCodes”anddonotprovidedefinitionsofthesecodesorlinkstotheNAICScomponent.
TheAmericanFactFindersearchfortheAmericanCommunitySurvey(#2)doesprovideaneasywaytoaccessdefinitionsofgeographictypes.Definitionsintheglossarydonotindicatewhichgeographytypemaybemostappropriateforasearch.
ThequeryresultsinAmericanFactFinderfortheEconomicCensus(#9)linkscolumnheadingstotheirentriesinadatadictionary.
Othertablesprovideiconswithlinkstodefinitions,suchasthetablesontheQuickFactswebsite(#34)andtheLEHDwebsite(#27)QuarterlyWorkforceIndicators(QWI)tables.
TheInformationandCommunicationTechnologySurvey(#24)websitepresentsindustrydatawithoututilizingNAICScodes,eliminatingtheneedtolookupdefinitions.
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2.7 Problem#7:User’sinterestnotcapturedandusernotengagedbywebsite
Theuser’sinterestisnotcapturedandtheuserdoesnotfindtheexperiencebrowsingthewebsiteengaging.ThisisespeciallyrelevanttocasualuserswhoarelikelyseekingsimpleanswerstocommonquestionsandbecomeoverwhelmedbythetechnicalnatureofmanycomponentwebsiteswithinCensus.gov.Thisissuecouldbemitigatedbybetteruseofgraphics,datavisualization,andfeaturedcontent.Althoughsophisticatedandexpertusersareoftenseekingmorethoroughdata,graphicsandfeatureswouldalsohelptheseuserstobetterinteractwiththedataandimprovetheuserexperience. Graphics&Features:FewcomponentwebsitesonCensus.govmakegooduseofgraphicsand
visualizationtoolstocaptureandretaintheinterestoftheuser.Mostcomponentwebsitemainpagesalsofailtohighlightpertinentstatisticsorinterestingfactoidstogarnerinterest.Withoutthesefeaturesusersarenotengagedbythewebsitecontent,negativelyimpactingtheuserexperience.Persona(s)Affected:Casual,Sophisticated
Solutions:ThecomponentwebsitesonCensus.govneedtodoabetterjobofcapturingtheuser’sattentionthroughmorewidelyimplementedgraphics,featuredcontent,andvisualizationtools.Forexample,theRandomSamplingsblogcurrentlydoesanexcellentjobofhighlightinginterestingcontentandvisualizationsthroughoutCensus.gov;thisformatcouldbebetterleveragedintheshorttermtohighlightthebestpracticesthatalreadyexist,whilefeaturesandvisualizationtoolsaredevelopedandmorewidelyimplementedinthelongterm.
ExamplesofProblem BestPractices
Fewcomponentwebsitesmakegooduseofgraphicsandfeatures.Forexample,theAnnualSurveyofManufactureswebsite(#21)failstohighlightinterestingcontentandprovidesnographicsorvisualizations.
TheRandomSamplingsblog(#35)doesanexcellentjobofhighlightingfeaturesandvisualizationsthroughoutCensus.gov.
TheSurveyofBusinessOwnerswebsite(#25)providesfindingspagessummarizingpertinentstatistics.
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3. RecommendationsThissectionsummarizesrecommendedchangestoCensus.govthatwouldimprovetheuserexperienceoftypicalvisitors.Therecommendationsarepresentedherecollapsedacrossthethreepersonas;forinformationspecifictotheindividualpersonasseeSections1and2.Theproblemsidentifiedintheuserexperiencemayhaveoneormorecauses,whichareofteninterconnected.Inmanycases,implementingonesolutionmayaddressseveralproblemsexperiencedbyusers.ThefollowingrecommendationswillimprovetheuserexperienceonCensus.govcomponentwebsites:
ProvideExplanatoryContent:Provideaconcise,informativeoverviewonthemainpageofeverycomponentwebsite,andensurethatthisoverviewiscomprehensibletouninitiatedusers.Includeaninventoryofavailabledataandprominentlinkstoviewdata.Clearlyindicatethelevelofdetailforwhichdatamaybeviewed.Removeredundant,duplicated,oroutofdatepagesasnewerpagesbecomeavailable,bothacrossCensus.govandwithinindividualcomponentwebsites.Ensurethatrelatedpagesarewelllinked,bothwithinthesamecomponentwebsiteandacrossthecomponentwebsitesofCensus.gov.Alwaysprovideprominentlinksbetweendatasetsanddocumentation.
ClearlyIndicateDataAccess:Designatedataaccesspagesclearlyonallrelevantcomponentwebsites,andprovidelinkstodocumentationwithalldatasets.Ifdatacannotbeaccesseddirectlyfromwithinthecomponentwebsite,indicatethisandprovideprominentwell‐labeledlinkstoaccessdata.Ensurethatdownloadsizelimitsreflectthevolumesrequiredbyusers.Includetextindicatingthemostrecentsourceofdatafordifferentneedsandwhenthenextsetofdatawillbereleased.Allrelevantcomponentwebsitesshouldindicatewhethermicrodatafilesareavailableandhowtoaccessthemifapplicable.Thisinformationshouldbepresentedclearlyandprominentlyonthewebsite.AnotheroptiontoimproveaccesstodataistoprovidedatainRSSorWebServicefordeveloperssothatsitesthatreferenceCensusBureaudatacanstayup‐to‐dateandarenotrequiredtodownloadandlocallystoreandmaintaindata.
IncludeMoreGraphicsandFeatures:Whereapplicable,Census.govshouldmorewidelyimplementgraphics,visualizationtools,andfeaturesofinterestingcontentonitscomponentwebsites.
StandardizeLinkLabeling:Standardizelinkingpractices,andprovidemoredescriptivetextdetailingthecontentoflinkstoothercomponentwebsiteswithinCensus.gov.Betterorganizelonglistsoflinksandtables.Alwaysindicatefiletypesfordownloads.Labelexternallinksexplicitly,andstandardizepracticeacrossCensusBureauwebsites.Openlinkstoothercomponentwebsitesorexternalwebsitesinnewbrowserwindows.
ImproveNavigationTools:ApplyastandardizednavigationtemplatewithcommonnavigationfunctionsacrossallcomponentwebsitesonCensus.gov.Eliminateself‐referencinglinksinnavigationbars.EnsurethattheCensus.govglobalnavigationoptionsappearoneverycomponentwebsite.
ApplyaConsistentPageLayout:Applyone,usertestedpagelayoutformatacrossallcomponentwebsiteswithinCensus.gov.Optimizethepagelayouttoemphasizeimportantinformation,reduceinformation‐heavypages,makegooduseofvisualspace,andreducescrolling.
OptimizeSearchFunctionality:ImprovethefunctionalityoftheCensus.govsearchenginebyre‐indexingthesearchandexpandingtheuseofKeyMatches.Addkeywordstocomponentwebsitemainpagestoincreasefindability.Ensurethatsite‐specificsearchesreturnresultsinthesameformatastheCensus‐widesearchengine.
DefineText&Terminology:Providelinkeddatadictionariesordefinitionspagesinsearchqueriesanddatatablesforallrelevantcomponentwebsites.IncludeathoroughdefinitionspageonrelevantcomponentwebsitesandforallofCensus.gov.
ImplementandArticulateVerticalStructure:Buildsiteswithawell‐definedvertical
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structureandbetterarticulateverticalstructurethroughconsistenttargetsandnavigationoptionsanduseofbreadcrumbtrails.
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V. UsabilityTestingBasedonForeSeeCalloutsTheusabilitytestingwasdevelopedbasedonexistingUsabilityAuditReviewsofCensusBureauwebsitesconductedbyForeSeeResults.6ThisevaluationaimedtoevaluatetheextenttowhichthetopissuesfoundonCensus.govareproblematiconhighuseorhighprofilecomponentwebsites.Thesamecategoriesofissuesidentifiedbyexistingusabilityreviewswereusedinthisevaluationtoallowforeasycomparison.TheUsabilityAuditReviewspreparedbyForeSeeResultsusedspecificelementsortasksdiagnosedas“areasoffocus”duringsatisfactionanalysesasastartingpointtoprovideprescriptionsforhowtospecificallyaddressthemostimportantusabilityconcernsaffectingvisitorstoCensus.gov.ArecentreviewthesestudiesidentifiedthefollowingtoptenusabilityissuesattheCensusBureau7:
Navigation Text&Terminology Expectations Organization PageLayout Graphs,Tables,andIcons Search DealingwithData DataEntry Help
ThesetenissuesservedasthebasisforthedevelopmentofusabilitycriteriawithwhichtoevaluateCensusBureauwebsites.ResultsfromUsabilityAuditReviewsofCensusBureauwebsitescompletedbyForeSeeResultswereusedtofleshoutthesecriteria,withafocusonidentifyingoverarchingissuesthatpertaintoallCensusBureauwebsites.8Byconsolidatingtheresultsofthesereviews,afinallistofcriteriaforevaluationwasdeveloped.Notethatinthefinallist,the“DealingwithData”and“DataEntry”categorieswereomitted,astheyarebetteraddressedbythepersonatestingevaluation.Thefollowingcategoriesofusabilityissueswerefinalizedbasedonthismethod:
Navigation:Evaluateswhetherthewebsitenavigationalsystemallowsuserstoeffectivelyaccessinformation.
Text&Terminology:Evaluateswhetherthewebsiteusesunfamiliarterminologythatwillconfuseusers.
Expectations:Evaluateswhetherthewebsiteadequatelyintroducesuserstoitsmaterialandappropriatelysetsuserexpectations.
Organization:Evaluateswhetherorganizationofpagesinthewebsiteishelpfulandstraightforwardtoallowuserstoeasilyaccesscontent.
PageLayout:Evaluateswhetherthewebsitelayoutisconsistentandoptimizedforusers.
6ForeseeResultsspecializesincustomersatisfactionanalytics,andhasprovidedUsabilityAuditReviewsofCensus.gov.7Bergstrom,JenniferRomanoandJenniferM.Chen.TopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau:AReviewof12YearsofUsabilityTestReports.CenterforSurveyandMeasurement(CSM),HumanFactorsandUsabilityResearchGroup,U.S.CensusBureau.November8,20108ForeSeeResults.UsabilityAuditReview:U.S.CensusBureau.July,2010.ForeSeeResults.UsabilityAuditReview:FactFinderPrimaryPage.January,2010.ForeSeeResults.UsabilityAuditReview:U.S.CensusBureau:Navigation.December,2008.
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Graphs,Tables,andIcons:Evaluateswhetherthewebsitegraphics,tables,andiconseffectivelyconveyinformationandincreaseuserengagement.
Search:Evaluateswhetherthewebsitesearchfunctionalityisefficientandstraightforward.
Help:Evaluateswhetherthewebsitehelpsectionprovidessufficientsupportforusers.Foreachofthesecategories,acorrespondinglistofoneormorequestionswasdevelopedbasedondigestingtheresultsofthevarioususabilitystudiesdiscussedabove.Foreachquestion,thepersonassessingthewebsitegaveanevaluationof“Nodeficienciesobserved,”“1ormoredeficiencies,”or“Seriousdeficiencies;”or“Adequate”or“NeedsImprovement;”dependingonthenatureofthequestion.Examplesofwebsiteshortfallsweredocumentedwhereverawebsitedoesnotachieveanevaluationof“Nodeficienciesobserved”or“Adequate.”Thefulllistofquestionsispresentedintheresultstableonpage33.Section1presentsthefindingsoftheusabilitytestingbasedonForeSeecalloutsevaluation.RecommendationstoaddresstheseissuesarediscussedinSection2.ThefullevaluationsforindividualcomponentwebsitescanbefoundinAppendixB.
1. FindingsUsabilityevaluationswereconductedforindividualcomponentwebsites,ratherthanCensus.govasawhole.However,thelackofconsistencyacrossthecomponentwebsitesofCensus.gov,thoughforthemostpartnotconsideredintheusabilitytesting,isalsoamajorissuethatgreatlydetractsfromtheuserexperience.Thesectionsthatfollowpresentasummaryoftheresultsforeachcategory;theseresultsarealsosummarizedintheresultstableonpage33.Notethatwhereexamplesarepresented,hyperlinkstotherelevantwebpagesareprovidedandthenumberofthecomponentwebsiteinthelistofwebsitesreviewed(seeSectionVI)isalsolistedforconvenience.ThefullusabilityevaluationsforindividualcomponentwebsitescanbefoundinAppendixB.
1.1 NavigationMajortakeaway:Whilemanysitesutilizeausefulandtransparentsitedesignandprovideadequatenavigationtools,therearesignificantissuesandthelackofconsistentnavigationtoolsacrosscomponentwebsitesisproblematic.BestPractices: Somewebsitesutilizeasitedesignwithcomprehensiveandconsistentnavigationtools,similar
(butnotuniversal)usage.Whenusedwell,thenavigationtoolsareadequate. Thewebsitedesignsonsomewebsitesmakegooduseofbreadcrumbtrails,indicatingvertical
structure. Linkson75%ofwebsitesarewelllabeledandmatchdestinationtitlepages. WithintheeconomicanddemographicsectionsoftheCensusBureauwebsite,component
websitestendtoutilizesimilarnavigationtools. Presenceofsitemapsisabestpractice,althoughthefeatureisnotwidelyimplemented.
o TheEconomicCensuswebsite(#9)providesacomprehensivesitemapthatincludeslinkstoallcontentwithinthesite.
NoteworthyIssues: Despiteoveralluseofhelpfulnavigationtoolsandbreadcrumbtrails,itissignificantthat21%ofevaluatedwebsitesdohaveapoorornonexistentnavigationsystem,andonly33%ofevaluated
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websitesimplementbreadcrumbsorindicatelocationinwebsitehierarchy. ThereisnostandardizedformatfornavigationacrossCensusBureauwebsites.Aconsistentlyimplementedsystemwouldhelpuserstonavigateacrosssites.
SomepageslacktheCensus.govglobalnavigationoptions,ordonotpresentconsistentglobalnavigationoptions.
Self‐referentialclickabilityonnavigationpagesisproblematicbecauseitisconfusingforusers.
1.2 Text&TerminologyMajortakeaway:Mostcomponentwebsitesdoanadequatejobofavoidingterminologyandjargon.BestPractices: Withafewexceptions(17%ofwebsites),componentwebsitesaregenerallywellwrittenandavoidconfusingterminologyorjargon.
Manysitesmakegooduseofdefinitionspages.o TheForeignTradewebsite’sdefinitions(#37)pageiscomprehensiveandwell‐
organized,includinganalphabeticaltableofcontentsand“Returntotop”linksattheendofeachsub‐section.
NoteworthyIssues: Inclusionofadefinitionspageordatadictionaryshouldbemorewidespreadacrosscomponentwebsites.
AprominentpageprovidingdefinitionsfortheentireCensus.govsitewouldbeofhelptosomeusers.
1.3 ExpectationsMajortakeaway:ThelackofinformativetextoncomponentwebsitesisawidespreadproblemthroughoutCensus.gov.However,manypagesprovideoverviewsonlinkedpageswhichcouldbebetterlinkedorexcerptedtoaddresstheproblem.BestPractices: Manysiteshaveintroductorytextonthemainpage,“AbouttheSurvey”pages,orotherintroductionorbackgroundpages.
o The2007EconomicCensusmainpage(#9)isanexcellentexampleofbestpractices.Themainpageutilizesbriefbutclearsentenceswithwell‐placedlinkstoguideuserstodocumentationanddata.
Themajorityofcomponentwebsitesdoanadequatejobofindicatingexternalwebsites(96%ofwebsites).
Thereisreasonablelabelingofdownloadablefiletypesinlinklabelsthroughoutwebsites.NoteworthyIssues: Themainpageon60%ofcomponentwebsitesdoesnotdoagoodjobofintroducinguserstocontent.Thisconstitutesmorethanhalfofwebsitesandisproblematic.
o TheSurveyofIncomeandProgramParticipationwebsite(#17)doesnotprovidetexttosetuserexpectationsofthecontenttheywillencounteronthesite.
Somemainpagesdonotincludeanydescriptivetext,andsomecomponentwebsitesdonothaveanytextanywhereonthewebsite.
o ThePopulationandHouseholdEconomicTopicswebsite(#5)isanexamplewherethewebsiteprovidesnoexplanatorytextonanypage.
NearlyallsitesfailtoindicatelinkstoothercomponentsiteswithinCensus.gov.Alimitednumberofsites(4%)alsofailtoindicateexternallinks.Thereisalsoinconsistentusageassome
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interpretexternalasoutsideofCensusBureauwhileothersinterprettheconcepttomeanoutsideofU.S.Government.
Somewebsitesdonotlabellinkstodownloads,resultinginunexpectedfiletypes.Wheredownloadsarelabeled,thefiletypeisnotalwaysindicated.
1.4 OrganizationMajortakeaway:Thefailuretofeaturecontentonthemainpageisawidespreadissueacrossthecomponentwebsites.Graphicsandvisualizationscouldbebetterutilizedtoaddressthisproblem.Whileorganizationwithinasinglecomponentwebsiteisgenerallynotanissue,theorganizationofinformationacrossallCensus.govwebsitesisproblematic.BestPractices: Individualcomponentwebsitesaregenerallywellorganized(67%ofwebsites). WithintheeconomicsectionofCensus.gov,componentwebsitestendtoutilizeasimilarorganization.
Accesstodataisreasonableonmost(65%)componentwebsites.Websitesfrequentlyincludelinkstomostrecentdatathatareeasilyaccessiblefromthemainpage.
Thereareafewexamplesofbestpracticesforfeaturingcontentonthemainpage:o TheQuickFactswebsite(#34)clearlyindicatesitscontent,providesaccesstodata,and
utilizesgraphicsonitsmainpage.o TheAmericanCommunitySurveywebsite(#2)doesagoodjobofhighlightingthe
differenttypesofcontentavailableonthemainpageandincludingprominentlinkstofinddata.
NoteworthyIssues: Mostsites(57%ofwebsites)failtoshowcasecontentonthemainpage,andrarelyfeaturegraphs,maps,statistics,etc.
Asignificantnumber(34%)ofcomponentwebsitesdonotclearlyindicatehowandwheretoaccessdata,makingitextremelydifficulttolocatedata.
o TheCurrentPopulationSurvey(#3)websiteisoneoftheworstoffenders.Linksarenotwelllabeledandthewebsiteoverviewtextdoesnotguideuserstodata.
1.5 PageLayoutMajortakeaway:Althoughpagelayoutisgenerallyadequateandconsistentwithincomponentwebsites,thelackofauniformtemplateacrossCensus.govisproblematic,especiallywithsomecomponentwebsitesutilizingolderlayoutdesigns.Census.govshouldimplementaconsistent,unclutteredtemplateacrossallcomponentwebsites.BestPractices: Somewebsitesutilizeaconsistentlyimplementedunclutteredpagelayoutdesign. Pagesarewellorganizedon91%ofcomponentwebsites.Informationispresentedinalogicalorder,iswelllaidout,andconsistentwithinsites.
WithintheeconomicanddemographicsectionsofCensus.gov,componentwebsitestendtouseasimilarpagelayoutscheme.
NoteworthyIssues: Manywebsitesemployoldersitedesignsthatareclunkyanddifficulttouse.Thepagesdonothaveconsistentuseorbalancedpresentation,makepooruseofscreenspace,andrequireextensivescrolling(e.g.,Geo(#12),NewResidentialConstructionIndex(#26)).
Somecomponentwebsites(8%)switchbetweentwoormoreseparatelayoutdesigns.
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o TheForeignTradeWebsite(#37)utilizestwoverydifferentpagelayoutsthroughoutitspages.
1.6 Graphics,Tables&IconsMajortakeaway:GraphicsandiconsaregenerallyunderusedonthecomponentwebsitesofCensus.gov.However,severalexamplesofbestpracticesprovidetemplatesthatcouldbemorewidelyusedthroughoutthecomponentwebsites. BestPractices: Somesitesdoanexcellentjobofincorporatingvisualelements:
o Thoughnotoneofthe52websitesevaluated(seethefulllistinSectionVI),theCensus2010websitedoesanexcellentjobofincorporatinggraphicsonitspagesandfeaturinginteractivemapsandcharts.
o TheLongitudinalEmployer‐HouseholdDynamics(LEHD)website(#27)providesinterestingvisualizationtools,suchasOnTheMap,andutilizesgraphicswellonthemainpage.
o TheCensusinSchools(#48)websitefeaturesinteractivecontentgearedtowardskidsandteens,andmakesgooduseofgraphicsonalmosteverypage.
o TheAmericanCommunitySurveywebsite(#2)includespicturesofhandbooksandpublicationswhenlinkingtoPDFs.
Thereareafewcasesofwell‐implementedicons(21%ofwebsites).o NewFactFinder(#16)consistentlyemploysiconstohelpusersnavigatesearchresults
andaccessdatadictionaries.NoteworthyIssues: Graphicsareunderutilizedonmost(79%)componentwebsites.Despitethevisualnatureofthe
data(maps,graphs,tables,etc.),thereisalackofgraphicsonthesepages. Iconsarerarelyandinconsistentlyused.Inparticular,thePDF/XLSiconsareoftensubstituted
for[pdf]/[xls].
1.7 SearchMajortakeaway:AsmentionedintheFindabilitysection,theCensus.govsearchengineisgenerallyinsufficientforlocatingcomponentwebsites.Thepresenceofmultiplewebsitesprovidingsimilardatamakesitdifficultforuserstolocatethemostappropriatedatasource.Note:SeeFindabilityresultsforinformationontheabilityofsearchenginestolocateCensusBureaucomponentwebsites. BestPractices: Functionalityofintra‐sitesearchestendstobegood.
o TheindustrysearchontheBusinessandIndustry(#7)websiteiswelllabeledandspecifictooneareaofthewebsite(theIndustryStatisticsSampler).
o The“SearchBlog”functionontheRandomSamplingsblog(#35)limitssearchresultstopageswithinthewebsite.
NoteworthyIssues: Intra‐sitesearchenginesarerare. TherearesomecaseswhereitisunclearwhethersearchisfortheentireCensusBureauwebsiteorlimitedtothecurrentsection.Insomeplacesthisismislabeled(10%ofwebsites)
o TheStatisticalAbstractmainpageincludesanoptionto“SearchtheAbstract.”However,
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searchresultsincludewebsitesfromallareasofCensus.gov. Itappearssomepagesusealessfunctionalsearchroutine.Thesearchfunctiononsomepages
returnsresultswithouttheURLsorKeyMatchresults(e.g.,StatisticalAbstract(#39),PopulationPyramids(#52)).
1.8 Help
Majortakeaway:TheinconsistentuseoftheCensus.gov‐wideQuestion&Answers(Q&A)websiteversussite‐specificFrequentlyAskedQuestions(FAQ)pagesisamajorissueonCensus.gov.ThereisaneedtoeitherbetterorganizethecentralQ&Asitesoitiseasiertouseortoprovidesite‐specificFAQpagesforeveryindividualwebsite,whereapplicable.BestPractices: Whenpresent,individualcomponentwebsitestendtohavegoodFAQpages.
o TheNAICSwebsiteFAQpage(#47)isanexcellentexample,withatableofcontentsofquestionshyperlinkedtotheiranswersonthesamepage.Thequestionsarepertinentandhelpful.
o WhiletheEconomicCensusFAQpages(#9)linkindividualquestionstotheiranswersintheCensus‐wideQ&Asite,thequestionsarewellorganizedandinformative.
TheotherinformationalhelpsiteswithinCensusBureauaretypicallyhighquality,suchasAbout(#31),SurveyParticipation(#30),andRegionalPages(#32).
NoteworthyIssues: TheCensus.gov‐wideQ&Awebsiteisclunkyanddifficulttosortthrough.SomesitesarewellrepresentedbythequestionsintheQ&Awebsite,whileothershavefewifanymentions.
Somewebsites(23%)donotincludesite‐specificFAQpagesorlinkstothecensus‐wideQ&Awebsite.
2. RecommendationsAswaspreviouslydiscussed,theusabilitytestingwasdevelopedbasedonexistingUsabilityAuditReviewsofCensusBureauwebsitesconductedbyForeSeeResults.9ThisevaluationaimedtoevaluatetheextenttowhichthetopissuesfoundonCensus.govareproblematiconhighuseorhighprofilecomponentwebsites.Thesamecategoriesofissuesidentifiedbyexistingusabilityreviewswereusedinthisevaluationtoallowforeasycomparison.TheUsabilityAuditReviews10compiledbyForeSeepresentclearrecommendationsandactionablesuggestionsforimprovementstoaddresstheseissues.TherecommendationsinForeSeeResults’UsabilityAuditReviewswillallowCensus.govtoaddressthetopissuesexperiencedacrossCensus.gov.
9ForeseeResultsspecializesincustomersatisfactionanalytics,andhasprovidedUsabilityAuditReviewsofCensus.gov.10ForeSeeResults.UsabilityAuditReview:U.S.CensusBureau.July,2010.ForeSeeResults.UsabilityAuditReview:FactFinderPrimaryPage.January,2010.ForeSeeResults.UsabilityAuditReview:U.S.CensusBureau:Navigation.December,2008.
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Census Bureau Website Review Using ForeSee Callouts Grade Color Key
Question Type % of Websites (of 52) Grade Question Type 1 Question Type 2
Navigation − No deficiencies observed
Adequate
Does website provide a single comprehensive navigational system that enables users to access information across topics quickly and efficiently? Do global navigation options appear consistently on all pages of website?
Question Type 1 23% 27% 29% 21% −1 or more deficiencies N/A
Does navigation convey the hierarchy of information and facilitate lateral and vertical movement? Does website adequately indicate current location and where current page resides in overall site hierarchy?
Question Type 2 33% - 35% 33% Serious deficiencies, limited
Needs improvement, limited
Do links and target page headings match? Are link labels unique and descriptive? Are links labeled consistently throughout website?
Question Type 1 40% 35% 15% 10% Serious deficiencies, extensive
Needs improvement, extensive
Text & Terminology −
Does website avoid using unfamiliar terminology, unclear wording and labeling, or jargon? Question Type 1 37% 46% 13% 4%
Expectations −
Does the website provide sufficient introduction to the content and functionality of the site? Question Type 2 40% - 35% 25%
Does consistent navigation and layout allow users to seamlessly navigate different sections of website? Are links differentiated with specific labels to allow users to efficiently navigate through site?
Question Type 2 40% - 33% 27%
Does the website clearly indicate when linking to an outside URL? Question Type 1 63% 33% 4% 0%
Organization − Does homepage showcase content to build interest and guide users? Is important information featured prominently?
Question Type 2 42% - 40% 17%
Is website organized in such a way as to highlight and provide easy access to the most recent or most relevant data?
Question Type 2 65% - 13% 21%
Is information throughout the different pages of the website organized in a readily apparent and straightforward way?
Question Type 2 67% - 19% 13%
Page Layout − Is information organized clearly? Does information appear in order user expects (e.g., alphabetical, numeric)?
Question Type 1 62% 29% 8% 2%
Is page layout (color scheme, navigation options, etc.) consistent throughout website? Question Type 1 63% 15% 13% 8% Is page visually optimized? Is text legible? Are there any awkward formatting issues? Does website maximize screen real estate?
Question Type 1 58% 27% 8% 8%
Graphics, Tables, & Icons −
Does website use visual elements to increase user engagement? Question Type 2 21% - 21% 58%
Is information in tables and graphics presented clearly? Question Type 1 65% 29% 4% 2%
Are icons consistent throughout website? Is functionality clear? Question Type 1 21% 73% 6% 0%
Search −
Does search functionality work? Question Type 2 13% - 81% 6%
Is it clear whether search function applies to entire website or single domain? Question Type 2 77% - 13% 10%
Help − Is online FAQ/help useful? Question Type 2 42% - 42% 15% Is access to FAQ/help section provided consistently throughout website? Question Type 1 37% 2% 38% 23%
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VI. ListofWebsitesReviewed1.CensusBureauHomePage http://www.census.gov/2.AmericanCommunitySurvey http://www.census.gov/acs/www/3.CurrentPopulationSurvey(CPS)MainPage http://www.census.gov/cps/4.PopulationEstimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html5.PopulationandHouseholdEconomicTopics http://www.census.gov/population/www/6.2007CensusofGovernments http://www.census.gov/govs/cog/7."BusinessandIndustry"Page http://www.census.gov/econ/8.EconomicIndicators http://www.census.gov/cgi‐bin/briefroom/BriefRm9.2007EconomicCensus http://www.census.gov/econ/census07/index.html10.CountyBusinessPatterns http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/11.CountyandCityDataBook2007 http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ccdb.html12.Geo http://www.census.gov/geo/www/13.Datatools http://www.census.gov/main/www/access.html14.DataFerrett http://dataferrett.census.gov/15.Listingbysubject http://www.census.gov/main/www/a2z/16.NewFactFinder http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html17.SurveyofIncome&ProgramParticipation http://www.census.gov/sipp/index.html18.AnnualRetailTradeSurvey http://www.census.gov/retail/index.html#arts19.AdvanceMonthlyRetailTradeReport http://www.census.gov/retail/20.QuarterlyE‐CommerceReport http://www.census.gov/retail/index.html#ecommerce21.AnnualSurveyofManufactures(ASM) http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/asm/22.ServiceAnnualSurvey http://www.census.gov/services/index.html23.QuarterlyServicesSurvey http://www.census.gov/services/index.html24.InformationandCommunicationTechnologySurvey http://www.census.gov/econ/ict/25.2007SurveyofBusinessOwners(SBO) http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo/26.NewResidentialConstructionIndex http://www.census.gov/const/www/newresconstindex.html27.LongitudinalEmployer‐HouseholdDynamics http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/28.Newsroom/Multimedia http://www.census.gov/newsroom/29.Publications http://www.census.gov/prod/www/titles.html30.SurveyParticipation http://www.census.gov/survey_participants/31.About http://www.census.gov/aboutus/32.RegionalPages http://www.census.gov/regions/33.FAQs http://ask.census.gov/cgi‐
bin/askcensus.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=vlXuh3dk34.QuickFacts http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html35.Corporateblog http://blogs.census.gov/36.Calendar http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php?crd=cens1sam
ple&PHPSESSID=d04dc1126031ed860330dc34101d54b5&&jsenabled=1&winH=591
37.ForeignTradeDivision http://www.census.gov/foreign‐trade/index.html38.BusinessHelpSite http://bhs.econ.census.gov/BHS/index.html39.StatisticalAbstract http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/40.FamiliesandLivingArrangement http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh‐fam.html41.EducationalAttainment http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/42.Income http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/income.html43.Poverty http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html44.HealthInsurance http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthins.html45.PopulationProjections http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/index.html46.EStats http://www.census.gov/econ/estats/47.NAICS http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/48.CensusinSchools http://www.census.gov/schools49.Genealogy http://www.census.gov/history/www/reference/genealogy/ 50.InternationalDataBase http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/51.U.S.andWorldPopulationClocks http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html52.U.S.PopulationPyramids http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/natchart.html
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VII. GlossaryBreadcrumbTrails:Navigationtoolthatallowsuserstokeeptrackoftheircurrentlocationbydisplayingthecurrentpage’slocationwithinthewebsitehierarchy.CasualUser:Thecasualuserisinterestedinobtaininginformationaboutaspecifictopicandistypicallyseekingtheanswertoasinglequestion(e.g.,generalpublic,k‐12teacher,k‐12student).Forexample,acasualusermaybeastudenttryingtofindinformationforaschoolassignment.ComponentWebsite:AnindividualwebsitewithinCensus.gov;e.g.,theAmericanCommunitySurveywebsite.ExpertUser:Theexpertuserisinterestedindownloadingmicrodatasetsfordetailedanalysispurposes(e.g.,professionalresearcher,academic,consultant).FAQ:FrequentlyAskedQuestionsFindability:Theeasewithwhichinformationonawebsitecanbelocatedbysearchengines.ForeSeeResults:AcompanythatprovidesCustomerSatisfactionAnalyticsforCensus.govIndex:Referstostoringinformationinawaythatcaneasilybelocatedbysearchengines.KeyMatch:Asearchfeaturethathighlightsdesiredwebsiteswhenusersenterdesignatedkeywordsintosearchqueries.PageLayout:Thearrangementofelementsonawebpage.Persona:Aprofileofatypeofuserlikelytovisitagivenwebsite.Q&A:QuestionsandAnswersSAS:StatisticalAnalysisSoftwareSelf‐referential/Self‐referencing:Alinkinanavigationtoolthatcanbeclickedevenwhentheuserisalreadyonitstargetpage.SophisticatedUser:Thesophisticateduserisinterestedinobtainingdetailedinformationononeormorerelatedtopicsintheformoftabularandothertypesofestimatesinordertoassistinbusinessorpolicydecisions(e.g.,business/industryofficial,local/state/federalgovernmentofficial,journalist,NGO,librarian).Forexample,asophisticatedusermaybeasmallbusinessownerattemptingtolocateinformationabouttheirindustry.Target:Thedestinationpageofalink.Template:Adesign(e.g.,pagelayout)thatisappliedtoallthepageswithinadomain.VerticalStructure:Theinformationhierarchyusedtoorganizepagesindifferentlevelswithinawebsite.WebsiteHierarchy:Theorganizationofpageswithinawebsite.
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Appendix A: Persona Testing Assessment The U.S. Census Bureau Contract No. YA132309CQ0045, Task Order (TO) 001: Web Discovery: Data Visualization and the Future of Census.gov
Abt Associates, April 1, 2011
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TableofContents
1. CENSUS HOMEPAGE ................................................................................................................................................. 5 2. AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY ................................................................................................................................ 7 3. CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY ................................................................................................................................ 10 4. POPULATION ESTIMATES ......................................................................................................................................... 13 5. POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD ECONOMIC TOPICS ..................................................................................................... 15 6. 2007 CENSUS OF GOVERNMENTS ............................................................................................................................. 17 7. “BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY” PAGE ............................................................................................................................. 20 8. ECONOMIC INDICATORS .......................................................................................................................................... 22 9. 2007 ECONOMIC CENSUS ....................................................................................................................................... 24 10. COUNTY BUSINESS PATTERNS .................................................................................................................................. 26 11. COUNTY AND CITY DATA BOOK 2007 ....................................................................................................................... 28 12. GEO ..................................................................................................................................................................... 30 13. DATA TOOLS .......................................................................................................................................................... 32 14. DATAFERRETT ....................................................................................................................................................... 34 15. LISTING BY SUBJECT ................................................................................................................................................ 37 16. NEW AMERICAN FACTFINDER .................................................................................................................................. 38 17. SURVEY OF INCOME AND PROGRAM PARTICIPATION .................................................................................................... 40 18. ANNUAL RETAIL TRADE SURVEY ................................................................................................................................ 42 19. ADVANCE MONTHLY RETAIL TRADE REPORT ............................................................................................................... 44 20. QUARTERLY E‐COMMERCE REPORT .......................................................................................................................... 46 21. ANNUAL SURVEY OF MANUFACTURES (ASM) ............................................................................................................. 48 22. SERVICE ANNUAL SURVEY ........................................................................................................................................ 50 23. QUARTERLY SERVICES SURVEY .................................................................................................................................. 52 24. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SURVEY ....................................................................................... 54 25. 2007 SURVEY OF BUSINESS OWNERS (SBO) .............................................................................................................. 55 26. NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION INDEX .................................................................................................................. 57 27. LONGITUDINAL EMPLOYER‐HOUSEHOLD DYNAMICS .................................................................................................... 59 28. NEWS ROOM/MULTIMEDIA .................................................................................................................................... 61 29. PUBLICATIONS ....................................................................................................................................................... 63 30. SURVEY PARTICIPATION ........................................................................................................................................... 64 31. ABOUT ................................................................................................................................................................. 66 32. REGIONAL OFFICES ................................................................................................................................................. 67 33. FAQS ................................................................................................................................................................... 68 34. QUICK FACTS ......................................................................................................................................................... 70 35. CORPORATE BLOG .................................................................................................................................................. 72 36. CALENDAR ............................................................................................................................................................ 74 37. FOREIGN TRADE DIVISION ....................................................................................................................................... 76 38. BUSINESS HELP SITE ............................................................................................................................................... 78 39. STATISTICAL ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................... 80 40. FAMILIES AND LIVING ARRANGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 82 41. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT .................................................................................................................................... 84 42. INCOME ................................................................................................................................................................ 86 43. POVERTY .............................................................................................................................................................. 88 44. HEALTH INSURANCE ............................................................................................................................................... 90 45. POPULATION PROJECTIONS ...................................................................................................................................... 90 46. ESTATS ................................................................................................................................................................. 92
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47. NAICS ................................................................................................................................................................. 94 48. CENSUS IN SCHOOLS ............................................................................................................................................... 96 49. GENEALOGY .......................................................................................................................................................... 97 50. INTERNATIONAL DATA BASE ..................................................................................................................................... 98 51. U.S. AND WORLD POPULATION CLOCKS .................................................................................................................. 100 52. U.S. POPULATION PYRAMIDS ................................................................................................................................. 101
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1. CensusHomepageWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thepopulation]in[mycity(Boston,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Therearealotoflinksonthecensushomepagewithnocontext/explanation,soitwashardtofigureoutwhichlinktoclicktogetpopulationinformation.Theterm“estimates”wasprobablythemostrelatedbutIdidn’trealizethatitreferredtopopulationsoittookaminutetochoosealink.Iendedupchoosingwheretoclickmorebasedonthelackofanylinkcorrespondingtomyquerythanoutofknowingwheretogoonthewebsite.Itseemslikepopulationissomethingalotofpeoplewouldcometothecensuswebsiteforsoit’ssurprisingthatitisnotemphasizedonthemainpage.
ThepopulationfinderlinkontherightsideofthePopulationandHouseholdEconomicTopicspageisveryusefulbutit’snotemphasized–itwasburiedontherighthandsideorthepagewhereIwouldn’timmediatelythinktolook‐soIdidn’tseeitatfirst.OnceIfoundthatlink,ittookmetoexactlywhatIwanted.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thedemographics]in[the5thhousedistrictinMA]inorderto[predictvotingbyconstituents].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletolocatetheinformation,butIhadtousethesearchfunctiontodoso.Iwasn’tabletosortmywaythroughthedatatableseffectivelyenoughtograbthedatathatIwasseeking.However,onceIdidasearchfor‘CongressionalDistricts,’thepropertableswerefound.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[theprojectedpopulationin2015]in[Parker,CO/suburbanDenver]inorderto[decideondevelopingasubdivision].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
IwasabletorapidlyfindstatelevelpredictionsthroughtheCensuspage.Iwaslookingfordataatthecity/metro/countylevel,soIkeptsearching.IfoundalinktotheColoradoStateDemographyOffice,whichprovidedmewithprojectiondataatboththemetroandcountylevel.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestcensusmicrodata.
File:1‐percentPUMSfilesfromCensus2000
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Availablebystate Zipfilecontainstextfileand.datfile Onestate~3MB
Downloadsource:FTPsite
Documentation:PUMSTechnicalDocumentationPDF(publishedOctober2008)isavailableonthePUMSdownloadpages/FTPsite.
Thisisanin‐depthfilethatcovershowtousethedata,datadictionaryinfo,accuracy,etc.
What’schanged:Ididfindareferencetosomechangesbetweenthe1990and2000censusina“NotesandErrata”PDF.Thispdfcoveredallcensusdatasets,andonesectiononPUMSdescribedvariablesthatwerenotvalidcomparisonsacrosscensusyears.IhadtogolookingforthisdocumentinthePublicationsLibraryanditwasnotlinkedtothedatadownload/documentationarea.
Commentsonwebsite:TheCensus2000linkwasavailablefromthemainpage,soIquicklygottotheareaIneeded.OntheCensus2000page,theinformationfordownloadingcensusdataatdifferentlevelsofaggregationareallavailableonthefrontpage,thoughthepagedidnothaveaclearstructuretoit.TheheadercalledMicrodatamadethatsectioneasyenoughtofind.
IfyougotoaparticularstateontheFTPdirectory,IseearevisedPUMSpostedin2010.Thefullstatezipfiledoesnotincludethisreviseddata.Thereisnoheaderinformationinthisrevisedfile,soitisnotclearwhyitwasrevisedorhowyoushoulduseit.
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2. AmericanCommunitySurveyWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/acs/www/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[themedianincome]in[mytown(Cambridge,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
TherewasalotofinformationontheACSmainpage,yetnothingdescribingwhatthesurveyactuallyisorwhatinformationitprovides.Therearealotofdifferentmodulesonthemainpage,soIchosewhattoclickbasedonwheremyeyesfellonthesite–ifthegeographicsearchhadbeenmoreprominentitwouldhavesavedmetimeandtakenmetomydesiredinformationmorequickly.Instead,IspentsometimebrowsingthewebsiteuntilIfoundtherightpage.OnceIfoundtherightsearchtoolitwasrelativelyeasytofindtheinformationIwanted.
Othercomments:
Inonesection(datatablesonthemappage),ExcelfilesstarteddownloadingunexpectedlywhenIclickedalink(Iwasn’tawarethelinkwastoadownload).
ItisoddthatIwasaskedtochoosemytownfromalistof“Cambridge’s”inthenation,sinceItypedCambridge,MAintothesearchbox.
ItwouldbeusefultohavesomesortofdatadictionarylinkedtothedifferentmetricsintheAFFresults,sinceIwasn’tsurewhichrowcorrespondedtomyquestion.Thereisalsoalotofinformationthatrequiresscrollingwithoutknowingwhetherwhatyouwantisonthepageyou’relookingat.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[howmuchpeoplepayforutilities]in[mytown(Shoals,IN)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Samegeneralcommentsasabove.
Othercomments:
IhadtroublefindingmywaybacktotheACShomepagefromAFFonceIrealizedthatAFFdidnothavewhatIwanted.
Itwasdifficulttofindmydesiredtableinthelistofdetailedtablesinthegeographic/detailedsearchbecausetherearesomanyoptionsandtherearenocategoriestobreakthemup.
SelectingmydesiredgeographyinAFFwasconfusing,especiallywhencertaingeographiesareomittedinearlieryears.
ItwashardtofigureoutwhethertheinformationIwantedwasactuallyavailableonline–itislistedasbeingsomethingcollectedbythesurvey,butitisnotavailableinAFFwhichIonlyfoundoutafter
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searchingforawhileontheACSwebsite.
Question3/Challenge3:
Iwanttoknow[thepercentofhouseholdsinwhichEnglishisnottheprimarylanguagespoken]in[thenation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion3/Challenge3:
ThelinkstothenewreleaseofACSdataonthehomepagearehelpfulbecausetheytakemestraighttothedata,howeverit’shardtofigureoutwhichoptionIshoulduseinAFF(dataprofilesvscomparisonprofiles,etc).It’salsohardtodeterminewhether5‐year,3‐year,or1‐yeardataismostappropriateformysearch.
OnceIgettothedataprofiles,it’snotimmediatelyapparentwheretofindtheinformationIwant–itappearsonthesocialpagebutIhavetoscrolldowntogettoitandit’snotimmediatelyapparentwhyitappearsonthispageratherthanthedemographicetc.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[peoplewithhealthinsurance]in[thosewhohavedisabilities]inorderto[marketmywheelchaircompany].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Frommyfirstuseofthewebsite,Iwasunabletolocatethedatatablesforsometime.The“Data&Documentation”linktookmetoreleaseinformationratherthantheactualdata.Ireturnedtothepage,butIdidn’tfindthelookup.IlocatedtheACS/CensusTableComparisonlinkunderLatestUpdates,whichtookmetotheFactFinderpagewhereIcoulddomylookup.Afterthefact,IfinallynoticedthesearchfunctionontheACSmainpage,whichisobscuredonthelowerrightside.
Intheend,Icouldn’tfindtheanswertomyquestionfromthedataprovidedhere.Ibelievethatmyquestionwastoospecifictobedirectlyansweredbythissurvey.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[averagecommutingtime]in[Massachusetts]inorderto[promotepublictransportation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
InformationwasfairlyeasytofindonceIknewtolookontherightpanelforthelinkstothesubjects.Iwasabletogetgraphicalortabulardataforcommutetimesbrokenintonumerousstatisticalquantities.Themicrocommutingdatawasverydetailed,andthoughIdidn’trecordmyuseofitintheBostonarea,itwasquiteinformative.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2009ACS1‐yearPUMS
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availableforentireUSorbystate downloadiszipfilecontainingcsvandareadmefile ~0.5GB
Downloadsource:ACSPUMSdataavailableonAmericanFactFinder,DataFerrett,orFTP.
IusedAmericanFactFinder,andadirectlinktomydatasetonthatwebsitewasprovidedontheACSwebsite.
Documentation:Datadictionary,codes,subjectscovered,andaccuracydataareavailableinPDFformatandupdatedforeachyear’sdataset.Youcanalsofilterthedocumentationbyyear.
ThereisalsoaHandbookforMicrodataUsers(publishedFeb2009)andtrainingpresentations.
What’schanged:The“NewandNotable”sectionincludesalinkto“2009DataProductChanges”whichlistnew,modifiedanddeletedtablesforthatparticulardatarelease.
Commentsonwebsite:Thiswebsitewaseasytouse.Theyprovidedseveralwaystonavigatethesitefromthehomepage,allofwhichgotyoutotheinformationyouneeded.Itisclearlykeptup‐to‐dateandit’sveryinstructiveonthetypesofdataavailableandhoweachsetshouldbeused.
Severaldownloadsourceswereavailable,whichgivesusersoptionstopullthedatafromthesourcetheyaremostcomfortableusing.NotethatthepageonDataFerrettsaid“ToaccesstheACSPublicUseMicrodatayoumustdownloadtheDataFerrettapplicationorapplet.”ThismayhavebeenpreviouslytruebutIwasabletogetthelatestyearonAmericanFactFinderandIfoundthatdownloadsourceeasiertouse(lessclickstogetwhatIneeded).
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3. CurrentPopulationSurveyWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/cps
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofworkingwomenwithchildren]in[thenation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Therearenoinstructionsforwheretodownloaddataonthehomepage,andthelinksarenotclearlyenoughlabeledtoinstructtheuserwheretofindthedata.Ispentawhileclickingthroughlinksandevenafterthatitwasn’tclearwheretofindthedataIwanted.ThelinktoDataFerrettwasconfusingbecauseIendedupbackattheCPShomepage.ThelinktodataattheBLSisalsoconfusingbecauseit’sunclearwhetherthatdataisthesamedataasontheCensuswebsiteorsomethingdifferent.
IdidnotinitiallylookatthetablesonthehomepagebecausetheyrefertoincomewhenIwantedadifferenttypeofmetric(womenworkingwithchildren),butthiswaswhereIultimatelyfoundmydata.It’salsonotclearwhetherthelinksontheright‐handsideofthepagearestillCPSdatasincetheyarereferredtoasthe“AnnualSocialandEconomicSupplement”.
It’sdifficulttodecipherexactlywhatisbeingdisplayedinthedifferenttablesontheCPSwebsite.EvenwhenIfoundmyanswer,itwasn’tclearthatthiswaswhatIwantedbecausethetabledescriptionswereunclearandtherewerenoreadilyavailablelinksfordatadictionaries.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[themedianearnings]in[myoccupation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Idon’tthinktheinformationIwantedwasavailableontheCensuswebsitebutitwasavailableontheBLSwebsite.IspentawhileclickingthroughthevariouslinksontheCPSwebsiteuntilIfoundmywaytotheBLSwebsite.ThetablesontheBLSwebsiteareeasiertounderstandthantheonesontheCensuswebsite.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[hoursofwork]in[softwaredesign]inorderto[determineifovertimepayisappropriate].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Icouldn’tfindtheanswertomyquestion.First,mydemographiclimiterwasnotapplicableforthissurvey.Secondly,Icouldnotfindanyinformationregardinghoursofwork,despitethemainpagestatingthat‘hoursofwork’wereoneoftheavailableestimates.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[medianwages]in[miningindustry]inorderto[justifypaycuts].
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Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
SecondquestionIcouldn’tanswer.DespitestatingthatIshouldbeabletofinddatasortedbyindustry,Iwasn’tabletodoso.
Itriedtogoinanddownloadthedatasetwitha.datextension,butitdidn’ttellmewhatprogramtoopenitwith.
Question3/Challenge3:
Ineedinformationabout[unemployment]in[Michigan]inorderto[understandtheeffectsoftheautoindustrydecline].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Finally,Ibrokethrough.ThelinktothedataontheBLSsitewasnexttoimpossibletofind,butonceIdidIwasabletofindthedata.
Question4/Challenge4:
Repeat:Ineedinformationabout[hoursofwork]in[softwaredesign]inorderto[determineifovertimepayisappropriate].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion4/Challenge4:
Ifoundabout3differenttablesthatprovidedmewithcloseinformation.
Question5/Challenge5:
Repeat:Ineedinformationabout[medianwages]in[miningindustry]inorderto[justifypaycuts].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion5/Challenge5:
IquicklyfoundadifficulttouseJavaAppletthatgavemesomeoftheinformationthatIwaslookingfor.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestmonth’smicrodata.
File:BasicMonthlyCPS–November2010
Zipfilecontaininga.DATfile ~13MB
Downloadsource:FTP,DataFerrett
Documentation:DatadictionaryavailableonFTPdownloadpage.
TechnicalpaperonCPSDesignandMethodology(publishedOctober2006)availableonTechnicalDocumentationpage.Coversdataquality,dataprocessing,errors,etc.MentionsmicrodataareavailableforthesupplementalsurveysbypurchasingCD‐ROMs.
What’schanged:AsummaryofmajorchangesintheCPSsurveyovertheyearsislistedintheCPSDesign
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andMethodologymanual.
Commentsonwebsite:Datasetdownloadandtechnicaldocumentationshouldbemorecloselylinked.PerhapstherelationshipbetweenCensusandBureauofLaborStatisticscouldbebettercoordinated;it’shardtoknowifyou’llfindmoredetailedinfoononesiteortheother.BookmarkinglongPDFs(e.g.theTechnicalPaper)wouldbehelpful.ThelinktoCPS‐relatedFAQsdoesnotseemveryhelpfulororganized.
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4. PopulationEstimatesWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thepopulation]in[mytown(Somerville,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ItwouldbeusefuliftheoverviewinformationwasonthemainpagebecausethereisnodescriptionastowhereIamwhenIfirstreachthewebpage.OverallitwasprettystraightforwardtofindthedataIwanted,exceptthelinktoAFFontheoverviewpageismisleadingbecauseittookmetotheAFFhomepageratherthanaplacewhereIcanfindthedataI’mlookingfor.
Next,Icamebacktothepopulationestimateswebsiteandlookedaroundintheestimatesdatasection.Itwouldhavebeenusefultohavedefinitionsofthedifferenttypesofgeographiesherepagebecauseitisn’tcompletelyclearwhichtoclickwhenlookingforthepopulationofatown(“Incorporatedplacesandcivildivisions”isnotacommonlyusedterm).IendeduphavingtodownloadanExcelfiletofindmyanswer–itwasnotavailableasanHTMLwebsite.
Othercomments:
ThepagelayoutmakesthewebsiteappearoutofdatecomparedtosomeotherCensuswebsites.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofpeopleofHispanicethnicity]in[mycounty(MiddlesexCounty,MA)]
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Thisinformationcanbefoundinthecountycharacteristicdatafiles.ThesefilesareclearlynotintendedfortheCasualUser.TheydownloadasCSVfilesandyouneedtoreferencethefilelayoutdocumenttofinddata–somethingaCasualUserwouldlikelynotbefamiliarwith.Ifthereisamoreuser‐friendlywaytoaccessthedataitisnoteasytofindonthewebsite.
Question3/Challenge3:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofbirthsanddeaths]in[mycity(CambridgeMA)overthepastyear].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion3/Challenge3:
ItwashardtofindtheinformationIwantedbecausechangeandcomponentsofchangearetwoseparatepartsofthewebsite,whichisnotstraightforward.Itwasalsonotimmediatelyapparentwhatthedifferencebetweenthecumulativeandestimatefilesforchangeis.TheinformationIwantedwasonlyavailableatthestatelevel,notatthecitylevel–butthewebsitehomepagedoesnotmentionthis.However,otherthantheconfusionaboutthedatanotbeingavailableatthetownlevel,thedatawasrelativelyeasytoaccess.
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SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[numberofpeopleunder18]in[greaterBostonarea]inorderto[decideifbuildingamega‐mallisappropriate].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ipickedaquestionthatwasn’tdirectlyanswered.Ilookedintothemetropolitandatasets,whichonlygavemepopulationcountsandnotagecategorization.Afterlookingthroughafewitems,IfoundthedataIneedwhichincludedagecategoriesbrokendownbystate‐county.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[numberofdeaths]in[Texas]inorderto[planafuneralhome].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Datawaseasytofind.Norealdifficultyhere.
Overallthesitewaseasytonavigateandstraightforward.TheoptionofHTMLtableswouldhavebeenniceforbrowsingsinceCSVorXLSfilesrequiredownloadingandaspreadsheetprogram.Also,whenloadingoneCSVfile,itloadedastext,ratherthanpromptingadownload.Thisrequiredmetomanuallyselectdownloading.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’spopulationestimatesatthemostdisaggregatedlevel.
File:Countypopulation,popchangeandestimatestoJuly1,2009(CO‐EST2009‐alldata)
AvailableforUS(csvfile)orbystate(csvorExcel) USfile~3MB
Downloadsource:HTMLpagecontaininglistoflinks;AmericanFactFinder
Documentation:Datadictionaryprovidednexttoeachdatasetdownload.
MethodologyandTerms&Definitionsprovidedonthe“EstimatesData”page.
What’schanged:Foundareferenceto“revisedestimates”forcertainsubcountyareasforthe2009data.Itisnotclearwhere/when/iftheserevisionsweremergedintothedata.
Commentsonwebsite:“ScheduleofNewEstimates”hasausefuldatareleaseschedule.
Under“EstimatesData”thedifferencebetweenTotalsandCharacteristicsisnotthatclear.Forthemostparttheyarethesamepagewithadifferentlayout.
TheonlymentionthatthesedataarealsoavailableonFactFinderisonthe“Overview”page.DirectlinkstothatsectionofFactFinderontheDatapagewouldhelppeoplemoreeasilyfindthedownloadoptiontheyprefer.
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5. PopulationandHouseholdEconomicTopicsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/population/www
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofpeopleofRussiandescent]in[theU.S.].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
It’soddthatthereisnointroductiontothepopulationandhouseholdeconomictopicswebsitesayingwhatinformationisavailableorgivingbackground.Ikeptclickingthemainpagelinkthinkingitwouldtakemetoanintroductionbutitdidn’t.ThenIclickedonthedatatopicslinkandfoundalinktotheancestrypage.Notethatitdoesn’tseempossibletogetbacktothepopulationandhouseholdeconomictopicshomepageonceyouclickononeofthesub‐topics,whichmakesnavigationdifficult.
Ontheancestrypage,it’shardtofigureoutthattheACSdataarethemostrecentbecauseitonlyappearsinthelistandnotasanoptionintheheaderliketheolderCensusdata.IlookedatthecensusdatabeforerealizingthatACSdatawereabetterbet.OnceIclickedthelinktoAmericanFactFinder,2006ACSdatawereselectedeventhoughmorerecentdataareavailable.OnceinAFF,itwasstraightforwardtofindtheanswertomyquestion.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[fertility]in[California]inorderto[determineanoptimallocationforaparentingclinic].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletogetrighttothefertilitydatabystate,thoughIwashopingforbycountyorpossiblymetropolitanarea.Furthersearchdidn’tlocatemytargetdata,thoughIwasbouncedaroundtosomedifferentwebsitewithinandoutsideoftheUSCensus.Thiswasastraightforwardtablethatdirectedmetorelevantstudies,thoughIultimatelywasn’tabletofindtherightdata.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[livingarrangementsofsingles/couples/non‐familycohabitation]in[NewYork]inorderto[planthefloorlayoutformynewapartmentbuildings].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Ifoundtheappropriatedataafterlookingthroughaboutthreespreadsheetsonrelevantinformation,thoughatthenationallevelandnotstatelevel.Itappearsthatmysearchwasagaintoodetailedforthedatapresentedhere.HoweverthefunctionalityofthesitegavemeconfidencethatIwouldhavefoundthedatawereitavailable.
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ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’shouseholddataatthemostdisaggregatedlevel.
File:America’sFamiliesandLivingArrangements:2010(~20tables)
summarylevelonly AvailableinExcelorCSV Filesizeslessthan100Kb
Downloadsource:HTMLpagecontaininglistoflinks
Documentation:“DefinitionsandExplanations”providedattopofCPSreportslisting.LinktoCPStechnicaldocumentationprovidedintheExcelfilesdownloaded.
What’schanged:Differencesbetweenthe2009and2010filesarenotedintheCPSASECsupplementtechnicaldocumentation.
Commentsonwebsite:FormicrodatarelatedtoCPSanditssupplements,theuserwouldneedtousetheCPSwebsite.ThissiteshoulddirectuserstotheCPSsiteformoreadvanceduses.
ThesummarydataIfoundonthissitewerederivedfromtheCPSreports,buttherewaslittletie‐inonthepagetotheactualCPSwebsite.Ididfindalinktoitunder“dataavailability”nearthebottomofthepage.ItalsomentionedthatyoucanpurchasethedataonCD‐ROMthroughtheCenStore(thatlinkdidnotload).
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6. 2007CensusofGovernmentsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/govs/cog
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofmunicipalemployees]in[mytown(Cambridge,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ItwashardtofindmyanswerbecausetheonlywaytogetdataforaspecificmunicipalityisbyaccessingExcelfiles,whichisnoteasyfortheCasualUser.ItatfirstseemedliketheExcelfilesontheemploymentandpayrollpageweretoohigh‐levelformypurposessoItriedthebuildatableoption,whichdidn’tprovidedataatthelevelIwanted(dataforaspecificmunicipalityratherthanaggregateddataacrossallmunicipalitiesinastate).ThebuildatablealsotimedoutwithanerroratonepointwhenIwastryingtouseit.
Whenusingthebuild‐a‐tableoptionfailed,Iwentbacktothepagewiththelistofdatadownloads.Itwasnotimmediatelyclearwhichfilewillprovidethesedataintheeasiestformattodigestandtherelevantfilesareactuallyatthebottomofthelistandhardtofind,buriedunderdatafilesthattheCasualUserwouldnotknowhowtoopen.
Othercomments:
It’sweirdthatthe“GovernmentsMain”linktakestheusertoacompletelydifferentwebsite(Federal,StateandLocalGovernments)thantheCOGwebsite.Also,thelinkstoback‐tracktotheCOGmainpagedon’tworkfromwithinotherpartsofthewebsite.Note:IthinkthisisbecausetheCOGwebsiteisapartoftheFederal,State,andLocalGovernmentswebsite,butthisisn’tclear.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofcounties]in[mystate(OR)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
TherewasalinktothisinformationIwantedrightfromthewebsitemainpagewhichmadeitveryeasytoaccess.ItwasalsoavailableinHTMLformatwhichmadeiteasiertoaccessthananExcelfile.Ijustclickedonelinkfromthehomepageandfoundmyanswer.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[meancityemployeesalary]in[Chicago,ILvs.EffinghamIL]inorderto[lookattrendsinmetropolitanvs.rurallocalgovernmentwages].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletonavigatefairlyeasilywithinthewebsite,thoughIwasneverreallysurewhatwouldbeoneachpage.Afteraperiodofsearching,IwasundertheimpressionthatthedataIwaslookingforweren’t
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intheCOGwebsite,andsoIstoppedrecording.
Shortlythereafter,IfoundbasicallywhatIneeded,andrecordedanadditionalsegmentretracingmystepstogetthedata,andtheadditionalstepsinisolatingthespecificdata.Itwaslocatedseeminglyaleveldowninthe“http://www.census.gov/govs/‐Federal,State,&LocalGovernments”and“http://www.census.gov/govs/apes/‐GovernmentEmployment&Payroll”page.I’mnotsureifthiswasincludedwithintheCOGpage,soI’mgoingtorepeatanotherquestion.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[structureofcitygovernment]in[Brookline,MAvs.Boston,MA]inorderto[seehowtownshipsvs.citiesarestructuredatthegovernmentlevel].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Similarsearchresults,Ifoundalotofdataregardingexpendituresandemployees,butagainthebestinformationwaswithin“http://www.census.gov/govs/apes/‐GovernmentEmployment&Payroll.”It’sdifficulttopredictwhatI’llfindwhenI’mgoingbetweenpages.I’mnotsureifeverythingthatI’mfindingiswithinCOG,orifI’mmissingasectionwithintheCOGpages.WhatIwashopingtofindwasamoredetaileddescriptionofthelocalgovernmentworkingsratherthanjustexpendituresandemployeecounts.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestdataforalllocalgovernments.
File:IndividualGovernmentDataFile
Zipfilecontaining.datfile ~6MB
Downloadsource:HTMLpagecontaininglistoflinks;Build‐a‐Tableoption
Documentation:Filelayoutanddatadescriptionsareavailableinalinknexttotheindividualfiledownloads.
Methodology,datacollectionanddataqualityreportsareallaccessiblewithinoneclickviatheleftcolumnorthetoptabs.
What’schanged:SurveymethodologyforhistoricalyearsisavailabletodownloadasaPDFalongwiththedatasetforthatyear.Somechangesfrompreviousyearsarenotedinthesedocuments.
Commentsonwebsite:Tabsacrossthetopprovideeasyaccesstothelatestdata,datacollectioninfo,etc.Itisalittleconfusingthatthefirsttab“GovernmentsMain”putsyouontoadifferentsetoftabs.
ThereisaconsistentHTMLinterfacefordownloadingdataacrossyears(latestandhistorical).
Thefrequencyofdatacollectionislistedonthe“aboutthedata”page,indicatingthatafullcensusisdoneevery5yearsandsamplesaretakenintheyearsinbetween.Thisshouldbemadecleareronthedatapagesbecausetheinterfacelooksthesameforeachyear’sdownloadandpresumably2007isamoredetaileddatasetthan2008and2009.WhenIfirstfollowedthelinkto“latestdata”,IwasapproachingitfromtheCensusofGovernments2007page,sothe“latestdata”listedwere2007data.LaterIwasona
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“latestdata”tabanditwasgivingme2009data.TheylookedthesameandIdidnotnoticeatfirstthatIhadjumpedfromthefullcensustotheyearlyfiles.
ThereleaseschedulelistedintherightcolumnontheLatestDatapageisuseful.
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7. “BusinessandIndustry”PageWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofbusinesses]in[mytown(Cambridge,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IfirstselectedeconomiccensussinceitwasthefirstlistedandseemedlikeitwouldhavetheinformationIwanted.IwastakentoAmericanFactFinder.Selectingmydesiredgeographywasconfusingbecausethedifferenttypesofgeographiesarenotwelldefined.It’salsooff‐puttingthatthegeographiesheredifferfromotherCensussurveys(e.g.,ACS).Theeconomiccensusdatadidnotprovideaggregateddataacrossallindustries,eventhoughthedataaresimpletocalculate–togetwhatIwantedIwouldhavehadtosumacrossindustriesandmostlikelywouldhavehadtodownloadthedata.Instead,IwentbacktotheBusinessandIndustrypageandfoundtheSurveyofBusinessOwners,whichdidprovidemydesiredstatisticsaggregatedacrossallindustriesinAmericanFactFinder.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[thelocationwiththehighestnumberofhospitals]in[thenation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
ItwasextremelydifficulttofindtheinformationIwanted,andevenwhenIfoundittheformatwasnoteasilydigestible.IstartedbyclickingtheconcentrationlinkonthehomepagebecauseIfiguredIwantedthehighestconcentrationofhospitals,buttheresultingpagewasnotatallwhatIwanted‐thelinkfromthehomepagewastoovaguelyworded.Ithenendedupontheindustrystatisticssamplerwebsite,butitwashardtotellwhichsurveyismostappropriatewithoutknowinganythingaboutthesurveys.Itisalsodifficulttonavigatethedataifyoudon’tknowanythingaboutNAICScodes.IbasicallywentthroughacoupleofthedifferenteconomicsurveysuntilIfoundmyanswerusingAmericanFactFindertosearchcountybusinesspatterns,andeventhenIcouldn’tlimittheresultsbytypeofgeographysoitwasdifficulttoprocesstheresultsofthequery.
Question3/Challenge3:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofpeopleemployedin]in[finance].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion3/Challenge3:
Itwasalotmorestraightforwardtofindtheanswertothisquestion.Iclickedthelinksfortheeconomiccensusonthebusinessandindustrypagesinceitwasthemostprominentlydisplayed,andrelativelyeasilyfoundmyanswerusingAmericanFactFinder.However,AmericanFactFindertimedoutinthequicksearchsoIhadtochooseamorecomplicatedsearchoption.OtherwiseAmericanFactFinderwouldhavebeenveryusefulforthistask.
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SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thechangeincapitalspendingprojects]in[refiningsector]inorderto[determineifourbusinessrefineryexpansionisinlinewiththeindustry].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletolocatetheinformationfairlyrapidly.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[thechangeovertimeintotalvalue]in[ofretailclothingandapparelsales]inorderto[reportontheimpactoftherecessiononretailsales].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Iwasabletofindthe2002and2007datainmultipleformswithoutmuchdifficulty.
I’vegottwominorissueswiththewebsite.ThetransitiontotheAmericanFactfinderwebsite,isn’tclearatanypointfromtheCensuspages.ThetransitiontotheAFFpagesisabitabruptandcanbeunexpected.MoredocumentationinhowtousetheAFFmayhelporamoreclearexplanationonthetoppagesthatthedataareheldelsewhere.
Secondly,withintheAmericanFactfinderpages(notsureifthisisevenundertheCensuscontrol),isthatonecannotjumpacrossmultiplepagesatonetime.Exampleisatablelookuppresentsthefirst100results,andyoucannotskiptoresults400‐500,or,moreimportantlytoresults3000‐3100directly.ThereisaworkaroundbyenteringtheskipvaluewithintheURL,butthatnotanapproachthetypicalcasualorevensophisticatedusercouldbecountedontouse.
ExpertUserN/A–Thispageisalinktomanydatasets.Thesedatasetsarealreadybeingcoveredelsewherebyourlistofsites.
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8. EconomicIndicatorsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/cgi‐bin/briefroom/BriefRm
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[informationaboutnewhomesales]in[mycounty(Middlesex,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ItwaseasytolocatetheeconomicindicatorIwantedontheeconomicindicatorshomepage,howevertheinformationIwantedwasonlyavailableforCensusregionsandnotatamorespecificlevel.IhadtodigintothewebsitebeforeIcouldfindinwhichregionmystateisclassified.Also,theformatoftheNewhomesaleswebpageisverydifferentfromtheeconomicindicatorspage,whichisalittleoff‐putting.IalsohadtoopenanExcelfiletofindtheinformationIwanted–anHTMLpagewouldhavebeeneasiertouse.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[changeinhomevacancies]in[JacksonHole,WY]inorderto[lookatifthiswouldbeagoodplacetodevelopasubdivision].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ifoundinformationbyregionimmediately.Onthisfront,thepagewaswelllaidoutanddirect.However,Ihadnoideafromthewebpagehowdetailedtheinformationwouldbe,andIwasverydisappointedtoonlyfindinfobyregion.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[changeinretailsalesovertime]in[theUS/byregion]inorderto[examinetheeffectsoftherecession].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thedatacomeupquickly.TheCSVdownloadedandIwasabletoworkwithiteasily.
TherewasnoFAQ,orothergeneralinformationpagetogiveanoverviewofwhatdatamaybeavailable.Lastly,theURL(briefroom/BriefRm)doesnotgiveanyexplanationwhatthispagemayinclude.IwouldsuggestrevisingittoincludesomereferenceofEconomicIndicators.
ExpertUserChallenge:Aremicrodataavailableforthedatathatgointothemonthlyeconomicindicatorreports?
File:Onlysummarylevel(monthlytotals)areavailable.
Downloadsource:Notavailableformicrodata.Likelywouldrequirecontactingeachofthedivisionsthatproducesthemonthlyindicatorstoseewhatisavailableuponrequest.Contactinfoisprovidedforeachdivisionontheirindividualwebsites.
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Documentation:Variesbyindicator.
What’schanged:Thissiteprovidesanindicator‐by‐indicatorsummaryofthe%changeinthepastmonth.
Commentsonwebsite:Overall,anicelyorganizedsitefordeliveringasummaryofmonthlyindicators,especiallygiventhateachindicatorisproducedbyadifferentgroup(withdifferingwebsitesandformattingofthedata).
Theeconomicindicatorlistincludessummariesofthepercentchangebetweenlastmonth’srateandthismonth’s–thisisanice,quickviewofthemonthlychange.
TheReleaseSchedulesthatcanbesortedbybothIndicatorandbyDateisuseful.
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9. 2007EconomicCensusWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/census07/index.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thetopindustryintermsofemployment]in[mycounty(MiddlesexMA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Theoverview,whichcontainsalinkto“learnmore”washelpfulbecauseitprovidesbackgroundinformationaboutthesurveyrightonthemainpage.IwasquicklydirectedtoAmericanFactFinder,whereitwaseasytofindtheinformationIdesired.ThelinksinAmericanFactFinderwerestraightforwardanditwaseasytofigureoutwhichoneIwanted.Itwasalsonicethatthecolumnheadingsarehyperlinkedtoadatadictionaryintheresults–thisisnotthecaseforotherAFForCensusdatatables.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofnuclearpowerplants]in[theU.S.].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
IfirstclickedonthewebpageaboutreleasesbyindustrysinceIwantedinformationaboutaspecificindustry,butthiswebpagewastoohigh‐levelfortheCasualUser,whowouldn’tunderstandthedifferenttypesofreleasesandisunlikelytobefamiliarwithNAICScodes.OnceIfoundmywaytoAmericanFactFinder,itwasverystraightforwardtofindthedataIwanted,exceptthatAmericanFactFinderkepttimingout(notsureifthisisjustaone‐timethingfromwhenIwasdoingthesearchorabuginthesearchengine).
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theindustrieswiththehighestpayrollsorhighesttotalexpenditures]in[thestateofVermont]inorderto[findindustry’scontributiontothestate’seconomy].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Asmentionedforthehttp://www.census.gov/econ/evaluation,thetransitionfromtheCensuspagestotheAmericanFactfindercanbealittlerough.IfyoubeganasearchintheCensuspages,you’renotalwaysconfidentwhereyou’llendupontheFactfinder.
Ihadanunexpectedswitchfrom2007datato2002data,whichevenbygoingbackwardsthroughmysteps,Icouldn’tidentifythepointwhereIjumpedback.However,onthesecondgo,Imanagedtofindthe2007dataandtherightdataset.Thecombinedsectorsdatasetwasparticularlyuseful.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[portionofsupplementalcostsrelativetopayroll]in[automotivesectors]inorderto[understandthelaborissue].
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Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Informationcameupquickly.
ExpertUserChallenge:Aremicrodataforthe2007EconomicCensusavailable?
File:Thesmallestgeographylevelthedatacanbeselectedisatzipcode.
Availableincsv,taborviaFTPforlargedatasets. Oncefilteredbyarea,tablesareavailablebysubject Wouldhavetodownloadmanytablestogetthefulldataforonezipcode
Downloadsource:AmericanFactFinder
Documentation:Afulluserguideisprovided,andiseasilyaccessiblefromthetoptabsofthewebsite.
What’schanged:A“What’snewfor2007”pagesummarizedthechangesfromtheprevious2002economiccensus.
Commentsonwebsite:Thesitestatesthatitisnotlegaltoreleasethefirm‐levelinformationthatwascollectedinthissurvey.Thereisnoindicationthatefforthasbeenmadetoreprocessthedatainawaythatprotectstheprivacyofthefirmtoproduceapublicusemicrodataset.
Nicelypresenteddatareleaseschedule.
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10. CountyBusinessPatternsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofpersonsemployed]in[mysector(Colleges&universities)andCity(Cambridge,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Theintroductoryblurbonthispagewasshortbutusefulbecauseitgaveashortintroductionandprovidedalinkformoreinformation.Theconvenientsearchlinksonthewebsitehomepagewereinitiallyusefulbutonlyprovidedestablishmentcounts,whichisnotintuitivefromthehomepage,whichsays“Viewdataintables”.IhadclickedthelinksthinkingitwouldprovideallCBPdata–including#employees,butthiswasnotthecase.
NextItriedthequickreportsinAmericanFactFinder,buttheydonotcombinegeographyandindustryinaneasyway.InsteadIhadtousethemorecomplicatedCBP:2008optioninAFF.Eventhen,datawerenotavailableformytown,IhadtousecountyandMSAtoapproximatemygeography.
UsingthefilterswasnotstraightforwardanditwasdifficulttomanipulatethedatasetinAmericanFactFinderwithoutfiltering(whichisnotimmediatelyapparentasanoption)becauseofthelargenumberofrows.Thewebsitedoesn’tsayanywherethatdataaboutnumberofemployeesarenotavailableatthezipcodelevel,soI’mstillnotconvincedthatmydatadon’texist,butIcouldnotlocateitonthewebsiteorusingAFF.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofdrycleaners]in[mytown(Somerville,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
ItwasrelativelystraightforwardtofindthisinformationbecauseIcouldplugmyzipcodeintothesearchontheCBPmainpage.However,thetablesontheCBPwebsitereferto“Industrycodes”butdonotprovideareferenceorhyperlinktoNAICScodes,soifyoudonotknowwhatindustryyouarelookingfor(orthat“Industrycode”=“NAICScode”,andhowtolookupNAICScodes)itcanbeverydifficulttofigureitout.Otherwise,accessingmydesiredinformationwasstraightforward.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[changeinemploymentfrom2004to2006]in[OrleansParish]inorderto[seetheeffectsofHurricaneKatrinainNewOrleans,LA].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thiswasprobablymymoststraight‐forwardsearchyet.IwasabletofindtheinformationIwantedeasily,andlocatingbycountywasnearlyeffortless.
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Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[thesectorswiththegreatestvalueofshipments]in[thePittsburgh,PAmetroarea]inorderto[seetheeffectsoftheneweconomyinthemetroregion].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Didn’thavevalueofshipmentssoIlookedupnumberofemployees.Iwasgoingtorecommendhavinganexportoption,butInowseethatatthebottomofthepage.
Onecomplaint:whenswitchingtheyearwhiledoingasearchbymetropolitanareas,themetroarearesets.Icapturedthisundertherecordingfiletitled“CBP‐EdgarSwitchError”
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:CompleteCountyFile‐2008
Zipfilecontaining.csv 16Mb
Downloadsource:HTMLpagecontaininglistoflinks;AmericanFactFinder
TheFAQsectionindicatesthatyoucanalsorequestspecialtabulationsoftheCBPdatafromtheCompanyStatisticsDivision.
ThemicrodataforthistopicwouldlikelycomefromtheBusinessRegisterdatabase(whichisnotavailableforprivacyreasons).
Documentation:Filelayoutanddatadescriptionsareavailableinlinksonthesamepageastheindividualfiledownloads.
Detailsonhowthedataarecollectedareavailableonaneasytofindtabacrossthetop.Thissectionincludesdetailsonthenoiseinfusionusedfordataprivacy.
What’schanged:Apressreleaseonthehomepagehighlightskeychangeswiththelatestyear'sdatasetandincludessomedatatablesthatshowthedatabetween2007and2008.
TheHistoricalDataandIntroductionsectionsdetailcomparabilityissuesacrossyears(e.g.geographicchangesandsurveychanges).
Commentsonwebsite:Latestversionofthedataisclearlystatedonthemainpage.Futurereleasescheduleonmainpageisuseful.
TheIntroductionpagehadverygoodinformation,butitwasquitedownplayedonthemainpageandIdidnotfindituntilafterI'dbeenthroughsite.Wouldbenefitfromhavingitsowntabacrossthetop.
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11. CountyandCityDataBook2007WebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ccdb.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofcrimes]in[mycity(Boston,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IlikethecityanddatabookwebsitebecausethemainpageprovidesagooddescriptionofwhatisavailableonthewebsiteandonceIclickedintothesiteitwasstraightforwardtofindthetableIwanted.Itmayhavebeeneasierifthewebsitetoldmeupfrontthatdataarepresentedseparatelyforstates,counties,cities,andotherplaces.ItalsowouldhavebeeneasierifthedatawereavailableinHTMLratherthanPDFformat.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[thetypicalclimateforJanuary]in[mycity(Chicago,IL)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Samecommentsasforcrime,exceptatableofcontentsforthedifferenttableswouldhelptomorequicklyfindwhatIwaslookingforsinceclimateisonlylistedforsmallergeographiessoatfirstIwasconfusedaboutwhetherthedatawereactuallyavailable.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thenumberofresturants]in[NewYorkCity]orderto[writeanarticleabouttheculinarycultureofthecity].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletofindtheinformationrightaway,exceptthatIwashopingforafurtherbreakdownbytypesincerestaurantsandaccommodationsweregroupedtogether.Iwasn’tabletofindanythingelsethatfurtherseparatedthetwo,butI’motherwisecontentwiththeresultsandeaseofthesearch.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[thewateruse]in[LasVegas,NV]inorderto[writeanarticleaboutwaterdemandontheColoradoRiver].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Iwasagainabletofindtheinformationrightaway,althoughitwasatthecountylevelandnotatthecitylevel.
ExpertUserChallenge:Arethemicrodatathatwentintotheproductionofthisdatabookavailable?
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File:Onlysummaryleveltablesareavailablefromthisdatabook.AllcanbeviewedinPDFandsomeareavailableinExcel.
Downloadsource:Varies
Documentation:Allsources(withweblinks)aredocumentedwheredataarepresented.
What’schanged:Apreviouseditionofthedatabookisavailablefromthehomepage,makingitpossible(thoughnoteasy)tocomparespecifictablesinPDFformattoseewhatchangedbetweenthetwoeditions.
Commentsonwebsite:Thisdatabookisacompilationofdatafrommanydifferentcensusandgovernmentprograms.Referencestothesourceareprovidedundereachtableandalistofcontactsfordifferentprogramsarelistedattheendofthedatabookpublication.
Formicrodataonspecifictopicsinthisbook,theuserwouldhavetocontacttheindividualagenciestoseewhatareavailable.
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12. GeoWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/geo/www/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[whethermytown(Lexington,MA)isclassifiedasurbanorrural]in[U.S.Census].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ThereisnoexplanationontheGeositeastowhatitisandwhatisavailablesoIspentawhileclickingthevariouslinks.ThePDFexplaininggeographytypeswasusefulandIlikedthatthetableofcontentswashyperlinkedwithinthedocument.AftersearchingawhileIfoundmywaytoAmericanFactFinderwhereIwasabletolookupmytown,butonlywhenIlookedatthereferencemap(whichwasnotusefulformypurposesasIcouldn’tzoomtomytownanditwashardtoread)couldIdeterminethatmytownisanurbanarea.Ingeneral,thegeowebsitedoesnotseemgearedtowardsCasualUserssinceitisheavilyfocusedondownloadingfilesformapping.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[wherethehighestconcentrationofHispanicpopulationsare]in[theU.S.].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Again,thereisnotmuchtoguidetheuseronwheretofindinformationinthegeowebsiteoradescriptionofwhatinformationisavailable.Ifoundmyanswermorequicklythistime,andIthoughtthatthemapsthatwereavailableinthethematicmaps/specialpurposesectionwereveryinterestingonceIfoundthem.
SophisticatedUserNote:It’suncleartomewhatasophisticatedusermightbesearchingforwiththedataavailablehere.
Question1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[zipcodes]in[NewYorkCity]inordertosee[iftheirspatiallayoutaredefinedbygeographicordemographicconstraints].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ididasearchandcameupwithadecentlistofzipcodeswithcorrespondingpopulation,housingunits,landandwaterareas,andlat/long.Thiswouldbeadecentsteptowardstheabovequestion.However,thatdidn’tseemtobetheintentofthequestion.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[Censustracts]in[Cambridge,MA]inorderto[knowwithinwhichCensustractmybusinessresides].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
IwasabletofindthetwotxtfileswiththeCensustractinformation.However,neither
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http://www.census.gov/geo/www/al_mt_tracts.txtnorhttp://www.census.gov/geo/www/ne_wy_tracts.txtcontainedMA.WereIsearchingforanyotherstate,Ibelievethatmysearchwouldbeoveratthispoint.
Ididsomefurthersearchingandfoundsomeothermapsandresources,butIwouldn’tsaythatIwasabletocompletethequestionsatisfactorily.
ExpertUserChallenge:LocatethenewestPUMS(microdataarea)boundaryfiles
File:tl_2009_06_puma500.zip
Availableatthestatelevel Downloadisazipfilecontaining1shapefile ~5MB(1state)
Downloadsource:Webinterface;FTP
Documentation:AtechnicaldocumentationPDFisproducedforeachyear’sTIGERfiles.Thiscoverseverytypeofgeographicfileyoucandownload.Theappendicesincludedatalayoutanddatadictionaryinformation.
Descriptionoforganizationalstructure(whichfilesareavailableatwhichgeographies)isveryusefulforunderstandingwheretolookforyourdownload.
What’schanged:ProductssuchastheBlockRelationshipFileshelpusersrelateCensus2010blockstopreviouscensusblocks.Maintainingarchivesofpastyears’TIGER/Linefilesallowsuserstooverlaytheboundariesgeographicallytoseewhat’schanged.
Commentsonwebsite:Whichdataareaavailableatwhichgeographiesiscriticaltounderstandingthebigpictureofthedata.Itiscurrentlyalonglist.Creatingavisualizationtoolthatdiagramsthiscouldimproveusers’understanding.
TIGER/Linedataarereleasedonarollingbasisbutarefiledinyearlysets.TheReleaseSchedulefor2010washelpfultounderstandthatthePUMSdataIwaslookingforarenotyetavailablefor2010(soIhadtothenlookfor2009).Breakingoutoftheyear‐by‐yearthinkingtocreateamasterlistofallcensusgeographicfilesavailableandwhatyearthecurrentlatestversionisforeachfilewouldprovideanalternateviewthatwouldquicklypointusersintherightdirectionfortheirparticularfile.
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13. DatatoolsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/main/www/access.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[ifthere’sawaytolookatthemedianincomeacrossstates]in[theU.S.censuswebsite].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IselectedmappingtoolsbecauseIwanttoknowinformationacrossstatesandamapseemslikethequickestwaytodoso.However,itwashardtogettothescreentoselectthemapyouwantfromthelandingpageinAFFwherethedatatoolswebsitedirectsyou–IbasicallyhadtoclickarounduntilIcouldfindapagethatletsmeselectthemetricIwantmapped.Therecouldalsobemorecontextabouttheinformationavailableformappingfromthedifferentsurveysbeforeyouareforcedtopickwhichoneyouwanttomap.It’salsohardtonavigatethelistsofsurveys/topicsformappingbecausetherearesomanyoptions.
Othercomments:
Notsureifitwasabrowserissue,butIgotalotoferrormessagesinAFF.IfIhadbeenabletoseemapsinsteadofgettingtheerrormessagesImayhavebeenabletolocatetheinformationIwantedmorequickly.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[ifit’spossibletolookatgeneraldemographicinformationformytown(Somerville,MA)]in[theU.S.censuswebsite].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Thedatatoolspagedoesnotdoagoodjobofexplainingthedataavailablefromeachsurvey.Forexample,the2ndlinktotheCensus2000EEODatatoolseemslikeitshouldprovideallkindsofcensusdata(assumingtheuserknowswhatEEOmeans),butonlywhenIclickedonthelinkdidIdiscoverthatitislimitedtoequalemploymentopportunity.Ontheotherhand,theAmericanFactFinder(firstlink)couldhavegivenmetheinformationIwantedbutitsdescriptionwastoovaguesoIskippedit.Afterworkingthroughthelistinorder,Ifoundmyansweronthequickfactspage,whichwaseasytouse.
Othercomments:
IlikedthattheQuickfactscomparedinformationformycitytothestateasawhole.
Relatednote:itseemsliketherearealotofcensustoolsthatdosimilarthings–e.g.,AmericanFactFinder,Quickfacts,Censtatsallprovidedemographicdatafordifferentgeographicareas–butnocomprehensivelistingofwhichtoolsdothesamethingsorwhatthedifferencebetweenthemis.Maybebetterorganization/descriptiononthedatatoolspagecouldaddressthis,orelsewhereonthecensuswebsite.
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SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iamgoingtoinvestigatelinkstodatasites.Ican’tformulateareasonablequestion.
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Everythingseemedtoworkwithregardstofindingtools,software,applicationsetc.Ionlyfoundonedeadlink:Publicfilesendutility‐http://www2.census.gov/cgi‐bin/sendfile
ExpertUserChallenge:LocatemicrodataviatheDataAccessToolspage
File:PuertoRicoCommunitySurvey2009
Downloadsource:iPUMSatUniversityofMinnesota–followedalinkdirectlyfromtheDataAccesstoolsmainpage.
Documentation:TheMNwebsiteproducesauserguidethatexplainsthemicrodatasamplesontheirwebsiteandhowtheywerederivedfromthecensusfiles.
Nicesummarytablesexistshowingvariablesacrossyearsandflaggingwhichonesareavailableforwhichyears.
What’schanged:ErrataandRevisionspagesontheMNsitesummarizesallCensusdatachanges/announcementsandexplainshowitimpactsthedatasetsavailableontheMNwebsite.
Commentsonwebsite:ThisisnotanofficialUSgovernmentwebsite.
RegistrationisrequiredforiPUMSuserstobeabletodownloaddatasets.
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14. DataFerrettWebsiteURL:http://dataferrett.census.gov/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[whetheritispossibletouseDataFerretttoretrieveinformationaboutdemographics]in[mycity(St.Louis,MO)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Note:DataFerrettisacomplicatedtoolanditisunlikelythataCasualUserwouldneedtousethistooltoaccessCensusdata.
TheintroductionontheDataFerrettpagewasusefulininformingmeofwhatthetooliscapableof.Inbrowsingthedataavailablepage,IdiscoveredthattheAmericanCommunitySurveyhasthedataIwantanditisavailablethroughDataFerrett.IthenlaunchedDataFerretttotrytoobtainthedata.
ItwasveryhelpfulthatthetutorialpoppedupasDataFerrettwaslaunchingbecausethisallowedmetoeasilygetanideaofthefunctionalityofDataFerrett.However,Iimaginethatthetutorialautomaticallypoppingupmaybecomeannoyingtorepeatusers.Itwouldalsobeimprovedbysomesortoftableofcontentstomakeiteasiertogetthroughthetutorial.
Aftercompletingthetutorial,Iclickedthegetdatanowlink,althoughthislinkwasveryhardtoseeinmybrowser(thecolorswerehardtosee).IfoundthevariablesIwantedintheAmericanCommunitySurvey,butitwasunclearhowtoselectthegeographyIwanted.Therealsoappearedtobesomedifferencebetweenthedataavailablefor3‐yearsversus1‐year.Ifinallywasabletoselectmygeography,butIwasunabletofinddocumentationinDataFerrettexplainingthe“PUMA”areadefinitionssoIcouldnotselectmycityasthegeography.Inthecourseoftryingtofigurethisout,DataFerrettopenedseveralnewwindowsandsomehowclosedoutoftheapplicationwithoutmymeaningtoandwithoutsavingmysearches.IendedupgivinguponfindingthedataafterIcouldnotfindakeytothePUMAcodes.
SophisticatedUserNote:Thisapplicationappearstobebeyondtheneedsofasophisticateduser.Iamrecordingmystepsinlearningtousethewebsiteinordertogaininformationregardingthequestion.ThequestionissomewhatvaguesinceI’mtryingtoplowthroughrelevanthousingdataavailable.MyquestionsevolvedasIunderstandwhatthedataandreportingcapabilitiesarewithinFerrett.
Question1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[housingdensity/housingtypes/generalhousinginformation]in[Laramie,WY]inorderto[studytheimpactofauniversityonthesurroundingresidentialhousing].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
TherecordingshowedmyfirststepsinlearningtheDataFerrettapplication,untilJavacrashed.
ThisrecordingshowedmysecondstepsinlearningtheDataFerrettapplication,untilJavacrashedagain.
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Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[rentcostsrelativetoeducationlevel]in[theUSA]inorderto[studytheimpactofeducationonhousing].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Iwasabletofindthepivotdatatomakethetablesforthesegraphs,butdidn’tquitefindtherightdataandtheappletcrashed.
Question3/Challenge3:
Ineedinformationabout[mortgagecostsingatedcommunities]in[Texas]inorderto[reportontherecenthousingdevelopmenttrends].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion3/Challenge3:
Iwasabletoacquirethedata,andwasontrackuntiltheappletcrashed.Iwaitedacoupleminutestoseeifthesystemwouldrecover,butitdidn’t–thisresultedinathreeminutedelaybetweeninputs.
Iwasabletoretrievedatatoanswermyquestion.
ExpertUserChallenge:WhatmicrodataareavailableonDataFerrett?
File:Extractof50variablesatmicrodatalevelfromtheNationalSurveyofFishing,Hunting,andWildlifeAssociatedRecreation.
Limitof50variablesatatimecanbedownloaded SAS,SPSS,STATA,tab,csv,space‐delimiteddownloadoptions
Downloadsource:DataFerrettBeta
Documentation:TutorialsintheuseofDataFerrettareprovided,thoughIdidnotuseanyofthem.
Thiswebsiteisdesignedtogiveyoudownloadoptionsformanydifferentcensusprograms.Youcandownloada“SelectedVariableCodebook”containingvariabledescriptionsandvaluelabelsforyourselecteddatasetthroughDataFerrett.
Thewaytogetfulldatadocumentationforyourdatasetisthefollowthelinksfrom“DatasetsAvailable”tothedifferentprogramwebsitesandseewhatisavailableforyourdataset.TheFHWARsurveythatIpickedlinkedtoapagethathadapdfofdocumentationformysurveyyear.
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Microdatawereeasytofindasoneofthefirstoptionswastofilterformicrodata‐onlydatasets.
TheDataFerrett(beta)toolstilllooksabitclunky–itopensmanywindows.Whenyouextractdata,itputsyourdatadownloadfileononeofthepreviouswindowswithoutanynotification,soyouhavetoclickaroundlookingforit.
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Thelimitof50variablesatatimecouldmakeittedioustodownloadafullsurveydataset(iflarge).Alsoifyouexceedyourlimit,youhavetogobackandclearyourbaskettostartover,whichwasn'tevidentthefirsttimeItried.(Iwentbackandtriedtoselectlessvariables,andIbelieveitwasaddingtomyoriginalsetof56soIwasstillovermylimitwhenIwenttodownload.)
Itwasn'tentirelyevidentwhenyouwerereadytoproceedfromtheStep1tabtotheStep2tab.
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15. ListingbysubjectWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/main/www/a2z/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thepopulation]in[mytown(Chicago,IL)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Igottothelistingbysubjectpageandselected“P”becauseIwantedpopulationdata,whichwasstraightforward.However,thereweretoomanysub‐topicsunderpopulationwithnoexplanationofwhat’swhat.IhadtoclickthrougheachonetofigureoutifitcontainedtheinformationIwanted.Thesub‐topicscouldalsobeprioritizedbymostrelevantormostrecenttoallowmetomoreeasilyfindthemostrelevantandmostappropriatesourceofpopulationdata.There’salsonolinktosearchinAmericanFactFinderwhichseemslikeitwouldbethemoststraightforwardwaytofindthisinformation.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[Immigration]in[theUnitedStates]inorderto[allocatefundingforESLprograms].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletofindmultiplesourceofinformationregardingimmigrationandforeignbornpopulations.Perhapsmorebroadsectionscouldincludemorecrossreferencestopageswithsimilartopics.
ExpertUserChallenge:LocatemicrodataavailableviatheListingbySubjectpage.
File:LinkswereprovidedtoACSPUMSandCES’srestrictedusemicrodata.
Downloadsource:Differsbasedonsite.
Documentation:Varies
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:ThelinktoCESshouldbeupdatedtothenewCESsitelocation.
IfollowedthelinktoCEStosearchformicrodata.ThiswebsiteindexedwhatmicrodatawereavailablebyrequestfromtheResearchDataCenters,butyoucouldnotdownloaddirectly.
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16. NewAmericanFactFinderWebsiteURL:http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofeducationalestablishments]in[mycity(Boston,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Atfirstglancethesearchseemedverystraightforward–ItypedineducationinBostonMAintothequicksearch.However,noresultscameupformysearch.Ispentawhileplayingaroundwiththedifferentgeography/industry/topicsearchesbutthetoolwasfinicky.IthinkpartoftheissuemightbethatitseemslikeatthispointonlyinformationfromCensus2000isavailableinthenewFactFinder,eventhoughitsaysthatinformationfromtheothersurveysisavailable.TherewerealsoafewdatasetsavailablefromCensus2000anditwasn’tclearwhatthedifferencewasbetweenthem–findingtheinformationIwantedinvolveddecipheringalonglistofdatasetsanditwasn’tclearwhatthedifferenceisbetweenthem.InendIgaveup;however,Ithinkthemajorobstaclewasthefactthatitdoesn’tseemlikeFactFinderyethasallofthesurveyssearchable.
Othercomments:
FactFinderalsofrozeacoupleoftimesinmybrowser.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[aboutraceandethnicity]in[mycity(Atlanta,GA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Thereisverylittletextonthemainpagefortheuserindicatinghowtousethesearchengine.However,thebuttonforhelponthequickstartmoduleallowedmetocomposeabasicquery.Thisquerydidnotyieldanyresults,eventhough“raceandethnicity”isoneofthetopics.Thetoolautomaticallyselectedthezipcodeformycity,forwhichtherewasnodata,ratherthantheplaceormetropolitanareaforwhichthereisdata.
IclearedmysearchandInexttriedtoselectmytopic(raceandethnicity)fromthetopicmodule.However,theoptionsunderraceandethnicityareveryspecificandtherewasnooptiontojustselectfortheoverarchingtopic.BecauseIwasunsuccessfulinsearchingbytopic,Idecidedtosearchbygeographyinstead.Iwasn’tsurewhichoftheplace/city/metroareageographytypeswouldprovidedata,soIendeduppickingtheAtlantacityplacerandomly.OnceIhadthecorrectlocationselected,itwashardtofindthecorrecttablebecausemanytablesdidnothavedataformygeography(eventhoughIthoughtthesearchwaslimitedbymyselectedgeography)andeventableswith“demographic”informationdidnotnecessarilyhavedataonraceandethnicity.Thiswasalsomadedifficultbythefactthattherearemanytablesthatappearverysimilar,andtheadditionalinformationlinkdoesnotnecessarilyprovideinformationdistinguishingtablesfromeachother.Also,atonepointItriedtousethebackbuttoninmybrowserandAFFerasedmyentiresearch,forcingmetostartover.EventuallyIfoundtheexactinformationIwaslookingfor.
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SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[populationdensity]in[Portland,OR]inorderto[evaluateimpactofurbangrowthboundaries].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
TheAFFsitewasunabletogeneratethepopulationdensitytablesformeinanybrowsertested(IE,ChromeorFirefox).ThisclipshowsmestrugglingwithtryingtoloadthepopulationdensitytablesinIE,thoughitdoesshowmeloadingabasicpopulationtable.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[thechangeinpopulation]in[Detroit,MI]inorderto[investigatethechangeinpopulationresultingfromthedeclineintheautomotiveindustry].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
IwasnotabletofindCityDatausingthegeographytool,butIwasabletolocatethecitydatawithinthetables.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:Nomicrodatawerefound.
Downloadsource:DownloadsfromFactFinderareavailablein.csv,.xls,and.pdf.SomesearchesalsolinktoexistingFTPdownloadsites.
Documentation:“ViewTableNotes”providesthelinktodocumentationforthetablethatisbeingdownloaded.
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Itriedsearchingfor“PUMS”dataanditsaidmysearchtermwascorrectedto“pumps”andthatnodatawerefound.
NotalldatasetshavebeenmigratedtotheNewAmericanFactFinder,butitdidsaythatCensus2000and2010datahadbeenmovedover.Therefore,IhopedtofindtheCensus20001‐percentPUMSfilethatIhaddownloadedfromthecensussiteinaprevioussearch,butdidnothaveanyluck.
FactFinderisorganizedbytopicsandgeographiesandisaimedatthegeneralpublic.Aresearcherwishingtostartwithaparticularsurveywillhavemoretroubleusingthissiteasastartingpoint.
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17. SurveyofIncomeandProgramParticipationWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/sipp/index.html
CasualUser
Question1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[informationaboutincome]in[thenation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
TheSIPPwebsiteisnotatalltargetedfortheCasualUseranditisunlikelythataCasualUserwouldseektoobtaininformationfromthiswebsite.Istartedbyreadingthebackgroundmaterialtotrytogetanideaofwhatthesurveycovers,butthebackgroundpagewasfullofterminologyIdidnotunderstand(forexample,referencesto“longitudinal”reports,etc.).Fromthebackgroundsection,IunderstoodthattheSIPPdoescollectincomeinformation,howevertheanticipatedusesofthedataseemedverydifferentthanthequestionIwasasking.IfoundmyanswerinthePublications>Tablessectionofthewebsite,howeveralotoftheinformationinthatsectionseemeddatedsoIkeptlookingaround.NotethatthedatatablesdownloadedasExcelfileswithoutanywarningthatthiswasthecase.InthesectionaboutaccessingSIPPdata,theonlyoptionistouseDataFerrett,whichasaCasualUserIhadneverheardofandseemedtoointensiveformypurposes,soIreturnedtothepublicationssectiontolookfordata.Intheend,Ifoundquarterlydatafor2009thatbestansweredmyquestion.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thenumberofpeopleparticipatingineconomicassistanceprograms]in[Mississippi]inorderto[reportWelfareissues].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IwasalittledisappointedtoseethatIwouldhavetouseFerretttoretrievemydata.Iwouldhaveratherbeenretrievingdatainspreadsheets.However,IproceededtoloadFerrettandsignin.IwasabletofindtheSIPPinformation,butIhadnoideawhattheWaveswere.Iselectedafewcategoriesandviewedtheirvariables.Iselectedvariablesforthedatabasketandmadeatable.Shortlyintothegenerationofthetable,theappletcrashed,soIhadtorestart.Afterrepeatingthesteps,Iwasabletogeneratesomedata.Iwasn’tabletoseparatebystate,thoughIexpecttheoptionmayhavebeenavailablesomewhere.Iwouldn’tsaythatIfoundtheexactanswertomyquestion,butitwasclose,andwithcontinuedworkIprobablycouldhaveachievedareasonableanswer.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2008PanelWave1CoreDataFile
Downloadsource:SIPPFTPsite;DataFerrett
Documentation:Datadictionaryandreplicateweightfilesareavailablewiththefiledownload.
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ASIPPUser'sGuideisavailableunder“TechnicalDocumentation”andtherearealsoseveralshortHTMLpagesthatdescribeaconceptandthenpointuserstothechapterintheUserGuidethatexplainsitinmoredetail.HavingshortintroductoryHTMLpagesforthecontentisagoodideasopeopledon'thavetoimmediatelyreferencealongPDF.
What’schanged:Variouspagesaddressedchangestothesurveyovertime,butittakesawhiletogetthefullpicture.
Commentsonwebsite:“AccessSIPPData”and“DataProductSchedules”werebothhighlightedonthemainpageaseasy‐to‐findredtabs.
ThiswasthefirstcensussurveyIencounteredwherethefrequencyandpatternofthesurveyyearswasnotimmediatelyevident.The“EvolutionofSIPP”pageexplainsthistosomedegree.
Thereareanumberoflinksacrossthetopthatlinktoinformationaboutthesurveyandabouthowtousethefilesandeachofthosepagescontainsmorelinks.Ithinkyouwouldfindalltheinfoyouneedtoeventually,butitcouldbebetterorganizedsothatyouknowwhereyouareandwhereyou'regoinginthesite.
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18. AnnualRetailTradeSurveyWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/retail/index.html#arts
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thetotalannualsalesforbarsandrestaurants]in[2007].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thereisnoexplanationofthesurveyonthemainpage–allthetextthatappearsisacorrectionnote,whichseemsoutofplacesincethereisn’tanyexplanatorytextbutthereisarandomnoteaboutthedataonthefrontpageofthewebsite.It’snotstraightforwardwheretofindbackgroundinformationaboutthesurveysincetherearenolinksto“aboutthesurvey”onthemainpage–Ihadtoscrollupandlookaroundforit.Ingeneral,theinformationaboutthesurveywasindifferentpartsofthewebsite(mostrecentdata,aboutthesurvey,historicaldata),withnolinkstoeasilygetfromonetoanother.However,theplacementofthelinkstodatafilesonthehomepagewasusefulonceIunderstoodwhatthesurveywasbecauseitwasveryeasytofindthedataIwantedonceIknewwhatIwaslookingfor.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[RetailIndices]in[theNortheast]inorderto[reportontheholidayseasonforretail].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ihadtwoproblemswithmyinvestigation.First,Ihadhopedformoreuptothedateinformation,whichwouldn’tbeavailablefromanAnnualsurveyinthefirstplace.Secondly,Itriedtolookelsewherefordata,whichIdidfindintheMonthlyRetailTradeReport.Ididn’tfindinformationbrokenbyregion,butIdidfindtheindicatorsIwaslookingfor.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[thechangeofrevenueovertime]in[restaurantsandserviceestablishments]inorderto[investigatetheirperformanceversusotherretailsectors].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
GiventhelimitednumberofproductswithintheARTSbracket,findingdatawassimpleandstraightforward.TheExcelsheetswerewellformattedandeasytointerpret.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2008SurveyResults(15tables)
ExcelorPDF National‐levelsummarydataonly
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Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlistoflinks.
Ididnotseeanyindicationoftheavailabilityofmicrodatafiles,butanemailandphonenumberfortheAnnualRetailSurveyprogramwaseasytofindonthemainpage.
Documentation:Thetablesarebriefandeasytounderstandwithoutextensivedocumentation.Afewpagesexistonthesitedescribingthesurveyandhowthedataarecollected.
What’schanged:A“SummaryofChanges"linkandacorrectionnoticearethefirstitemsonthemainpage'ssectionforAnnualRetailSurvey.
Commentsonwebsite:Thedatareleasedunderthissurveyareshortandsimplesothewebsitedoesitsjob,withoutmakingitmorecomplexthanitneedstobe.
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19. AdvanceMonthlyRetailTradeReportWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/retail
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thetotalsalesoftoystores]in[inthemonthofDecember].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thereisnoexplanationofthevarioussurveysonthemainpage–justlinkstothemostrecentdata‐andItwasdifficulttofindtheinformationexplainingthesurveybecausepagesrelatedtothesurveyarenotlinkedtothepagesprovidingthedataorthemainpage.InformationwasnotyetavailableforDecember,butIfoundNovemberdata.Itwasconfusingtofigureoutwhatcategory“toystores”fellinto,andwhenIdidfigureitout(bygoingtotheNAICScodewebsite)therelevantNAICScodewasnotbrokendownintosub‐industriessoIcouldonlyfindthetotalforhobbystoresetc.Noneoftheothertablesfromthemostrecentreleasebrokethiscategorydownintosub‐NAICS,andIcouldnoteasilylocatelinkstoanymoredetaileddata.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[gasstationprofits]in[2009]inorderto[investigateiftheDeepwaterHorizonspillhadimpactonsales].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thesedataareconstrainedtoanarrowtimewindowthatdoesnotincludetheperioddesired.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[FoodStoreSales]in[November,2009]inorderto[investigatethiswillbeagoodThanksgivingforgrocerystores].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
ThesedatawereeasilyfoundasthereisonlyasinglepublicationfromAMRTR.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestmonth’smicrodata.
File:December2010SurveyResults(3tables)
ExcelorTextformat National‐levelsummarydataonly
Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlistoflinks.
Ididnotseeanyindicationoftheavailabilityofmicrodatafiles,butanemailandphonenumberforthe
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AdvanceMonthlyRetailSurveyprogramwaseasytofindonthemainpage.
Documentation:Thetablesarebriefandeasytounderstandwithoutextensivedocumentation.Afewpagesexistonthesitedescribingthesurveyandhowthedataarecollected.
What’schanged:Thedatatablescomparethecurrentmonth'sresultswiththeprevioustwomonthsandpreviousyear.Didnotseeanydescriptionofrecentchangestothemethodologyoftheadvancemonthlyreports.
Commentsonwebsite:Thedatareleasedunderthissurveyareshortandsimplesothewebsitedoesitsjob,withoutmakingitmorecomplexthanitneedstobe.
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20. QuarterlyE‐CommerceReportWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/retail/index.html#ecommerce
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thevolumeofinternetsales]in[theholidayseason].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Aswiththeotherretailsurveys,thereisnobackgroundinformationonthesurveyprovidedonthemainpage–justalinktothemostrecentdata,soitisnotstraightforwardtofindoutwhatinformationthesurveyprovides.Additionally,thebackgroundinformationforthee‐commercesurveyisconfusing(aswellasorganizeddifferentlyfromtheotherretailsurveysinthissection)anddoesnotdoagoodjoboftellingmewhatinformationIcanactuallygetfromthee‐commercesurvey.Afterreadingthebackgroundinformation,IwentbacktothemainpageandclickedthefirstlinkforaPDFofthemostrecentrelease,whereIwasabletofindthevolumeofinternetsalesintheholidayseason(Q4)of2009.IthoughtthePDFwasveryhelpfulinprovidingbackgroundandbasicdata,especiallycomparedtotheinformationavailablefromtheotherretailsurveys.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theperformanceofonlineretailers]in[thepastyearandideallywithafutureprediction]inorderto[analyzepurchasingstockofwebbasedcompanies].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Sincethereisonlyoneproduct,itwassimplyacaseofloadingthedocument.Ifoundtherecentinformation,butnothingtopredictfutureperformance.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestquarter’smicrodata.
File:3rdQuarter2010SurveyResults(2tables)
ExcelorTextformat National‐levelsummarydataonly
Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlistoflinks.
Ididnotseeanyindicationoftheavailabilityofmicrodatafiles,butanemailandphonenumberfortheQuarterlyE‐commerceprogramwaseasytofindonthemainpage.
Documentation:Thetablesarebriefandeasytounderstandwithoutextensivedocumentation.Afewpagesexistonthesitedescribingthereportandhowthequarterlye‐commerceestimatesarebasedonthesamesampleastheMonthlyRetailTradeSurvey.
What’schanged:Thedatatablescomparethecurrentquarterwiththepreviousquarterandprevious
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year.Ididnotseeanymentionofchangestotheunderlyingsurveymethodology.
Commentsonwebsite:Thedatareleasedunderthissurveyareshortandsimplesothewebsitedoesitsjob,withoutmakingitmorecomplexthanitneedstobe.
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21. AnnualSurveyofManufactures(ASM)WebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/asm
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[abouttheenergyconsumption]in[electronicsmanufacturingplants].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thesurvey’smainpageprovidedagoodlevelofintroductoryinformationsoitwasnotnecessarytodigdeeperintothewebsitetodeterminewhatitwasabout.AlloftheinformationandlinksIneededwererightonthemainpagesotherewasnoconfusionaboutwhattoclick.TheASMindustrygroupingspage/Excelfilewasalittleconfusingbutthiswasn’tactuallynecessarytogettomydesireddata.Iclickedthelinktoget2008and2009datawhichtookmetoamassivetableinAmericanFactFinder.Thistablehasalotofcolumnsandisnotidealforviewingonawebpage–ittookmeaminutetodeterminewhetherthecolumnIneeded(electricityconsumption)wasactuallyinthetable.Then,whenItriedtofindtheNAICScodethatcorrespondedtomyindustry(whichIhaddeterminedbasedontheASMgroupingsfile),Idiscoveredthatthetableconsistedofthousandsofrowswhichwouldhavebeenverytimeconsumingtobrowse.IeventuallyfoundthelinktofiltertherowsandfilteredittotheindustriesIwanted.Iwasthenconfusedforamomenttofindboth2008and2009datainthetable,butIfilteredthetableagainfor2009dataonlyandfoundmyanswer.Overall,usingtheASMwebsitetofindinformationwasverystraightforward,exceptforthesizeofthedatatableinAFF.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theamountoftungstenused]in[lightbulbmanufacturing]inorderto[predictifthetungstenmarketisgrowing].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasn’tabletofindspecificinformationabouttheamountoftungstenused,butIdidfindinformationaboutmaterialcostsandothercategories,whichwouldbeenoughtogivemeananswer.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2009SurveyResults(3tables)
.csvortab‐delimitedformat National‐levelsummarydataonly
Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlistoflinks.
Ididnotseeanyspecificindicationoftheavailabilityofmicrodatafiles(thoughaquickGooglesearchrevealedthattheyexistviaCensusResearchDataCenters),buttheAbouttheSurveypagementionedthat“mostdataareavailableontheinternet”.ItalsomentionsthattheASMisaninputtotheLongitudinal
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ResearchDatabase,whichacademicresearcherscanuseformicrodataanalysis.
Anemailandphonenumberareprovidedforquestions.
Documentation:Thetablesareeasytounderstandwithoutextensivedocumentation.Industrygroupingsandproductclasscodesaremadeavailablenexttothedatatablestheyrelateto.
Thestandardtabsdescribingthesurveyandhowthedataarecollectedalsoexist.
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Thewebsiteisorganizedlikeothercensuspages,withafamiliartabstructureacrossthetopwhichmakesiteasytonavigateifyouarefamiliarwithCensussites.
TheASMsiteshouldhighlighttheirdatasetsmoreclearly.ThethreedatasectionsonthemainpagelookliketheOverviewsectionandmightnotberecognizedasthemaindataonfirstglance.Itisalsooddthat“HistoricalData”jumpsto2006‐ifyoudon'talreadyknowthatthesamesampleisusedfor5years(weareinyear4ofthecurrentsample).Thisinfluenceshowtheygroupthedataandwhattheyviewashistorical;insomeways2007/2008/2009areconsideredthecurrentdataseteventhoughit'sanannualsurvey.
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22. ServiceAnnualSurveyCasualUserWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/services/index.html
Question1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[aboutrevenues]in[thetruckingindustry].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Aswiththeretailsurveys,itwashardtoinitiallygetstartedsincethereisnobackgroundinformationprovidedonthemainpage.OnceIfoundthebackgroundinformationandconfirmedthatitcontainedtheanswertomyquestion,Iclickedthelinkforthetruckingindustryandwastakentoapagespecifictothetruckingindustry.ThePDFfileunderlatestdatahadexactlywhatIwanted.ItwouldhavebeeneasierifthelatestdatawereavailableonanHTMLpageinadditiontoPDF/Excel.Ialsothoughtitwasstrangethat2009dataarenotyetavailable,sinceitisalready2011.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[recreationalservicesrevenue]in[annualreports]inorderto[reportonthestatusoftheindustry].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ifounddataimmediately.Itwasfairlysimplesincethereisonlyoneproduct.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2008Surveyresults(9tables)
PDFandExcel National‐levelsummarydataonly
Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlistoflinks.
Thereisnomentionofmicrodata,thoughAnnualServicesstaffcontactinfoisprovided.
Documentation:TechnicalDocumentationislinkedfromthe“HowtheDataareCollected”pageandcoversdesign,estimationandreliability.
What’schanged:Changestotablesfromthe2007versionaredetailedintheTechnicalDocumentation.TheHistoricalDatasectiondetailschangestothesurveyovertimeandexplainswhichyearsarecomparable.
Commentsonwebsite:Thewebsiteisorganizedlikeothercensuspages,withafamiliartabstructureacrossthetopwhichmakesiteasytonavigateifyouarefamiliarwithCensussites.
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Thesitecouldprovideaneasiertolocatelinktothetechnicaldocumentation–perhapsonthemainpagewiththedatadownloads.
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23. QuarterlyServicesSurveyWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/services/index.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[abouthowtheentertainmentindustryisdoing]in[thepastfewmonths].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ThereisverylittlebackgroundinformationonthehomepagelettingmeknowwhereIamandwhatthesurveyis.Itisdifficulttogobackandforthbetweenbackgroundinformationanddataforthesamesurveysincetheyareinseparatesub‐sectionsofthewebsiteandarenotlinkedtoeachother.ThelackofbackgroundinformationonthemainpagemadeitdifficultformetodeterminewhichlinkhadthedataIwaslookingfor,howeverthefirstlinkIclickedprovidedmydesiredinformation,soatleastthemostrelevant/recentdataarepresentedfirst,whichishelpful.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[trucktransportationrates]in[3rdQuarter,2010]inorderto[seeifourcompany’srateswerecomparabletothecompetition].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletofindthedataregardingrevenuebutnotrates.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:3rdQuarter2010results(10tables)
PDFandExcel National‐levelsummarydataonly
Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlistoflinks.
Thereisnomentionofmicrodata,thoughQuarterlyServicesstaffcontactinfoisprovided.
Documentation:TechnicalDocumentationislinkedfromthe“HowtheDataareCollected”pageandcoversdesign,estimationandreliability.
What’schanged:The“AbouttheSurvey”pagementionsanewindustrythatwasaddedtothesurveyin2009.TechnicalDocumentationmentionsotherchangesinthesurveydesigninpastyears.Thedatatablesshowpercentchangeacrossthepast6quarters.
Commentsonwebsite:Thewebsiteisorganizedlikeothercensuspages,withafamiliartabstructureacrossthetopwhichmakesiteasytonavigateifyouarefamiliarwithCensussites.
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Thesitecouldprovideaneasiertolocatelinktothetechnicaldocumentation–perhapsonthemainpagewiththedatadownloads.
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24. InformationandCommunicationTechnologySurveyWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/ict
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[aboutspendingoncomputersandtechnology]in[theeducationindustry].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
TheICTmainpageisverygood–itprovidesinformationaboutwhatthesurveyisandwheretofinddataallonthefirstpagesoIdidnothavetobrowsethewebsitetofindthisinformation.Ijustreaddownonthehomepageandlearnedaboutthesurveyandthenclickedthelinktofind2008data.ThefirstfigureinthelisthadtheinformationIwanted,waspresentedasanhtmlpagesoIdidnothavetodownloadanExcelorPDF,andpresenteddatabyindustrywithoutusingNAICScodessoitwasveryeasyformetofindthedatapointIwaslookingfor.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theamountofmoneyspentonantivirussoftware]in[financialindustry]inorderto[reportontheimpactaboutvirusesonbusinesscomputing].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasn’tabletofindanyinformationonantivirussoftwarespecifically,butthetotalexpenditureonsoftwareforthefinancial/insuranceindustrieswasreadilyapparent.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2008results(12tables)
Excel National‐levelsummarydataonly
Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlistoflinks.
Thereisnomentionofmicrodata,thoughICTstaffcontactinfoisprovided.
Documentation:Samplingandestimationmethodologyprovidedonsamepageastabledownloads.Standardtabs“AbouttheSurvey”and“HowtheDataareCollected”exist.
What’schanged:“SummaryofFindings”pagesummarizesdatachangesbetweenyears.Nomentionofmethodologychangesbetweenyearsonthesite.
Commentsonwebsite:Thewebsiteisorganizedlikeothercensuspages,withafamiliartabstructureacrossthetopwhichmakesiteasytonavigateifyouarefamiliarwithCensussites.
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25. 2007SurveyofBusinessOwners(SBO)WebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberoffemalebusinessowners]in[thenation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
TherewasnotalotofbackgroundinformationonthemainpageoftheSBOwebsitebuttherewasenoughformetoknowthattheinformationIwantedwasavailable.Thedatareleaseschedulepageindicatedthatinformationaboutfemalebusinessownersfromthe2007SBOhadbeenreleasedinDecember2010soIknewIshouldbeabletofindtheinformationIwantedonthewebsite.Thelinkstoallthedatawerelocatedrightonthemainpagewhichwasnice,exceptitwasalittleconfusingthatbothestimatesandpreliminaryestimateswerepresented–IassumedthatestimateswerewhatIwanted.IlikedthesummaryoffindingspagebecauseithadtheexactinformationIwantedandprovidedausefulsummaryofthestatswithoutmehavingtolookatthemmyselfinAFF.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[numberofwomenownedsmallbusinesses]in[theLosAngelesarea]inorderto[reportonwomen’sissuesinthebusinessworld].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IwasabletogorighttogeneralwomenownedsmallbusinessinformationinAFF.Fromthere,Iwasabletoselectgeography‐LAMetroarea,andwasgiventheresults.OnlycomplaintwashowlongittookAFFtorespondtorequests.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2007data(partiallyavailable–moretobereleasedthroughJune2011)
xlsformat availableatstateandnational‐levelonly
Downloadsource:AmericanFactFinder;HTMLpagewithlinks
Noindicationthatmicrodataareavailable.Thereisaninformationpageonrequestingspecialtabulationsofthedata.
Documentation:Standardtabs“AbouttheSurvey”and“HowtheDataareCollected”exist.MethodologyandreliabilityofdataarealsodescribedontheAmericanFactFinderwebsite.
What’schanged:TheHistoricalDatatabhasanoteatthetopsayingthatdataarenotnecessarilycomparablebetweenperiods;usersshouldreadthemethodologyforeachpublicationformoreinfo.
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Commentsonwebsite:Thewebsiteisorganizedlikeothercensuspages,withafamiliartabstructureacrossthetopwhichmakesiteasytonavigateifyouarefamiliarwithCensussites.
ThisisthefirstwebsiteI'veseenthatpromotesthe“NotifyMe”featurethatsendsyouanotificationofupcomingdatareleases.
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26. NewResidentialConstructionIndexWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/const/www/newresconstindex.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofhousingstarts]in[thepastthreeyears].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Theformattingofthewebsitemakesitseemveryoutofdate.Thereisnorealexplanationonthewebsiteaboutwhatthesurveyisandwhat’savailable,butthelinkstodatamadeiteasytofindtheinformationIwaslookingfor.ItwasstrangethattheExcelfilewiththerelevantinformationhadsingle‐familyandmulti‐unitseparatedbutnototals.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thenumberofnewbuildingpermits]in[FortCollins,COarea]inorderto[reporthousinggrowthinthearea].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Datawereeasytolocate.
Asmallnote:thenewresconstindex.htmlisnotagoodhomepagefilename.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2009SOCMicrodatafile
Availableforpurchase:$50 SASor.xlsfiles Delivery:emailorCD
Downloadsource:TheywillemailfilesormailaCDafteryoupurchase.
Documentation:PDFoftheSOCMicrodatadocumentationisavailablefordownload.Itincludesalistofvariableswithdatadescription.Thereisnoindicationthatmoredocumentationisincludedwiththepurchasedmicrodatafiles.
What’schanged:SOCMicrodatafilecontains14newdataitems.ThesearenotedintheSOCMicrodatadocumentation,under“Remarks”foreachvariable.
Commentsonwebsite:Difficulttofindthings(wentincircles)–probablythehardesttouseCensussiteI'vereviewedsofar.
Thefrontpageoverusesredtexttohighlightannouncementsatthetopofthepage.Italsodoesnot
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providemanylinkstowhattheannouncementsarepromoting.
Themenusatthetoparedifficulttoworkwith(atleastinFirefox)anditwashardtogetthemenutoactivatethelinksIwastryingtoclickon.
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27. LongitudinalEmployer‐HouseholdDynamicsWebsiteURL:http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[abouttheeconomy]in[mytown(Chicago,IL)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ThereisalotofinformationontheLEHDhomepagebutnothingthatreallydefineswhatkindofinformationisavailableorthedifferentoptionsforaccessingit.IfIhadrandomlycomeontothissiteIwouldhavenoideawhatitwasorwhatitoffered.The“WhatisLEHD”and“WhatisLED”linksontherighthandbarofthehomepagewerehelpfulforansweringthisbutstillleftmewonderingexactlywhatIcouldfindonthewebsite.
OnceIgottothedatatoolspageitseemedliketherewerealotofsimilarandconfusingtoolsavailable,butitwasnotclearwhichwouldbeeasiestformetouseandwhichwouldbestanswermyquestion.Ibasicallywentdownthelistinorder.TheHotreportsseemlikethey’reonlyavailableforcertainplaces,butthisisn’tclearlymentionedoninitialbackgroundpage.
TheQWItoolultimatelygavememyanswerandwassimpleandstraightforward.Ilikedthattheinformationbuttonswerenexttothedatasoyoucaneasilylookupthemeaningofametric.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[unemploymentrates]in[RhodeIsland]inorderto[seeifemploymentprogramsareresponding].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ifoundresourcesregardingunemploymentandmultipleresourcesregardingemployment.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[tophiringindustries]in[Missouri]inorderto[helpmyjobcenterlocateperspectiveemployersforapplicants].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Theindustryfocuswebpagegavemeaformtoenterdata,whichyieldedfairlydetailedtables.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:LocatedLEHDRestricted‐usemicrodatasets:
BusinessRegisterBridge(BRB)
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EmployerCharacteristicsFiles(ECF) EmploymentHistoryFiles(EHF) GeocodedAddressList(GAL) IndividualCharacteristicsFiles(ICF) QuarterlyWorkforceIndicators(QWI) Unit–to–Worker(U2W)
Downloadsource:MustberegisteredwithaResearchDataCentertogetaccess.
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:TherewassomuchcontentonthemainpagethatIdidnotnoticethenavigationtabsatthetopofthesiteinitially.
Under“DataDownload”onthemainpageandontheResearchtabtheyhavealinktotheResearchDataCenters.However,IdidnotfindthelistoftheactualmicrodatasetsontheLEHDwebsite.Thatwaslocatedviaasearchofthecensussite‐http://www.census.gov/ces/dataproducts/lehddata.html
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28. NewsRoom/MultimediaWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/newsroom
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[wheninformationfromthe2010Censuswillbeavailable]in[U.S.Censuspublications].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Itwashardtofigureoutwhichlinktoclickfromthenewsroommainpagetofindwhen2010censusdataareavailable–itwasbasicallyacaseoftrialanderror.However,onceIfoundmywayontothe2010Censuswebsiteitwasclearbecauseitisthefirsttextpresentedonthepagestatedthat2010censusdatahavealreadybeenreleased.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[whereIcanfindrecentlyreleasedinformationaboutmytown]in[thecensuswebsite].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
ThefirstlinkinthedatacentertookmeexactlywhereIwantedtogo;howeverIclickedonthislinkmorebecauseitwasthefirstonelistedthanbecauseIwasconfidentitwasthecorrectlink.
Question3/Challenge3:
Iwanttoknow[ifthereareanyimagesrelatedtotheCensusthatIcanuse]in[mypresentationforaclass].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion3/Challenge3:
Iwasabletofindtheanswertothisquestionquicklysincethephotolinkisavailableonthenewsroomhomepageandtakesmedirectlytothecensusphotospages.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thereleasedateofthe2010Censusdata]in[thestatelevel]inorderto[documenthowourconsumerbaseischanging].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Myquestionwasintendedtoinquireabouttheentirereleasetimelinethananyspecificproduct.Iwasabletofindareleasetimelineofthe2010Censusthroughthemain2010Censusportal.Ifoundtheappropriatelinktothe2010CensusNewspagethroughtheNewsroom.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[theupcomingreleasedates]in[Educationindicators]inorderto[helpsteertheschooldistrictscurriculum].
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Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Iwasabletofindrecentreleasesbutnoinformationregardingupcomingreleasedates.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:Thissitedidnotprovidedata.
Downloadsource:DataCenterlinkonmainpagehasalinktoAmericanFactFinder.
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Somenewsprovideslinkstothemajorcensusprogramswheremicrodatacanthenbefound,butthiswouldnotbeanidealstartingpointforaresearcher.
TheDataCentersectiononthemainpageishelpful,butitisnotcomprehensive.
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29. PublicationsWebsiteURL:http://census.gov/prod/www/titles.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[whatkindofinformationaboutgovernmentsIcanfind]in[theU.S.Censuswebsite].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ThelinksonthemainpagewerestraightforwardandIwasabletoeasilyfindmyanswer.Note,however,thatthepublicationswebsitefeelsoutofdatecomparedtootherCensuswebsites,anditwouldbehelpfulifthedifferenttopicpagesalsoincludedlinkstorelevantpartsoftheCensuswebsitethatmighthaveadditionalormorerecentinformation.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theprogramsthatwillgivemelocaldemographicdata]in[mymetropolitanarea]inorderto[haveallavailablestatisticsonhandforsettingpolicyinourmunicipality].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IwasabletofindquicklinkstomanyoftheCensusproducts.Iespeciallylikedthattheselinkswouldtakemedirectlytotablesandbypasssortingthroughthemainpagesoftheprograms.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:Thissitedidnotprovidedata.
Downloadsource:Linksprovidedtothemajorcensusprograms,wheremicrodatacanthenbefound.
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Ineachofthesections,Ifoundthelistoflinksconfusing–someofthem(e.g.GeneralandReference)hadamixtureoflinksandPDFswithnoheadingsandinnoparticularorder.Needsmoreorganization.
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30. SurveyParticipationWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/survey_participants/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[ifIamrequiredtocompletetheAmericanCommunitySurveyIreceived].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Theintroductiontothewebsiteisstraightforwardanditiseasytonavigate,howeveronceIdelvedintothehouseholdsectionIfoundthatIcouldnotfindtheanswertomyspecificquestion.Thepageon“amIrequiredtosubmitthissurvey”simplysaidthatthesurveyshouldindicatewhetherornotitwasrequired,butitdidnotprovidefurtherinstructiononhowIcouldfindthisinformation.Additionally,therearenolinkstothedifferenttypesofsurveysfromthesurveyparticipationpagesoitwasnotpossibletolearnmoreaboutthesurveyIreceivedfromthispartofthecensuswebsite.Thewebsiteisverygeneralanddoesnotprovidespecificinformationforthedifferentsurveys.Itseemslikethesiteshouldatleastprovidelinkstotherelevantsurveyswebpages.
Othercomments:
ThedropdownmenusforthetopheaderdonotworkinIE–IhadtoclickthelinktothesectionandthenfindthepageIwantedfromthere.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thelegitimacyofmyrequestforCensusdata]in[mybusiness]inorderto[evaluateifI’mbeingscammed].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IskimmedthroughthebusinesspageswhichfunctionallyprovidedtheinformationthatIneeded.Everythinglookedfine.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:Thissitedidnotprovidedata.
Downloadsource:N/A
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Under“BusinessSurveys–ListofFormsandSurveys”,youcouldfindlinkstothesurveyprogramsandAmericanFactFinderdata.Theydidnotprovidethesameinfo/linksforHouseholdSurveys.
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Thissiteisnotagoodstartingpointformicrodata/academicresearchers.
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31. AboutWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/aboutus/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[whatinformationIcanfind]in[theCensuswebsite].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Isortoffoundtheanswertomyquestioninthe“whatdatawecollectandwhen”sectionoftheaboutuswebpage.Thewebpagewasstraightforwardtonavigate,itjustdidn’tdirectlyanswerthequestionIasked.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[aphonenumberIcanusetotalktosomeoneabouttheU.S.Census].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
ItwasveryeasytofindaphonenumbertocontactCensusintheaboutussection.Thesub‐sectionsareclearlylabeledandeasytonavigate.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thebudgetandstaff]in[theCensusBureau]inorderto[reportontheexpensesinmaintainingtheUSCensusBureau].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Inafairlyquicksearch,IwasabletofindfairlyspecificinformationontheCensusstaffandbudget.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:Thissitedidnotprovidedata.
Downloadsource:Linksprovidedtothemajorcensusprograms,wheremicrodatacanthenbefound.
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Overall,agoodsummaryofwhatcensusdoes,withlinkstothevariousprograms.Itwouldserveasasuitablestartingpointifyouwanttoknowthefullrangeofcensusprograms.The“whatwedo”sectionwasthemostrelevantforthistypeofinformation.
Therewasalinkpromotingresearchopportunitiesatthecensus,whichmightappealtoresearcherswhousemicrodata.
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32. RegionalOfficesWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/regions/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[howtocontactmyCensusregionaloffice(forHouston,TX)]in[ordertoaskquestionsaboutthesurveyIreceived].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletoquicklylocatethephonenumberandemailaddressofmyregionalofficebyclickingmystateonthemainpage.Iassumethattheoffice’smainphonenumberistheoneIshouldusetoaskquestionsaboutsurveys(thereisnoinformationonthewebsiteindicatingotherwise).
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[myregionalCensusoffice]in[myregion(MA)]inorderto[arrangeaCensusBureautourformyelementaryschool].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Noprobleminlocatingmyregionaloffice.We’llseeifRegionalDirectorKathleenLudgatewillwelcomeourstudentsforavisit.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:Thissitedidnotprovidedata.
Downloadsource:AmericanFactFinder;RegionalReferenceCenteravailabletoresearchanddownloaddatatoCD
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Thiswebsitegivesregionalofficeinformation.AsallCensusprogramsarerunnationally,thesesitesdonotprovidespecificdatasetsfortheregion.However,theyserveasagoodstartingpointforsomeonewhocontactstheirregionalofficeandneedsmoreinformationaboutcensusprogramsintheirarea.
Formicrodatasearches,theStateDataCenter(alinkisprovidedunderResources)isprobablyabetterresource.
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33. FAQsWebsiteURL:http://ask.census.gov/cgi‐bin/askcensus.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=vlXuh3dk
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[whereIcanfinddataontheCensuswebsiteaboutbusinesses]in[myarea].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
AtfirsttheFAQpageishardtonavigatebecauseitisnotbrokenupbytopicsorareasofthewebsite,itisjustalistofallquestionsthatyoucanlimitbykeyword,whichmakesithardtoview.OnceIlimitedthequestionsbymykeywordsIfoundanansweraddressingmyquestionexactly,howevertheanswerjustdirectedmetothebusinessandindustrypage,whereIhadtosearcharoundonmyownuntilIfoundwhatIwaslookingfor.TheFAQpagewouldhavebeenalotmorehelpfulifitwasbetterorganizedforbrowsing/searchingandiftheanswertothequestionIreferencedgaveadditionalinformationotherthanjustalinktoarelevantpageontheCensuswebsite.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thedatasourcesfortheeconomicindicators]in[theFAQs]inorderto[understandhowtheindicatorsareprepared].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasn’tabletolocatemuchinformationontheEconomicIndicatorsintheFAQsection,asalmostanythingeconomicwasrelatedtotheEconomicCensus.Afterbrowsingthrough5pagesrelatedto‘economicindicators’IbelieveIfoundabout3FAQsrelatedtotheEconomicIndicatorsproducts.Myquestion,whichpossiblywasn’tthebesttoevaluateFAQs,wasdefinitelyunansweredwithintheFAQsection.IwasabletouseoneoftheFAQstogettotheEconomicIndicatorspage.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[upcomingreleasedatesofproducts]in[theCensus]inorderto[bekeepingourbusinessalerttokeyindustryindicators].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Aftersearchingfor‘releasedates,’IwasabletofindmultipleoptionsforvariousCensusproducts.Iwouldsaythatitwasasuccessfulsearch.
Thesecurepagewarningsthatappearuponeachpageloadareobnoxiousandprobablyshouldn’tbeappearing.Theirpresencediscreditstheresultsandimpedestheuserfromsearchinginthesite.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:MicrodatadownloadsavailableonDataFerrett
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Downloadsource:DataFerrett
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:DoinganFAQsearchon“microdata”gavemeananswerrightaway.ThefirstresponseprovidedalistofkeymicrodatasetsavailableonDataFerrettandpointedmetothewebsite.Thisisausefulstartingpointifyouhadnoideawheretolookformicrodata.
HavingaccessedthissameFAQsitefromvariousothercensusprograms,Ifindthatitisveryusefulinsomecases,andnotatallinothers.IftherearetoomanyFAQsthathaveyoursearchterm,Ifindithardtoreadthroughthelistandfigureoutwhetherthere'sananswerthatwouldhelpwithmyquestion.Inthiscase,though,theanswerwasveryrelevantandcameuprightontop.
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34. QuickFactsWebsiteURL:http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html
CasualUserWebsiteIntroduction:
QuickFactsincludesdataforallstatesandcounties,andforcitiesandtownswithmorethan25,000people
Question1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[theaveragehouseholdsize]in[mytown(Cambridge,MA)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ilikedthelayoutofthiswebpagebecauseit’sveryeasytofindinformationbygeographyandtheinstructionsareeasytofollow.Ifirstselectedmystateonthemainpage.ItwasalittleconfusingthatdemographicinformationformystateshowedupafterIselectedmystate–itseemedlikethesearchwasoveranditwasn’timmediatelyclearhowtogetdataforamorespecificarea(mytown).OnceIsawtheadditionalsearchboxesonthetopofthepageitwaseasytolocateinformationformytown.However,averagehouseholdsizeappearedfurtherdowninthelistthenIwouldhaveexpected–it’snotquiteclearwhattheorganizingmethodisforthestats.
Question2/Challenge2:
Iwanttoknow[themedianhouseholdincome]in[thenation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Again,itwaseasytogetthesearchstarted,butitwasweirdthatUSAappearedonthebottomofthedropdownlist–Iwouldexpectittobeatthetop.OnceIfoundUSAtheinformationIwantedwasontheresultspage.IlikedthattheinformationbuttonappearsnexttoeachmetricsoIcanimmediatelyseewhatthemetricmeans,butit’sannoyingthattheyautomaticallypopupwhenIrollover,butthenIhavetoclickthe“x”tocloseit.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[Bend,OR]in[whateverformdeliveredbyQuickFacts]inorderto[seeifthereisinformationabouthomevacanciesinthisformerboomtown].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Searchcouldn’thavebeenmuchsimplerorquicker.WithinacoupleofclicksIhadboththecityandcountyleveldataavailable.Ifoundsomegeneralhousingstatistics,andthennotedthelink‘BrowseDataSetsfor….’whichwilltakemetootherprogramsbasedonmygeographicpreference.ThistoolmakesQuickfactsamoreusefulutilityforsophisticateduser.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[SantaRosa,CAandCalifornia]in[whateverformdeliveredbyQuickFacts]in
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orderto[tocomparetrendsbetweenthecityandthestate].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
IfoundSantaRosa,CAandtheCaliforniacomparisonwasalreadysidebyside.Nocomplaintshere.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:Summarydataavailablefrommanycensusprograms
xlsformat Nation/State/County/Citylevel
Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithdownloadlinks
Therearenomicrodataonthissite,butitdoeslistalotofthecensusprogramsthatdohavemicrodata(ifyoulinktothosesitesandfindthedatathere).ItalsoprovideslinkstoStateDataCentersthatmayhavemicrodatasetsforacademicresearchers.
Documentation:The“DownloadtheDatabase”pagedescribeshowtoworkwiththedataavailableonQuickFacts.
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Thiswebsiteisnotdesignedasastartingpointformicrodatasearches.Itdoesitsjob,makingstateleveldataeasytoaccess.
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35. CorporateBlogWebsiteURL:http://blogs.census.gov
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwantto[understandwhattheU.S.CensusBureaudoesandfindinterestingfactoids]in[Censusdata].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ThiswebsitedoesaverygoodjobofprovidinginformationinadigestibleformfortheCasualUser.Thetextisstraightforwardandthefeaturesareverypertinentandcontaininterestinginformation.TheblogissuccessfulathighlightinginterestingfeaturesontheCensuswebsiteandwouldbeagoodentrypointtoCensusfortheCasualUser,asitlinkstotheactualsurveysformoreinformation.Forexample,theinteractivetabledisplaying2010Censusdataandthevideoexplainingapportionmentwereveryinterestingfeatures.Ialsofounditeasytobrowsethroughthebloganditslinks.
Othercomments:
Itwashelpfulthatthelinkstoothercensuswebsitesopenedinnewwindowssoitwaseasyformetoreturntotheblogafterviewingamap,etc.
Itwasalittleoff‐puttingwhenIwouldclickonalinkthattookmetoawebsitethatlookedlikeithadout‐of‐dateformatting(theCurrentPopulationSurveysite).
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ican’tformulateapropersophisticateduserquestionfortheblog,soI’mevaluatingthesiteforfunctionalityandusefulinformation.
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
FromwhatIsee,thisisafunctionalandinformativeblog.Allthelinks,pictures,andembeddedvideoappeartobeworking.Itlookslikethecommentsarewellmoderated.Inoticedthatthepostshavebeenconsistentlyspacedout,withabout4‐6permonthsincetheSeptemberinception.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatemicrodatafromablog.
File:AsearchforblogtopicsrelatedtomicrodataorPUMSdidnotretrieveanyresults.
Downloadsource:N/A
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Theblogarticlespromoteinterestingfactsandtoolsavailablewithincensus.Thissitewouldnotbeagoodstartingpointforsurveydatadownloads,butitdefinitelyservesitspurposeto
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promotecensusactivitiestothegeneralpublic.OverallanicerecentadditiontotheCensussite.
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36. CalendarWebsiteURL:http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php?crd=cens1sample&PHPSESSID=be839c239f19d38e7ef5b77caa4e3a98&jsenabled=1&winH=827
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwantto[knowifthereareanyupcomingCensusevents]in[myarea(NewYorkCity)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thecalendarwasstraightforwardtouse,butitwashardtotelliftherewereeventsinmyareasincetheeventnamesdonotalwaysindicateacityanditwashardtotellifthesearchfunctionactuallyworked.ItwouldalsobeusefulifIcouldhaveclickedononeofthecategoriesonthebottomandseenalltheeventsforthatcategory–therearesomanycategories/colorsthatit’shardtodistinguishthemonthemap.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ican’tformulateapropersophisticateduserquestionforthecalendar,soI’mevaluatingthesiteforfunctionalityandusefulinformation.Iwillhaveaneyeopenforupcomingreleasedates.
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thecalendarinitselfisfine,ifoutofdate.Allthelinksarefunctional,andwhiletheloadtimeisabitslow,itisreasonable.However,thecalendardoesn’tseemtobeuniversallyusedbyexternalCensusBureauprograms.IwasabitshockedtofindbasicallynoeventsscheduledinFebruaryorMarch,whichwouldmakemewanttoseekdifferentmethodstofindtheCensusevents.Isearchedforreleasedates,andonlysawonereleasewhichwasayearold.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatemicrodatafromthecalendar.
File:N/A
Downloadsource:N/A
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Myinitialthoughtwasthatthiscalendarcouldsummarizeallthedatareleaseschedulesthatarelistedonthevarioussurveywebsites.Thatwouldbeareallyhelpfuloverviewfordata‐orientedusers.
However,thissiteseemstobemostlyusedtopromoteexposandconferences.Itriedfilteringthecategoriestoonlythedata‐orientedcategoriesandtherewerehardlyanyentriesonthecalendar.Theentriesthatweretherestilljustpromotedoutsideexposandconferences.
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Thecalendarisnothostedatacensus.govaddress,whichmakesitlooklessofficial.Italsohaslinkstofacebookandyoutubethatseemedoutofplace.
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37. ForeignTradeDivisionWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/foreign‐trade/index.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[valueofUSexportstoChina]in[thelastyear].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
TheblurbdescribingthewebsiteonthemainpagewashelpfulbecauseitletmeknowthattheinformationIwantedisavailableonthewebsite.ItwasconfusingtoselectwhichtabletoviewbecauseIwasn’tclearonthedifferencesintypesofdata(seasonallyadjusted,notseasonallyadjusted)andwhichcorrespondedmosttomyquestion.IlikedtheoptiontoviewthedataasTXTratherthanhavingtodownloadthePDF/Excelfiles,howeverIdidnotexpectthetextpagestoopeninanewbrowserwindow.Iwasalsoonlyabletofindmonthlyandyear‐to‐datedataratherthanhistoricaldataforafullyear,althoughitispossiblethatfurtherbrowsingonthewebsitecouldhaveledtothisinformation.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[solarpanels]in[USexports]inorderto[reportongreenexports].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasn’tabletofinddataregardingsolarpanelsspecifically,butIwasabletofindplentyofinformationonotherindustrialandcommercialexports.WereIsearchingforamoregeneralcategory,Iwouldhavehadquickresults.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[petroleum]in[USimports/exports]inorderto[reportonoursourcesofcrudeoil].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletofindtherightdatafortotalimports/exportsrightaway.Ittookacouplemoreminutestofindthedataseparatedbycountry.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatelatestyear'smicrodata..
File:PortData
Availableforpurchase:$400/month
txtfiles
Deliverymethodunclear
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Downloadsource:N/A
Documentation:Recordlayout,codesandconcordancefilesareavailable.The“Reference”tabsummarizesdocumentationandincludesalinktoadetailed“GuidetoForeignTradeStatistics”.
What’schanged:Foundpageon“2009ForeignTradeDataProductChanges”
Commentsonwebsite:Oneofthemoredifficulttonavigatecensussites.
Thewebsiteseemstohavealotoflinksthatappearanddisappearontheleftside,dependingonwhatpageyou'reon.It'shardtoknowthatyou'vefoundeverything.
Ialsoseemedtobejumpingbackandforthbetweenanewandanoldversionofthewebsite.
Ittookawhiletofindoutthatdataproductsareavailableforpurchase.ThenIfounddescriptionsofitinseveralplaces,almostasifanewsitehadbeenstartedbuttheoldsitewasstilltheretoo.
I'mnotclearonthedistinctionbetweenthepages“MoreDATA–DataProducts”and“ImportantLinks–ForeignTradeProducts”.
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38. BusinessHelpSiteWebsiteURL:http://bhs.econ.census.gov/bhs/index.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[whatkindofinformationisavailabletohelpusersfilloutcensussurveys]in[theCensuswebsite].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Note:ItisveryunlikelythataCasualUserwouldusethiswebsite.
Theintroductorytextonthemainpageprovidedagoodsummaryoftheinformationavailableonthewebsite.Theselectasurveyboxisformattedoddlyandwasalittleconfusingsincethereisnowaytogetinformationapplicabletoallsurveys.Thesitewaseasytonavigatebutthepagelayoutchangedindifferentsectionswhichwasalittlejarring.ItwasalsofrustratingthattheFAQswereformattedacrossdifferentpagesratherthanbeingabletogobackandforthbetweenthequestionlistandtheanswersonthesamepage.Ialsofounditoddthatthereisnolinktothepageswithincensuswhereyoucanfinddatafromthesurveyfromthiswebsite.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[whateconomicdataareavailable]in[chemicalprocessingsectors]inorderto[monitorthetrendsintheindustry].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Afterstartingtosearchthroughthesite,Irealizedmyquestionwasnotsuitedforthiswebsite.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[whatCensusformsareonline]in[whichmymanufacturingbusinessmayberequiredtofill]inorderto[completeourreportingrequirementsfortheCensus].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Iwasabletogetconnectedtoaround10differentsurveysthatmayapplytomybusiness.Noproblemsnotedduringnavigation.
ExpertUserChallenge:LocatemicrodataontheBusinessHelpsite.
File:N/A
Downloadsource:N/A
Documentation:N/A
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What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Thissiteisdesignedtoprovidesupporttobusinessthathavebeensentsurveys.
Thereisanareaontheinteriorpagescalled“DataProducts”thatlinkstothe2007EconomicCensuswebsite.ThisistheonlydatarelatedinfoIseeonthesite.
IlikehowthesurveysaregroupedbytheirfrequencyonthemainpageandtheSurveysSchedulepageisquitehelpful.
Thesearchbuttononthissitebringsupabrokenlink.
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39. StatisticalAbstractWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[themostrecentdemographicinformationaboutdifferentethnicgroups]in[thenation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Theintroductiononthemainpagewasuseful,anditwasstraightforwardtolookformydesiredtopicintheleft‐handlist.TherewerealotoftableslistedinthesectionIselectedandtheyallseemedliketheywereshowingthesameinformation,soittookmeamomenttoselecttheoneIthoughtwouldbestanswermyquestion.Ifoundmyansweronthatpagebutkeptlookingforamoreeasilydigestibleversionandthatthesummarystatistics(linkedintherighthandbarofthewebsite)hadwhatIwantedinaneasiertoviewHTMLformat,butthistablehadnotbeenlinkedtofromthepopulationpage.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thenumberofcollegegraduatesatdifferentlevels(associate,bachelor,master,PhD,professional)]in[theUS]inorderto[reportaboutpostsecondaryeducationtrends].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IwaseasilyabletofindthiswiththeEducationaltab.I’mprettyimpressedbytheamountofinformationandeaseofuseofthispage.Fromthepointofviewofasophisticateduser,thiswebsiteisagoldmine.Itiswellcategorized,containsagreatdealofinformation,wellformattedandfunctional.ThiswassomethingofarepeatsearchIperformedearlierandwasunabletofindthestatelevelinformation–thisprovidedthedataalmostinstantly.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[thenumberlawenforcementpersonal]in[Montana]inorderto[evaluateifwehavetheresourcestomonitorournorthernborder].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
Iwasn’tabletofindtheexactanswertothisquestion.Iwasabletofindstatewidedataontotalprotectiveserviceemployees,andnationaldataonthebreakdownofprotectiveserviceemployees,butnottherightdata.
ExpertUserChallenge:LocatemicrodatafromtheStatisticalAbstract.
File:Onlynational‐leveltablesareavailablefromthisreference.AlltablescanbeviewedinPDFandExcel.
Downloadsource:HTMLpagecontaininglinks
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Documentation:Allsources(withweblinks)aredocumentedwheredataarepresented.
What’schanged:EarliereditionsoftheStatisticalAbstractareavailablefromatabonthesite,makingitpossible(thoughnoteasy)tocomparespecifictablesinPDFformattoseewhatchangedbetweenthetwoeditions.
Commentsonwebsite:ThisAbstractisacompilationofdatafrommanydifferentcensusandgovernmentprograms.ReferencestothesourceareprovidedundereachtableandalistofsourcesisprovidedintheGuidetoSources.
FormicrodataonspecifictopicsinthisAbstract,theuserwouldhavetocontacttheindividualprogramsthatthesestatisticsarebasedontoseewhatisavailable.
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40. FamiliesandLivingArrangementsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh‐fam.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofsingleparentfamilies]in[thenation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Theintroductiondoesn’tgivemeaverygoodideaofwhatisavailableonthewebsiteanditseemslikethesiteisalonglistoflinkswithverylittleexplanation.Ichosetoviewthe2010CPSdatabecauseitwaslistedfirstanditseemsrecent.Ithoughtthedefinitionsandexplanationspagemighttellmewhatitisbutitwasmostlyjustadatadictionary.WhenIgottothetables,itwasfrustratingthatIcouldonlyviewtheminEXCELorCSV.Ididn’tknowwhattableIwantedsoasIclickedthrougheachtimeIhadtoopenanewExcelfile.AlotofthetablesarehardtounderstandsoIwasn’tsureiftheypresentedtheinformationIwanted,untilIfoundatablethatcorrespondedtoexactlywhatIwantedtoknow.Overall,thissiteseemsoutofdateandisdifficulttounderstandandbrowse.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thenumberdivorcedmen]in[Reno,NV]inorderto[reportontheeffectsofthedivorcecapital].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletofindthestatewide/Nevadadataafterlocatingthelinktotherelevant2000Censustable.Ihadbeenhopingtofinddatabycounty/metropolitanarea,butIdon’tthinkitisreadilyavailable.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear'smicrodata.
File:2010CPSMarchSupplement
Zipfilecontaininga.DATfile ~30MB
Downloadsource:onCPSwebsite:FTP,DataFerrett
Documentation:DatadictionaryavailableonFTPdownloadpage.Technicalpaperon2010ASECsupplementavailableontheCPSTechnicalDocumentationpage.
What’schanged:AdescriptionofrevisionstotheCPSovertheyearsiscoveredintheTechnicalDocumentation.
Commentsonwebsite:TheFamiliesandLivingArrangementspageonlyprovidesnational‐levelsummariesofdatacollectedintheMarchCurrentPopulationSurvey.Togetmicrodataonthistopic,thefullMarchCPSfilehadtobedownloadedfromtheCPSwebsite.
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SincethesedataarederivedfromthefullCPSMarchSupplement,itseemsoddthattheonlylinkIseetotheactualCPSwebsiteisunderDataAvailability,whichreferstoorderingCD‐ROMs.IknewwhatIwaslookingforbecauseIhadalreadyreviewedtheCPSwebsite.
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41. EducationalAttainmentWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[theaverageeducationlevelofpeople]in[myindustry].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Theeducationalattainmentpagedoesnotdoagoodjobofexplainingtheinformationavailablefromeachofthesurveys.Italsodoesnotdoagoodjoboflinkingtothedifferentsurveyhomepagesandsourcesofdata(e.g.,AFF).Atseveralpoints,IwasunsurewhethertheinformationIwantedwasevenavailablefromthesurveys(althoughintheendIdidfindtheinformationIwanted–althoughthelinkdidnotreallyindicatethatitcontainedtheinformation).Ittookmeawhiletofindmyanswer,goingthroughthedifferentsurveysandlistsofdatatables.
Othercomments:
Theheadingsintheeducationalattainmentpagedonotshowyouwhereyoucurrentlyareinthewebsite.
Itishardtosearchthetablesinthissectionofthewebsitesincetheyhavelongtitlesandaresimilartoeachother.Italsoseemsoddthateducationalattainmentbyindustryisnotahighlighteddatatype,sinceitseemslikethisissomethingpeoplemightwanttoknow.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theproportionofpeoplewithPhDs]in[thegreaterWashingtonDCarea]inorderto[reportontheeffectsoffederaljobsondemographics].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IwasabletofindinformationaboutthenumberofbachelorandabovedegreeswithreasonableeaseforthemetroDCareausingACS.Iwasn’tabletofindnumbersregardingthenumberofpeoplewithPhDs.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:EducationalAttainmentdataarecollectedin:ACS,CPS,SIPPandCensus.
Allofthesesources(reviewedelsewhere)havemicrodataavailable.Itwouldbeamatterofextractingtheeducation‐relateddatafromeachofthesedatasets.
ThelevelofdatapresentedontheEducationalAttainmentwebsiteisnational‐levelonly.
Downloadsource:
ACS,CPS,SIPPandCensuswebsites;AmericanFactFinder;DataFerrett
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Documentation:Availableonindividualwebsites
What’schanged:Availableonindividualwebsites
Commentsonwebsite:Thisisanice,easytousewebsiteforatopic(education).Itisveryclearwhatsurveysthedifferenteducationalstatisticsarederivedfromandthesitegivesyoulinkandinformationaboutthesourcesurveys.
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42. IncomeWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/income.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[themedianincome]in[mycity(Cambridge,MA)]
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ilikedthattherewasashortoverviewonthemainpageoftheincomesite.However,theincomewebsitedoesnotdoagoodjobofexplainingthedifferentsourcesofincomedatasoitishardfortheusertodeterminewhichdatasourceismostappropriate.Itwouldbehelpfuliftherewerebriefexplanationsontheincomedatabysourcepageinsteadofjustlinks.IbasicallywentthroughthelistusingtrialanderroruntilIfoundmywaytotheACSdata.ItwouldhavebeenhelpfuliftherewasadirectlinktosearchACSincomedatainAFF,butthelinksareconfusingandleadyoutotheACShomepageinstead,fromwhichyoucangettoAFFtogetdata.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[themeanincome][formalesages18‐25inAlaska]inorderto[reportabouttheuniqueworkenvironmentinAlaska].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasn’tabletofindtheinformationfromtheIncomewebpage.However,onceIdidadeepsearchthroughACS,IwasabletofindthedataofincomebyageforthestateofAlaska.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:Incomedataareavailablefrom:CPSASEC,ACS,SIPP,Census,SAIPE
An“IncomeMicrodataAccess”pageprovidesagreatsummaryofallthemicrodatasourceoptions.
Downloadsource:CPSASEC,ACS,SIPP,Census,SAIPEwebsites;DataFerrett.
Documentation:Availableonindividualwebsites–shortcutsareprovidedontheIncomeMethodologypageonthiswebsite.
What’schanged:Availableonindividualwebsites
Commentsonwebsite:Thistopicalwebsiteisnotjustagroupofincome‐relatedlinks;itprovidesgreatadditionalexplanationoftheincomedataavailablefromthemajorcensussurveys.“GuidanceAboutIncomeSources”detailswhichdatatouseforwhichpurpose.Thismakesitatopicalwebsitewithapurpose(notjustalistoflinks).
ItalsohadaMicrodata‐specificpage,whichseemstobeararefind.
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43. PovertyWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/populatoin/www/projections/index.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[wherethepovertyrateisthehighest]in[thenation].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Theintroductionallowedmetounderstandwhatisavailablefromthesite.FromthedatasourcesdescriptionpageIquicklyunderstoodthattheofficialCPSnationalestimateswouldnothavetheinformationthatIwanted,butthattheAmericanCommunitySurveyshouldhavelocaldata.IthenfollowedthelinktotheACShomepagewhereIclickedthepovertysearchlinktogotoAFF.However,thetablesontheAFFpovertylandingpagedidnotcontaindataatthelevelofdetailIwaslookingfor,soIreturnedtotheACShomepageandtriedsomeoftheotherACSsearchtypesinAFF.EventuallyIfoundatablethatlistedcitiesandtownsintheUSwiththeirpovertyrates,howeverthistablewasalphabeticalbystateandnotpossibletosort,soitwasnotpossibletoidentifytheplacewiththehighestpovertyratewithoutdownloadingandmanipulatingalargeamountofdata.
IreturnedbacktotheoriginalpovertypageandtriedtousetheCPSdata,butitdidnotseemlikewhatIwantedandthetablecreatortoolwasverycomplicatedtouse.IendedupfindingthestatewiththehighestpovertyrateinanACSreport;Igaveuponfindingtheinformationatamorelocallevel.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[povertyrates]in[USStates]inorderto[allocatefundsforcharities].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletofindpovertyratesbyregionimmediately,butfindinginformationbystatetookalittlemoredigging.However,Iquicklyfoundtworesources.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[povertyrates]in[relationtohealthinsurance]inorderto[reportabouthealthcareissues].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IwasimmediatelydirectedtothelinkstoasectionincludingHealthInsurance,thoughIdidn’tfindthedirectconnectionstopovertyandhealthinsuranceinthetables.OnceIloadedthefullreport,Iwasabletofindtheinformation.Itseemedthatmanyofthefigureshadbeenomittedfromthelistsoftables.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:Incomedataareavailablefrom:CPSASEC,ACS,SIPP,Census,SAIPE
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AMicrodatasectionisprovidedonthePovertyDatapage,whichgiveslinkstothemicrodatasourceoptionsatthevarioussurveysites.
Downloadsource:CPSASEC,ACS,SIPP,Census,SAIPEwebsites;DataFerrett.
Documentation:Availableonindividualwebsites
What’schanged:Availableonindividualwebsites
Commentsonwebsite:LiketheIncometopicpage,thePovertytopicdoesagoodjoboftyingtogetherinformationfromthevarioussurveyswithsomeenhancedexplanationofthetopic.
Regardingmicrodata,IfirstfoundamicrodatasectiononthePovertyDatapageandlaterfoundaMicrodataAccesspagefromtheQuickLinkssectionofthemainpage.Itisnotclearwhythesetwoseparatepageswouldbothexist.
ThePovertyDataSourcespageseemslikeitshouldhavetheinformationcontainedontheDescriptionofIncomeandPovertySourcespage–abitconfusing.
Giventhatthereareseveralcaseswheretwopagesexistonthissitethatappeartocoversimilartopics,thesitecouldperhapsbesimplifiedbytakingafreshlookatthepurposeofeachpageandfindingawaytobetterlinkthecontenttogether.
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44. HealthInsuranceWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthins.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofpeoplewithouthealthinsurance]in[mystate(Massachusetts)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
TheintroductionwashelpfulandthelinktotheaboutpageprovidedtheinformationIneededtoselectwhichsurveyhadtheappropriatedatatoanswermyquestion.ThelinktotheASECpagewasoutofdateandhadbrokenlinks,butIfoundexactlywhatIwantedinthehealthinsurancesectionoftheCurrentPopulationSurveywebsite.Overall,itwasmostlystraightforwardtofindtheanswertomyquestionusingthiswebsite.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[healthinsurancecoveragerates]in[peoplebelow18yearsinOklahoma]inorderto[reportonthenumberofuninsuredyouth].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IfoundthedataIwaslookingforonmyfirstclick.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:HealthInsurancedataareavailablefrom:CPS,ACS,SIPP
Thereisnospecificmentionofmicrodataonthiswebsite,thoughmicrodataareavailablefromthesesurveys.
Downloadsource:CPS,ACS,SIPPwebsites;AmericanFactFinder.(ThissitedoesnotmentionDataFerrettthoughthesedatashouldbeavailableonthereaswell.)
Documentation:Availableonindividualwebsites
What’schanged:Mainlyavailableonindividualwebsites.ThereisaQuickLinkonthissitetoinformationaboutthe“revisedCPSASECHealthInsuranceDatafor2005/06”.
Commentsonwebsite:Anothertopicalwebsitethatfollowsthepovertyandincometopicformats.Thesitefeelsalittlelessorganized–perhapsthelongerlistoflinksneedsmoreheaders/groupings.
45. PopulationProjectionsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/index.html
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CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[theprojectedpopulationofTexas]in[2050].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Itwaseasytofindthestateinformationfromthemainpage.However,informationbystatewasonlyavailablethrough2030,whichseemslikeaveryshortwindow.Ifoundtheprojectedpopulationin2030,andthenlookedatthenationalprojectionsthrough2050.Itwasalittleconfusingthatthe2009estimatearethemostrecentbutthe2008arerecommendedforusers–IassumedthatIshouldusethe2008projections.Thissitedoesn’tseemlikeitisentirelygearedfortheCasualUsersincealotoftheexplanationsarehigh‐levelandyouhavetodownloadExcelorcsvfilestoaccessthedata.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theHispanicpopulation]in[Californiain2025]orderto[reportonthepotentialchangesinthestate’sculinaryculture].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IfoundthedataIwaslookingforafteralittlewhile.Isearchedfirstthroughthe2005interimprojectionsbeforefindingthedatabyraceinthe1996projections.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2008/09NationalProjections;2005StateProjections
bothbasedonCensus2000data. .xls,.csvformats
Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlinks
Documentation:Methodologyandassumptionsusedtocreatetheseprojectionsareavailableonthewebsite.Filelayoutsareavailablenexttothedownloads.
What’schanged:Differencesbetweenthe2008and2009nationalprojections,withadviceonhowthosedifferentdatasetsshouldbeusedisdetailedonthe2009populationprojectionspage.
Commentsonwebsite:Thiswebsitedoesitsjobofpresentingstateandnationallevelprojectionsandeducatingusersonthekeyconceptsofpopulationprojections.Italsohassomepublicationsthatwouldbeofinteresttomoreadvancedlevelusers.
Forresearchersthatwanttodotheirownpopulationprojectionswithdifferentfuturescenarios,thebasedataforthisworkwouldcomefromtheCensus2000(or2010)filesthatareavailableelsewhereontheCensussite.
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46. EStatsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/estats/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[aboutelectronicretailsales]in[thelastyear].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IstartedbyviewingthePDFreportthatwaslinkedonthemainpage.ThereporthadtheinformationIwantedbutwasdatedin2008,whenIwashopingformorerecentdata.ItriedtofindmoreinformationontheEStatswebsitebuttherewasn’tanythingindicatingwhereIcouldfindmorerecentdata.Isawthelinkto3Qof2010informationontherightsideofthepagesoIclickeditandfoundmyselfonthemonthlyandannualtradepage.Itatfirstwashardtofindtherelevantsurveyonthispage(thequarterlye‐commercesurvey),butonceIdidIfoundtheinformationIwantedinthehistoricaldatasection.ItseemsstrangethatthissurveywouldnotbemoredirectlylinkedfromtheEStatspage.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[themostrapidlygrowingsectors]in[e‐commerce]inorderto[reportonthegrowinginterneteconomy].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IfoundafairbitofinformationinthereportandmoreusefulinformationwithintheExceltables.
ExpertUserChallenge:Whatmicrodatagointoe‐commercestats?
File:Retail,3Q2010E‐CommerceSales
.xls,.txtformat national‐levelsummaryonly
Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlinks
AnnualE‐Statsreportsarebasedondatainthefollowingsurveys:AnnualSurveyofManufactures(ASM);EconomicCensus–Manufacturing;AnnualWholesaleTradeSurvey(AWTS);ServiceAnnualSurvey(SAS);AnnualRetailTradeSurvey(ARTS).
Thereisnomentionofmicrodataavailableforthesesurveys.
Documentation:SomedocumentationprovidedinthePDFreportsthatcontainthedatatables.
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:TheactualE‐Statswebsiteappearstobeasinglepagewiththreelinks.Mostof
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thetimespentlookingforadvanceduserdatarelatedtoe‐commercewasactuallyonthebroaderBusiness&Industrypages.
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47. NAICSWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[theNAICScodefornuclearpowerplantssoIcanfindinformation]in[theeconomiccensus].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ThereisreallynoreasonaCasualUserwouldbeinterestedinNAICScodesotherthantounderstanddatatablesinotherpartsoftheCensuswebsite.AsaCasualUser,theintroductiononthemainpagedescribingwhattheNAICSiswasveryuseful,butitwashardtofigureoutwheretogotogetalistingofNAICScodes.Iwouldn’tthinktousethesearchboxesontheleft‐handsideanditwasnecessarytodiginfurtherintothewebsitetofindalistingofallNAICScodes,todowhichitwasnecessarytolookataPDFfile.ItwouldbeusefuliftheintroductorytextcontainedinformationonhowtolookupaNAICScode,evenifitjustsuggestedusingthesearchboxesontheleftsideofthewebsiteorprovidedalinktothePDFofallNAICScodesandtheirdefinitions.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theNAICSproductcodes]in[theorganicchemicalsmanufacturingsector]inorderto[comparemyplantsproductstotheremainderoftheindustry].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletofindappropriateproductcodes,thoughtheywerelistedseparatelyfromthegeneral6numberNAICSclassifications.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[whatSICcode5521,usedcardealers,correspondsto]in[the2007NAICScodesystem]inorderto[compareoldandnewdata].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion2/Challenge2:
ItriedtolookupSICcode5521inbothISIC4.0andISIC3.1intwoseparatespreadsheets,butdidn’tfindanexactmatch.However,searchingbytextusedcarprovidedtheNAICScodeIwaslookingforinbothspreadsheets.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:2007NAICSindexfile
xlsformat 8MB
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Downloadsource:HTMLpagewithlinks
Documentation:NAICSdefinitionsareavailableonsamepageasindexfile;aHistorypageprovidesreportsandconceptdevelopmentdocuments.
What’schanged:2002to2007NAICScomparisonfileavailableonsamepageasindexfile.
Commentsonwebsite:NAICScodearesimplyaclassificationlistofindustries;researchersmayneedthefulllistofthesecodesfromtimetotime.Thislistiseasyenoughtofindonthesite.Itappearsthatthesitedoesagoodjobcateringtoalltypesofusers–youcanlookupasinglecode,getalistbyindustrytype,andgetthefulllist.
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48. CensusinSchoolsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/schools/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thepopulation]in[mystate(Florida)].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thehomepageseemsmoregearedtowardsteachersthanstudents–itwouldbehelpfulifthebackgroundinformationcontainedinstructionsforstudentstogettotherelevantpartsofthewebsite.However,onceIenteredthe“censusforteens”sectionitwaseasytonavigateandfindtheinformationIdesired.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theCensusBureau]in[aformatappropriateformy1stgraders]inorderto[providealessonaboutthe2010Census].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IlocatedmaterialsappropriateforK‐2.
ExpertUserChallenge:Aredatarelevanttoresearchersavailablefromthissite?
File:N/A
Downloadsource:N/A
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:ThissiteistargetedatK‐12leveleducatorsanddoesnotprovidedata.
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49. GenealogyWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/history/www/reference/genealogy/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[ifCensusprovidesresourcesIcanusetotracemyfamilyhistory].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ThelinksfromthemainpagewereveryclearastohowIcouldaccesscensusrecords.ThelinkswereselfexplanatoryandIquicklyunderstoodhowtousecensusdatatotracemyfamilyhistory.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[ifmyclient’sfamilyislisted]in[theCensusGenealogyarchive]inorderto[locateheirsforestatedistribution].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IwashopingtohavesomeconnectiontothefulldatabaseofthedecennialCensus.Irealizedinshortorderthatthiswebsitewasspecificallygearedtowardsdirectingtothetoolsforsearching,ratherthanprovidingthetoolsthemselves.IwasreferredtotheNationalArchiveswebsite,buteachlinkwasbrokenduetoachangeintheNationalArchiveswebredesign.WhileIwasn’tabletolocatetheCensusrecordsdirectly,IwasgivenaplethoraofinformationoflocationswhereImightbeabletodosoforfree,andoneoftheNationalArchiveslocationswaswithin5milesofmyworkplace.
ExpertUserChallenge:Aredataavailableforgenealogyresearchers?
File:Individualrecordsfrom>72yearsagoareavailableuponrequest
microfilmformat
Downloadsource:MustgotoArchives
Documentation:Aninformationalsheetonhowtogetaccesstotheserecordsisavailable
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Itappearsthataresearcherwouldhavenomoreaccessthanamemberofthegeneralpublic.Closedrecords/recentfilesareonlyavailabletonamedpersons,heirsandlegalrepresentatives.
Thisbrochureprovidedalltheinfo:http://www.census.gov/prod/2000pubs/cff‐2.pdf
PerhapsitcanbereproducedasanHTMLpageforeasieraccess.
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50. InternationalDataBaseWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[whatcountrywillbethemostpopulous]in[2050].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
ItwaseasytofindwhatIwantedfromthemainpage,sincethecountryrankingslinkisthefirstonelisted.ThesearchtoolwasverystraightforwardtouseandIfoundmyanswerquickly.Ithoughtthatthesearchtoolpresentedveryinterestinginformation.
Othernotes:
Thepagetitle“InternationalDataBase”isvagueandthere’snoexplanationonthemainpageastowhatthewebsitecontains,soifIhadnotcomeontothewebsitewithaspecificquestioninminditwouldhavebeendifficulttounderstandwhatinformationisavailablefromthesiteotherthanwhatishighlightedonthemainpage.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[whatarethefastestgrowingnations]in[theworld]inorderto[predictwherenewmarketswillbeemerging].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwasabletofindtheinformationonthepopulationsofcountriesforpreviousyearsandestimationforfutureyears.
Question2/Challenge2:
Ineedinformationabout[thepopulation]in[SomalilandorsomesimilarregioninnorthernSomalia]inorderto[reportaboutthepeopleaffectedbythenation’sinstability].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
IfounddataaboutSomaliarightaway,butIhadhopeforregionalinformationwithinthecountry.Thedatabasehascontinentalregionsratherthanregionswithincountries.
ExpertUserChallenge:Aremicrodataavailable?
File:Countrybycountrydownloadsavailable
xlsorcsv couldnotfindasingledownloadforallcountries
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Downloadsource:HTMLpage
Documentation:Sourceinformationforeachcountry'sdataisprovided.ThereisalsoaMethodologysection
What’schanged:ThereleasenotesfortheDecember2010datareleaseprovidedanicesummaryofchanges.Thereisalsoanerratasheetonthehomepage.
Commentsonwebsite:Thissiteprovidespopulationestimatesandprojectionsforcountriesaroundtheworld,compliedfromdifferentsources.Itprovideseasyaccesstogeneralworldpopulationdataandincludessomevisuals,suchaspopulationpyramids.
Forexpertslookingforcensusinfoinothercountries,itdoesprovidealistofsourcesfornon‐UScensusinformationthatcouldserveasastartingpointforresearch.
Foreducationalpurposes,thissitecouldincludeashortFAQdescribingthedifferencebetweenestimatesandprojections,likethePopulationProjectionwebsitedoes(http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/aboutproj.html).
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51. U.S.andWorldPopulationClocksWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[thenumberofpeopleintheworld]in[thisinstant].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
TheinformationIwantedwasavailablerightonthemainpagesoitwaseasytofindwhatIwantedquickly.Iwas,however,veryconfusedbythepresentationoftimeinitially.Ittookaminuteformetorealizethat16:25UTCwasindeedthesameas1:25EST.ItwouldbeusefulifthetimewaspresentedinUTCandESToratleasesomethingfamiliarbecauseit’snotlikelythattheCasualUserwouldbequicklyandeasilyabletotranslatebetweenthetwoformats.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[thenumberofpeople]in[theworld]inorderto[reportonglobalpopulationgrowth].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ifoundthesedataimmediately.Iwouldliketohaveafewmorestatisticsavailablefortheworldclock,evensimplestatisticsliketheU.S.clockhadregardingbirth/death/migrationrates.
ExpertUserChallenge:Arerelevantdataavailableonthissite?
File:N/A
Downloadsource:N/A
Documentation:Thereisalinktoapopulationestimationmethodologypaperthatcouldbeofusetoaresearcher.
What’schanged:Alinkto“HistoricalNationalPopulationEstimates”isavailable.
Commentsonwebsite:Simplesite,notaimedatresearchers.However,ausefulsitefortheCensusBureautomaintain.
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52. U.S.PopulationPyramidsWebsiteURL:http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/natchart.html
CasualUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Iwanttoknow[whatthemodeageintheUSwillbein]in[2050].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Thehomepagewasveryempty–allitconsistsofisatablewithlinkstopopulationpyramidswithnocontextorexplanationandnolinkstootherrelevantpartsofthewebsitethatmightofferthisinformation.SinceIknewwhatIwaslookingforitwaseasytoselecttherelevantGIFfileandopenittofindmyanswer,butifIhadotherwisehappenedonthiswebsiteIwouldnotknowwhatitconsistedoforwhy.
OtherNotes:
It’salsostrangethatthepicturesarelistedasGIFsiteswhentheyopenasregularHTMLpagesinthebrowser–IalmostthoughtIhadtodownloadtheimagetoseeitbutwhenIclickedthelinkitjustopenedinthepage.
SophisticatedUserQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ineedinformationabout[theratioofmalestofemales]in[the80+agecategory]inorderto[planrestroomlayoutformynursinghome].
Overviewofsite’susefulnessinhelpinganswerQuestion1/Challenge1:
Ifoundthesedataveryquickly.Sincethesearetheonlyoptionsavailable,itwouldbeimpossibletonotfind.Asasophisticateduser,itwouldhavebeennicetohaveatabularformatimmediatelyavailableinsteadofjustbargraphs.
ExpertUserChallenge:Locatethelatestyear’smicrodata.
File:GIForPDFpopulationpyramids
Downloadsource:HTMLpage
Documentation:N/A
What’schanged:N/A
Commentsonwebsite:Thispageprovidesaccesstosomeinterestingtimeseriesvisuals,butitshouldbeupdatedfromstaticimagestoamoreinteractiveviewerthatwouldallowuserstoexplorethedatabetter.
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Appendix B: Findability and ForeSee Usability Assessment The U.S. Census Bureau Contract No. YA132309CQ0045, Task Order (TO) 001: Web Discovery: Data Visualization and the Future of Census.gov
Abt Associates, April 1, 2011
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TableofContents
1. CENSUS BUREAU HOMEPAGE ........................................................................................................................................ 5 2. AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY (ACS).......................................................................................................................... 7 3. CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY ................................................................................................................................... 10 4. POPULATION ESTIMATES ............................................................................................................................................ 12 5. POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD ECONOMIC TOPICS ......................................................................................................... 15 6. 2007 CENSUS OF GOVERNMENTS (COG) ..................................................................................................................... 18 7. “BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY” PAGE ................................................................................................................................ 21 8. ECONOMIC INDICATORS ............................................................................................................................................. 24 9. 2007 ECONOMIC CENSUS .......................................................................................................................................... 27 10. COUNTY BUSINESS PATTERNS .................................................................................................................................... 30 11. COUNTY AND CITY DATA BOOK ................................................................................................................................. 33 12. GEOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................................... 35 13. DATA TOOLS .......................................................................................................................................................... 38 14. DATAFERRETT ......................................................................................................................................................... 40 15. LISTING BY SUBJECT ................................................................................................................................................. 44 16. NEW FACTFINDER ................................................................................................................................................... 46 17. SURVEY OF INCOME AND PROGRAM PARTICIPATION ..................................................................................................... 48 18‐20. MONTHLY & ANNUAL RETAIL TRADE .................................................................................................................... 51 21. ANNUAL SURVEY OF MANUFACTURERS (ASM) ............................................................................................................ 53 22‐23. ANNUAL & QUARTERLY SERVICES ......................................................................................................................... 56 24. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SURVEY ......................................................................................... 58 25. 2007 SURVEY OF BUSINESS OWNERS ......................................................................................................................... 60 26. RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION INDEX ........................................................................................................................... 63 27. LONGITUDINAL EMPLOYER‐HOUSEHOLD DYNAMICS ...................................................................................................... 66 28. NEWSROOM ........................................................................................................................................................... 69 29. PUBLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................................................ 71 30. SURVEY PARTICIPATION (ARE YOU IN A SURVEY?) ........................................................................................................ 74 31. ABOUT .................................................................................................................................................................. 76 32. REGIONAL OFFICES .................................................................................................................................................. 79 33. FAQS .................................................................................................................................................................... 81 34. QUICKFACTS ........................................................................................................................................................... 83 35. CORPORATE BLOG ................................................................................................................................................... 85 36. CALENDAR ............................................................................................................................................................. 87 37. FOREIGN TRADE DIVISION ......................................................................................................................................... 89 38. BUSINESS HELP SITE ................................................................................................................................................ 92 39. STATISTICAL ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................. 95 40. FAMILIES AND LIVING ARRANGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 97 41. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT ................................................................................................................................... 100 42. INCOME ............................................................................................................................................................... 102 43. POVERTY .............................................................................................................................................................. 104 44. HEALTH INSURANCE ............................................................................................................................................... 107 45. POPULATION PROJECTIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 110 46. E‐STATS ............................................................................................................................................................... 113 47. NAICS ................................................................................................................................................................ 116 48. CENSUS IN SCHOOLS .............................................................................................................................................. 118 49. GENEALOGY ......................................................................................................................................................... 120
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50. INTERNATIONAL DATA BASE .................................................................................................................................... 122 51. U.S. AND WORLD POPULATION CLOCKS ................................................................................................................... 124 52. POPULATION PROJECTIONS ‐ POPULATION PYRAMIDS ................................................................................................. 126
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1.CensusBureauHomepageTestURL:http://www.census.gov
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle CensusBureauHomePage 1 01Text People&Households AmericanCommunity
Survey·Estimates·Projections·Housing·Income|StateMedianIncome·Poverty·HealthInsurance·International·Genealogy·Census2000·More
1 01
Keywords U.S.Census 1 011Websitedoesnotcomeupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Homepagedoesnotutilizethesameoverarchingnavigationalsystemthatisusedonthemajorityofpageswithinthewebsite.Theleft‐handnavigationoptionsdonotappearinanyothernavigationstructureonthesite.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,limited
Althoughthelinksinthecenterofthepagedoconveyaninformationhierarchy,thelistisnotcomprehensivewhichmakesnavigationoptionslimiting,andthelinksontheleft‐handsidegotodifferentandseeminglyrandomlocationswithintheCensusBureauwebsite.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Somelinksdonotmatchtargetpageheading,forexample:DoingBusinesswithUs‐>AcquisitionManagementRelatedSites‐>OtherContacts
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •1ormoredeficiencies
Thereissomejargon.Forexample,“NAICS”,“E‐Stats”,“TIGER”,etc
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
extensive
ThereisnointroductorytexttoguideusersontheCensusBureauhomepage.Thismakesnavigationdifficult.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Somelinksarealittlevague(e.g.“Estimates”‐>PopulationEstimates)HomepagedoesnotsetupconsistentnavigationsystemthatuserscanfollowthroughouttheCensus.govwebsite
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
FedStatsleavesCensus.gov.EventsCalendarisalsoaseparatesite.
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Criteria Evaluation Notes
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearealotoflinksonthehomepageanditisnotalwaysclearwhichisthemostapplicableforacertainquestion.Forexample,itseemslikeAmericanFactFindershouldbebetterhighlightedasitisthemostwidespreadsearchengineonthewebsite.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
Theorderofthelinksintheleft‐handsidebarisnotintuitive.Thisisalsotruefortheorderoflinksinthemiddlesectionofthepage.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •1ormoredeficiencies
Theuseof“·”versus“|”toseparatelinksinthemiddlesectionisnotconsistent.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Adequate
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •AdequateIsitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •AdequateIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Homepagemakesgooduseofimages. Homepagehighlightssomeoftheinterestingfeatures/populardataontheCensusBureauwebsite(e.g.,currentpopulation,
searchlinksforlocaldata) Searchisatextboxratherthanalinktosearchpage Ifyouhoveroverthelinkstofacebook,twitter,etc.,adisclaimerpopsupthatyouareleavingCensus.gov
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2.AmericanCommunitySurvey(ACS)TestURL:http://www.census.gov/acs/www/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle AmericanCommunitySurvey 1 91Text TheAmericanCommunitySurvey(ACS)isan
ongoingsurveythatprovidesdataeveryyear‐‐givingcommunitiesthecurrentinformationtheyneedtoplaninvestmentsandservices.
3 2
Keywords U.S.demographicsocialhousingdata 22 031The9thlistedresultisforthesitemapoftheACS.TheACSmainpagedoesnotcomeupinthesearchresults.2ResultgoestoACSsearchpagewithinAmericanFactFinder.TheactualACShomepagedoesnotcomeupwithinthefirstfewpagesofsearchresults.3Websitedoesnotcomeupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thedropdownmenusinthetopnavigationbardisappearwhenyou’rewithinthesectionsoyoucanonlyviewnavigationoptionsforthesectionsyouarenotcurrentlybrowsing,makingnavigationdifficult.Theleft‐handSidebardisappearson2008CrosswalkTablepage.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Minorissue:Inthe“Aboutthesurvey”section,thelefthandbardoesnothighlighttoshowthecurrentlocationforthe“resources”pages.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Sometimestherearesmalldiscrepanciesbetweenlinknamesandpageheadings,forexample:“FrequentlyAskedQuestions”bringstheusertoapagecalled“AmericanCommunitySurveyQuestion&AnswerCenter”The2010censusformlinkdoesnotwork.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Onthegeographypage,differenttypesofgeographicareas(e.g.,censusdesignatedplaces”)arelistedwithnolinkstodefinitions.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
limited
Mainpagedoesnotprovideexplanationofwhatthesurveyis–usermustgointo“AbouttheSurvey”tolearnmore.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Onmainpage,inthesearchbytopicbox,theoptionsforhousingarenotlistedalphabetically.Similarproblemwithlistoftopicson“AbouttheAmericanCommunitySurvey”
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Somepageshaveright‐handsidebarandsomedonot.Theright‐handsidebaralsoisnotconsistentthroughoutthesite.FAQpageisformattedalittledifferently.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Adequate
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•1ormoredeficiencies
ThetablesinComparingACSdatasectionhaveconfusingtableheadings.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Therearenoiconsonthewebsite.PDFiconisnotused.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Searchappearsonalmosteverypageofwebsite,butismissingonsomepages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
ItisnotclearwhethersearchisforentireCensusBureauwebsiteoronlyACSsurveysection
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•Needsimprovement,limited
FAQareexcerptedquestionsfromQ&AwebsitepertinenttoACS,butarenoteasytosearch.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,limited
FAQlinkisnotavailableoneverypageofsite
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III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Thesearchlinksintheright‐handsidebarareveryuseful,buttheyarehardtofindinitiallyandthereisnotalotof
explanation. It’sanicefeaturethatpicturesoftheACSforms,handbooks,andmiscpagesareusedasthelinkstofindmoreinformation
andgotothefile. Ilikethedropdowntopicsonthegeographypage(youclickthetopicanditslidesdowntoshowmoreinformation). It’shelpfulthattheFAQpageiswithintheACSsite(Thisdoesn’tseemtobethecaseforotherCensuswebpages). Thereisabuttontosignupforemailupdates.Also,thecontactus,FAQ,andsitemapareprominentlyplacedintheright‐hand
sidebaronmostpageswithinthesite. Thenavigationsystemisstraightforwardandeasytouse.
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3.CurrentPopulationSurveyTestURL:http://www.census.gov/cps/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle CurrentPopulationSurvey 1 01Text TheCurrentPopulationSurvey(CPS)isamonthly
surveyofabout50,000householdsconductedbytheBureauoftheCensusfortheBureauofLaborStatistics.
1 01
Keywords Laborforceemploymentearningsstatistics 11 011CPSmainpagedoesnotcomeupwithinfirst3pagesofsearchresults.However,BLSCPSsiteis3rdsearchresult.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Thereisnostandardnavigationalstructureforthiswebsite.Therearenolinksbacktothemainpageorotherpartsofthesiteifyouleavethemainpage.Clickforexample.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thereisnonavigational structureforthiswebsite(seecommentsforpreviousquestion).
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Veryfewlinksmatchthetargetpageheadings.Forexample,thelinkcalled“Censusinternet”goestotheCensus.govhomepage.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
Datatablesdonothavedatadictionary,andsometimeskeystotablesortablenamesareunclear.Forexample.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
limited
Thereisagoodintroductiontothesurveyonthemainpage,butthewebsitedoesnotclearlyexplainhowtoobtaindata.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Seecommentsinnavigationsection.Ingeneral,itisverydifficulttonavigatethewebsitebecausenocontextisprovidedforanyofthelinks.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently? •NeedsImprovement,
extensive
Themainpageexplainsthesurveybutdoesnotprovideinformationonwhatcanbefoundinwebsiteorwheretoobtaindata(itisunclearwherethelinksontheleftandrighthandbarswilltakeyou).
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Websitemainpagedoesnotindicatewheretofinddataanddoesnotexplainothercontentonsite.Thedatalinksarenotimmediatelyevident.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway? •NeedsImprovement,
extensive
Linklistinginleft‐handsidebarofmainpageisnotintuitive.Itisunclearwherebesttoobtaindata.Allpagesotherthanmainpagedonotlinktootherpagesofwebsite.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Linksinlefthandsidebaronthemainpagearenotclearlyorganized–sourcesofdataarelinkedinthe“HelpfulLinks”sectionwhenitseemsliketheyshouldbelistedas“CPSTipsandTools”
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Thelayoutchangesonseveral pages ofthewebsite.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Fontandfontsizechangeondifferentpagesofsiteandwithinthesamepage.Tablesandlinkstotablesarenotvisuallyappealing.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement? •NeedsImprovement,
extensive
Veryfewvisualaidsonwebsite.TheoneimageontheTechnicalDocumentationpageseemsunrelatedtothecontent.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•SeriousDeficiencies,extensive
Thedatatablesareveryconfusing,bothintermsofselectingtheappropriatetableandinterpretingthedatawithinthetable.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Nodeficienciesobserved
WebsiteusesPDFiconeffectively.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,limited
Thereisnosearchfunctionforthiswebsite.Youhavetoclickthesearch@censuslinkinthetoprightcornertobetakentoasearchpage.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
limitedTheCPSFAQslinktakestheusertoUS.Census2010Q&ACenter.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
FAQlinkonlyappearsonmainpage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Theparagraphgivinganoverviewofthesurveyrightonthehomepageishelpful.
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4.PopulationEstimatesTestURL:http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle PopulationEstimates 1 1Text OverviewEstimatesDataEstimatesTopics
GeographicTopicsRecentReleasesTheU.S.POPClockhasbeenupdated!TheU.S.populationclockisnowconsistentwithCensus2010dataandthemostrecentnationalpopulationestimates.
1 1
Keywords demographicsresidenthistoricalnationalstatecountymetropolitanbirthsdeathsmigrationchange
01 02
1Themainpagewasnotreturnedinthefirst100results.ThePopulationEstimates:Archives[1990]wasthesecondreturn.2Themainpagewasnotreturnedin21results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite? •1ormoredeficiencies
Thereisasingleglobalnavigationaltoolforthesite.Itisconsistentonallpages.However,thenumberoflinksislimited.Additionallinksonthehorizontalbarorsidebarswouldhelpnavigation.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Therearenotlocationtoolssuchasbreadcrumbtrails.Thesitearchitecturemakesunderstandinghierarchydifficult.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Linksarewelllabeledandmatchtargets.Linkstofilesaretypicallydesignatedbyfiletypeandoccasionallyhavefilesize.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Terminologyiscomplex.Anexample:Thereisnotadistinctdichotomybetweenpopulationestimatesandpopulationprojections,buttherearesomedifferencesintimereferenceandderivation
Fivedifferenttermspagesareavailable(General,Geographical,National,State,HousingUnit).Noneofthesepagesarefoundonthemainpagesorthenavigationbar.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
Theoverviewprovidessomeinformation,butthereisnotsufficientinformationonthemainpage.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Seenavigationcommentsabove.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Themainpageisprimarilylinks.Thereissomehighlightingoftheprominentdata,butnographicsorshowcasing.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Thepagesarenotvisuallyoptimized.Thepageshavelargeareasofunusedspace.Pagesarelonginspacesbetweenlinesduetobulletorotherformattingrequiringverticalscrollingdespitelowcontent(e.g.,EstimatesData).Pagesresizewell.Textislegible.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thereisalackofvisualelements
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsarerarelyused.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Therearetwosearchoptions.Themoreprominent“SearchthisSite”textboxsearchprovidesresultslackingtheURL,whichmakesthesearchsignificantlylessuseful.ThelinktoSearch@CensusprovidesthestandardCensus.govsearch.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
WhiletheSearch@Census isapparentthatitisCensusBureauwide,the“SearchthisSite”isnotclear.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesHelp Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
LimitedNoonlinehelplinksareavailable
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
AlinktotheCensuswideFAQisonlyavailablefromthemainpage.ThisFAQhaslittleinformationonPopulationEstimates.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Nobestpracticesidentified
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5.PopulationandHouseholdEconomicTopicsTestURL:http://www.census.gov/population/www/index.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle PopulationandHouseholdEconomicTopics 1 2Text DatabySubjectSourcesofInformationCensus
2010CoverageMeasurementOtherProductsPopulationClocksPopulationFinderSurveyInformation
1 1
Keywords FamiliesAgeBirthsDeathsMaritalStatusMigrationProjectionsHealthInsurancePoverty
01 01
1Websitedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
ThetophorizontalbarhasgenerallinkswhichisuniversalwithinthePHETpages.However,thelinksinthecontentareaofthemainpageareredundantwiththelinksprovidedonthehorizontaltoolbar.Allthepageshaveself‐referentialclickability.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thereisalackofindicatinglocationorhierarchalorganizationstructure.Therearenolocationclues,orbreadcrumbtrails.Verticalnavigationishampered.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Census2010leadstoanunexpectedpage.PopulationClocksleadsto‘U.S.andWorldPopulationClocks.’SurveyInformationdoesn’tgoestoAboutUs>Survey,whichissomewhatunexpected.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thereisnointroductorytextoranydescriptiontotheproductsthatcanbefoundonthemainpage.Nodescriptionisgivenatanypointwithinthepages.ThelackoftextwithinthePHETpagesisdisconcerting.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
WithinthePHETpages,thereisaconsistentnavigationthemethatenableslateralmovement.Whilethelinksarenotverydescriptiveorwelllabeled,theyareuniquelynamed.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Noprominentinformationisdisplayedotherthanafewnewsheadlines.Sincethereisnodescriptiveinformationorexamplestatistics,itisdifficulttobuildinterestandnoguidanceisgivenbesideslinks.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
DatabySubjectprovides numerouslinkstothemyriadofdata,buttherearenodates,categoriesorfurtherorganizationbesideslistingthenamesonthelinks.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •1ormoredeficiencies
TheDatabySubjectpageiswellorganizedalphabetically.OtherProductsandSourcesofInformationpagesarelesswellsorted.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
ThepagelayoutisconsistentthroughoutthepagesdirectlywithinthePHETpages.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficienciesThereisabundantwhitespaceonthepages.Thepagesresizewell.Textislegible.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Therearenovisualelements.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesSearch Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisavailableinadditiontoalinktothesearchfunctiononthetopbar.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheCOGpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
ItisnotapparentifthetextsearchboxisCensusBureauwideorrestrictedtoPHETpages.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
ExtensiveTherenohelpsection
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
Seriousdeficiencies,Extensive
ThereisnoFAQsection
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Useoftablelistingrecentreleasedates CommonnavigationtoolsforthePHETpages
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6.2007CensusofGovernments(COG)TestURL:http://www.census.gov/govs/cog/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle CensusofGovernments 21 02Text TheCensusofGovernmentsidentifiesthescope
andnatureofthenation'sstateandlocalgovernmentsector;providesauthoritativebenchmarkfiguresofpublicfinanceandpublicemployment;classifieslocalgovernmentorganizations,powers,andactivities;andmeasuresfederal,state,andlocalfiscalrelationships.
23 03,4
Keywords FederalStateLocalMunicipalPayrollTaxesSpendingQuarterlyAnnualFinanceSurvey
01 05
1ThefirstresultwastheGovernmentspagewhichistherootpagefortheCOG.2TheCOGmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe107results.3ThefirstlinkistoanoutdatedCensusofGovernmentsPage.4Thesecondlink(oftwototalreturnedresults)istotheAbouttheDatapage.5TheCOGmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe41results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Therearenumerouspagesthathaveanolderstyleofpresentation(e.g.,TaxStatistics,GovernmentFinanceStatistics,SummaryReports)whichdon’tincludethebestpractices.Thereisasitemap.However,itisn’taccessiblefromthemainpageandisnolongercomplete.Thetophorizontalbarsometimesunexpectedlychanges.E.g.,GetForms‐>GovernmentEmployment&PayrollInthehorizontalnavigationbar,theLatestDatalinktotheCOGmainpageisunintuitive.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
ItisverydifficulttogettotheCOGmainpagefromtheFederal,State&LocalGovernmentspageoneleveldown.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,Limited
On theDefinitionspage,theGetFormslinkisreferringtoanoutdatedpage.WithintheGetFormspages,numerousbrokenlinksexist.The‘SurveyFormbyNumber’pulldownisnotlocatingthedocuments.QuarterlySummaryofState&LocalTaxeshasbrokenlinks.Notallthepageheadingsmatch.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesText&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Universallanguageisusedthroughoutthepages.ThereisanextensiveDefinitionspage.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
ThemainpageprovidesabriefintroductionandtheAbouttheDatapageprovidesabetterandmorethoroughintroduction.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Asdiscussedinnavigation,therearemajorproblems.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•1ormoredeficiencies
FromHistoricalData,theFederalDepositoryLibraryoutsidelinkinnotindicated.
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thereisnothingtofeaturecontentinanenticingmanner.Novisualsorhighlightedstatistics.However,linkstodataonthemainpageareconvenient.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•AdequateWhiletherearenavigationissues,theorganizationisgood.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organizationiswelllaidout.Pageshavegoodsortingandplacement.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•NodeficienciesobservedLayoutisconsistentlygoodthroughoutthesite.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Thepagesreadwell.Thetextiseasilyvisible.Noformattingissues.Thelayoutmakesgooduseofspace.Thepageresizeswelldowntotheminimumwidth(782pixels?).
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
ThereisalackofvisualsintheCOGpages.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
PDFandExceltablesseemtobeverywellformatted.The‘Build‐a‐Table’isaveryusefulandwellformattedtool.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsarenotused.Theywouldbehelpfultoassistinnavigation.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheCOGpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Adequate
ItisapparentfromthelinkthatthesearchincludestheentireCensus.govwebsite.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesHelp Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
LimitedTheFAQisnotwellorientedtotheCOG.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? • Nodeficienciesobserved TheFAQiseasilyavailable
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsiteThenavigationalsystemismodernwithrespecttohaving
Breadcrumbtrail Preventingself‐referentialclickability WithinDefinitions,alphabeticalsortingwithintrapagereferences(e.g,G)andbacktotoplinks(e.g.,BacktoTop) Resizingwindows PressReleasesandWhat’sNewwithdatesonlinks Categorizingcontentusingsidebars/centralinformation Boxeswithheadingscategorizingdifferenttops.Wellshownonthetoppage. Producingcustomgraphswiththe‘Build‐a‐Table’tool.
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7.“BusinessandIndustry”PageTestURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Business&Industry 1 11Text EconomicCensusEconomicIndicatorsOther
economicprograms1 02
Keywords U.S.economicprogramdata 5 231FirstlinkistotheaboutthesurveyspageontheBusiness&Industrypage.Mainpagedoesnotcomeupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults2Websitedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.32ndLinkistooverviewpage.Mainpagedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Therearesomeinstancesofinconsistentnavigationoptions,butoveralltheyareconsistentandeasytouse.Examplesofinconsistencies:ThesidebarwithlinksdisappearsontheAbouttheSurveyspage.The“Aboutthesurveys”linkissometimeslabeled“ProgramOverview”inthenavigationbar.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Sometimesthecurrentlocationisindicatedinthenavigationoptions,sometimesitisnot.Thereareseveralinstancesofinaccuratebreadcrumbs,forexamplehere,here,andhere.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Examplesofinaccuratelywordedlinks:Aboutthesurveys‐>OverviewofEconomicandStatisticalProgramsWomen/Minorites‐>SurveyofBusinessOwners(SBO)The“Aboutthesurveys”linkissometimeslabeled“ProgramOverview”inthenavigationbar.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •1ormoredeficiencies
Itisunclearwhatthedifferenceisbetween“metroareas”and“cities”inthegeographysection.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thereisnointroductorytextonthemainpagesotheuserhasahardtimefiguringoutwhatisavailablefromthewebsite.Itisalsonotclearthebestplacetoobtainactualdata.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,limited
Mainpageshowcasesmostimportantsurveysandmostrecenteconomicindicator,butlackofbackgroundtextprecludesusability.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Theaboutthesurveyspagedoesnotactuallyexplainthesurveysbutratherprovidesalistingofwhichsurveysapplytowhichsectors–itwouldalmostmoreaccuratelybereferredtoas“Databysector”.Also,it’snotclearwhy“states”isthetabselectedwhenyoufirstenterthedatabygeographypageandwhy“title”isthetabselectedonthedatabysurveypage,whenneitheroccursfirstinthelist.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Aboutthesurveysismissingtheleft‐handlinks.Databysurveyismissingtheindustrysearchbox.Alsotherearesmalldifferencesinformattingbetweenthedatabysurveyanddatabygeographypages,eventhoughtheyarenearlyidentical.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenoimagesonthewebsite
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Therearenoiconsonthewebsite.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesSearch Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •Needsimprovement,
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Adequate
Theindustrysearchboxsearchesonlyindustriesandisfunctional.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•Needsimprovement,limited
TheinitialFAQpageistheCensusFAQpagewiththesearchlimitedto“business”
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Thetablesinthedatabygeographyanddatabysurveysectionsareaveryhelpfulwaytodistinguishbetweenthesurveys. Thelatesteconomicindicatorboxonthehomepageisagoodwaytohighlightthemostrecentinformation. Theindustrysearchisusefulforuserslookingforinformationspecifictoanindustry.
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8.EconomicIndicatorsTestURL:http://www.census.gov/cgi‐bin/briefroom/BriefRm
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle EconomicIndicators 21 02Text MonthlyWholesaleTrade:SalesandInventories
Manufacturers'Shipments,Inventories,andOrdersConstructionSpendingNewHomeSalesAdvanceReportonDurableGoodsManufacturers'Shipments,Inventories,andOrdersQuarterlyFinancialReport‐RetailTrade
03 04
Keywords ReleaseMonthlyQuarterlyOrdersShipmentsInventoriesManufacturersConstructionHousingRetailWholesalersTrade
03 05
1Firstresultwasanoutofdatewebsitelinkingtotheindicators,www.economicindicators.gov2Notereturnedwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.3Firstresultwasthe2010EconomicIndicatorReleaseSchedule:byDate.Mainpagewasnotreturnedinthefirst200results.4Firstresultwas2010EconomicIndicatorReleaseSchedule:byDate.Mainpagewasnotreturnedinanyofthe16results.5Firstresultwas2010EconomicIndicatorReleaseSchedule:byDate.Mainpagewasnotreturnedinanyofthe90results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,Extensive
Thenavigationalsystemismostlycontainedbythetophorizontalbar,whichispresentinonlyafewpages.Thereisnotself‐referentialclickabilityprevention.Mostpageshaveadifferentlayout,whichmaybeconnectedtoanotherprogram(e.g.,fromtoppageMonthlyWholesaleTrade:SalesandInventories,ProgramOverview)orjustasastandalonepage(e.g,fromtoppage,ConstructionSpending,ArchivedReleases–2003‐Present).Sinceeachpagechangeslayout,navigationisdifficult.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Therearenobreadcrumbsorotherindicatorsoflocation.Thereisnoconsistenthierarchythroughoutthepages.Thelackofnavigationtoolspreventslateralmovement.Anypagechangesbasicallyrequirereturningtothetoppage.Frequently,therearenotthepropertoolstoreturntothetoppagewithoutusingthebackfunction.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesDolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,Extensive
Thereisnoconsistencybetweenlinklabelsandpageheadings.Linksaregenericallylabeled,whichmaskswhatthepagebehindthemmaybe.Insomecases,labelsarenotusedasidefrom‘PDF’,‘XLS’,or‘CHART’(seetoppage).Linksarenotlabeledconsistently.Insomecases,itisindicatedwhatpage/filetypewillbebehindalink.Frequently,thetypeoffile/pageloadingwillbeunexpected.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Whilethevocabularyismoreadvancedthanageneralaudiencewouldbecomfortablewith,theexpectedaudiencewouldtendtobemoresophisticated.Thatsaid,thereareundefinedwords,abbreviationswhichwouldmaketheuseofthisinformationdifficulttoalayuser.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
Extensive
Thereisnointroductorytextoranyinformationthatdescribestheproductsonthepage.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Asaddressedinnavigation,thereisalackofconsistency(whenpresent)innavigationtools.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Thereisnoindicationwherethelinkswilltravel.Fortunately,nearlyalllinkslandwithinCensus.gov,butmostlinkslandwithindifferenttypesofpages.
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Notextorgraphicsarepresentedtoshowcasedata.Thecurrentandpreviousindicatorreleasesprovideaglimpseofinformation,buttheyarepoorlypresented.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•AdequateThepagesfunctionwithregardstolocatingrecentdata.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Thepagesareindifferentformats.Thelackofcontinuityisverydifficulttoscrollthrough.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Themainpageiswellorganized,butthereisnoordertothelistingoftheindicators.Otherpagestendtolistreleasesbydate.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,Extensive
Fewpagessharecommonlayouts.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate? •1ormoredeficiencies
Thetoppageiswellspacedout.Thelayoutisconsistentifnotintuitive.However,thetoppagehasahorizontalscrollbarforallscreensizeswhichscrollsintowhitespace.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesGraphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Theexamplechartsthatareshownareallformatteddifferently,andmostarenotuptodate(e.g.,CHART[1],CHART[2],CHART[3]).Sincetheyarehardtofindandthenofvaryingquality,theydonotpositivelycontributetothesite.Giventhegraphicalnatureofindicators,itwouldseemveryreasonabletohavegraphsorothervisualfeaturestohighlightthisinformation.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•1ormoredeficiencies
Seeabovecomment.Eachreleaseiswellformatted,butthereisnoconsistencybetweenreleases.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited.
SomeiconsareusedtoindicatePDF,XLS,HTML,TXTtables.Howevermanydonotandtheuseoficonssuffersforalackofconsistency.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •NeedsImprovement,
ExtensiveNotAvailable.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
NotAvailable.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
ExtensiveNotAvailable.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,Extensive
NotAvailable.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Theorganizationalschemeusedforeachindicatormakeslocatingsimilardatabetweenindicatorseasy. Someuserswillappreciate:
o TheRSSFeedo Providingthepressreleasesinmultipleformatswithiconso Statingthereleasedatesforeachindicator
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9.2007EconomicCensusTestURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/census07/index.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle 2007EconomicCensus 1 1Text TheeconomiccensusprofilesU.S.nationaland
localeconomiesevery5years.1 1
Keywords U.S.nationaleconomicinformationindustrybusiness
10 61
1Linkistodefinitionspageofwebsite.Mainpagedoesnotcomeupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigation Doeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Thenavigationbardoesn’tconveythetruedepthofthewebsite–therearesometopicsthatareavailablebutdonotappearinthenavigationbar‐forexample.Anotherexample.Asaresult,somepartsofthewebsiteareverydifficulttofind.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Pageswithintheuserguidedonothighlighttherelevantwebsitesectioninthenavigationbar.Thebusinessdatayoucanusepagedoesnotusebreadcrumbs.Theinformationhierarchyisconfusingbecauseseveraltopicswithintheuserguidearepresentedasseparatetopicsinthesitemap.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Adequate
Thereisenoughtextonthehomepagethattheusercaneasilynavigatetolearnmoreinformationorgetdataasdesired.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Again,forthemostpartthisisgood,butthereareissueswiththeomissionofcertaintopicsfromthenavigationbarasdiscussedabove.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Analphabeticaltableofcontentsonthedefinitionspagewouldbehelpful.Thesitemapisalsoalittleoverwhelmingbecausetherearealotoftopics(someofwhicharenotfeaturedinthenavigationbar)andthe3‐columnsetupwithscrollingmakesitdifficulttoviewallatonce.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Somepageshavealeft‐handlinkbarandsomedonot.Itwouldbeusefulifthiswasdeployedthroughoutthewebsite.Thebusinessdatayoucanusepagedepartssignificantlyfromthepagelayout.Otherwisethelayoutisveryconsistentthroughoutthesite.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficienciesThesitemapcouldbeeasiertoviewvisually.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement? •Adequate
Thehomepagemakesgooduseofimagesandtheuseoftablesthroughoutthewebsitetoorganizelinksishelpful.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•1ormoredeficiencies
The“checkoutindustrysnapsnots”graphiconthemainpagedoesn’tdescribeverywellthecontentonthelinkedpage.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Searchisanoptioninthenavigationbar–youhavetogotoaseparatepagetosearch.Theindustrysearchoptionisonlyavailableonthemainpage.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•AdequateItisveryhelpfulthattheFAQpagesarecontainedwithintheeconomiccensuswebsite.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Thehomepagedoesagoodjoboffeaturingthecontentonthewebsitewithoutoverwhelmingtheuserandmakesgooduseof
images. Theinclusionofasitemapishelpful. Userscansignupforemailnotificationswhennewdataarereleased. TherearevideotutorialsforusingFactFinder. Mostpagestakeadvantageofpagelayouttomakeinformationeasiertoview. TheFAQsarepartiallyincludedwithinthewebsiteratherthanjustlinkingtotheCensusFAQsite. Theuserguideishelpfulforunderstandinghowtoobtaininformation.
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10.CountyBusinessPatternsTestURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle CountyBusinessPatterns 1 01Text Thesethreeprogramscovermostofthecountry's
economicactivity,asdescribedinanintroduction.Theseriesexcludesdataonself‐employedindividuals,employeesofprivatehouseholds,railroademployees,agriculturalproductionemployees,andmostgovernmentemployees.Forinformationonbusinesseswithnopaidemployees,seeNonemployerStatistics.
22 03
Keywords economicactivityindustrylocalmarketannualNAICSemploymentestablishments
04 05
1FirstresultwasforanoutdatedCBPpage,www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html.ThecurrentCBP mainpagewasnotreturnedin112results.2FirstresultwastheCBPIntroductionpage. 3TheCBPmainpagewasnotreturnedin13results.4TheCBPmainpagewasnotreturnedinfirst100results.5TheCBPmainpagewasnotreturnedin75results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Thesitehasgoodintegrationofamodernnavigationsystem.Withlimitedexception,alltheCBPpageshavemodernnavigationtools.Self‐referentialclickabilityhasbeenprevented.Navigationtabsareconsistentbetweenpages.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Abreadcrumbtrailisprovided,andtheURLarchitectureisintuitivetogiveextralocationfeedback.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •1ormoredeficiencies
Generally,linkslabelsmatchtargetpageheadings,thoughnotalways(e.g.,HowtheDataareCollected‐>CoverageandMethodology).Linksarewelllabeledanddescriptive.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Theterminologycanbeoverlycomplex(e.g.,CoverageandMethodology),andonlyalimitedDefinitionspageisprovided.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Adequate
Thebriefintroductiononthefrontpageistooshort,butthedetailedintroductionpageprovidesagoodoverview.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
Horizontalmovementisaccessiblethroughthehorizontalnavigationbar.Thebreadcrumbshelpwithverticalnavigation.Linksarewelllabeledtoindicatetheircontent.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Alloutsidelinksappeartobeindicatedinsomefashion.
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thetoppagedoesnothaveanyinterestbuildinginformation,onlythescopeofreportingisprovided.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Themostrecentdataare abletobeaccessedinmultiplewaysfromthemainpage.Thisisagoodfeatureofthesite.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•AdequateTheinformationispresentedconsistentlyandinanintuitivemanner.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Informationislogicallypresented.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Thetherearedifferentformatsformanyofthepages.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thepagesarevisuallyoptimizedacrossmanymonitorsizes.Thepagelayoutisliquidandwillresizewelldowntominimumsize.Visualrealestateiswellused.Whitespacesareavoided.Afewformattingproblemsarepresent:Onthetoppage,themetropolitanandmicropolitanstatisticalareasdropdownisalignedrightwhentheotherdropdownsareinlinewithothertext.Thereleasescheduleonthetoppageunderlineswhenthemouseisoverthetext.Thiserroneouslyappearstobeahyperlink,andisverymisleading.OntheDefinitionsandHistoricalDatapages,somedefinitionsareunderlined,whicherroneouslyappeartobehyperlinks.OntheCoverageandMethodologypage,thePDFdownload/policyblurbisinthetextwhenitshouldbeatthepagebottom.HeadingsalternatebetweenFirstCapandALLCAPS(e.g.,Definitionsvs.AbouttheData).
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Criteria Evaluation NotesGraphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Mapsareproducedforeachdataquery.Otherwisethesiteislackinggraphics.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Whilethehtmltablesarenotvisuallyoptimized,theyarefunctionalandreadable.Theoptionstoexporttotextorcsvareexcellenttools.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsarerarelyused,butareusedinsomecasestoindicateoutsidelinksandPDFfiles.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheCBPpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Adequate
ItisapparentfromthelinkthatthesearchincludestheentireCensuswebsite.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •AdequateIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
TheFAQlinktakesyoutotheACensusFAQpagewhichdirectsbacktoanFAQwithintheCBPsite.ItwouldbemuchsimplertojustlinktotheFAQwithintheCBPsite.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite CBPspecificlandingpageintheFAQ Consistentuseofpageformattingandnavigationaltools Optiontoexporthtmltablesto.csvor.txtfiles. Consolidatedandorganizedreferencestohistoricaltables
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11.CountyandCityDataBookTestURL:http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ccdb.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle CountyandCityDataBook 1 1Text TheCountyandCityDataBookisthemost
comprehensivesourceofinformationabouttheindividualcountiesandcitiesintheUnitedStates.
1 1
Keywords U.S.businessageearningsestablishmentsclimateracewatertopicalareas
1 1
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•SeriousDeficiencies,extensive
Thereisnonavigationalsystemonthiswebsite.Forexample.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thereisnonavigationalsystemorbreadcrumbsstructureonthewebsite.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
StatisticalAbstractoftheUnitedStates→The2011StatisticalAbstract
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Ingeneraltheterminologyusedonthewebsiteisstraightforward,butthesitedoeslackadatadictionaryexplainingthemeaningofdifferentmetricsinthetables(e.g.,whatisan“establishment”)
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thereisnonavigationsystem.Additionally,thefiguresandtablesofthedatabookaredifficulttonavigateasduplicateinformationisavailableforstates,counties,etc.,andthereisnotableofcontents.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,limited
It’snotclearwhatthedifferenceisbetweenthetablesintheonlinepublicationandtheselectedfeatures,ifany.TheselectedfeaturesarepresentedasanafterthoughteventhoughtheyprovidebothexcelandPDFcopiesofdatawhereastheonlinepublicationisPDFsonly.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •1ormoredeficiencies
Therearealotoftablesonthepublicationpagewhichisinitiallyhardtonavigate.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •1ormoredeficiencies
Fontsdifferonsomepages. ThefontsizeoftheCensusnavigationbaralsochangesondifferentpages.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Onlythemainpageemploysgraphics,therecouldbemoregraphicsorbetterlayoutonotherpagestobreakuptext.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•1ormoredeficiencies
TableareonlyavailableinPDForXLSformat,thereisnooptiontoviewasaHTMLpage.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies Therearenoicons.PDFiconisnot
used.Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •Needsimprovement,
limitedItispresentedasalinktotheCensussearchtoolratherthanasatextbox.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Needsimprovement,
extensiveThereisnohelpforthissectionofthewebsite.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Thereisnoaccesstohelponthispage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Theuseoftheimageofthepublicationhelpsmakethemainpagevisuallyappealing.Theintroductiononthemainpageisalso
verygood. ThelinkstootherCensusBureauwebsiteswithrelevantinformationarealsohelpful.
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12.GeographyTestURL:http://www.census.gov/geo/www/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Geography 24 01Text GeographicProgramsTIGER®Page2010Census
GeographicProductsLandView®6MapsandMappingResourcesCensusTractResourcesUnderstandingCensusGeography‐ReferenceResourcesCensus2000GeographicProducts
1 02
Keywords MapsTractTIGERLandViewLUCABoundaryDistrictPUMA
1 03
Keywords MapsTractTIGERLandViewLUCA 6 041TheGeographywebpagewasnotreturnedinthe135results.2Thefirst,secondandthirdresultswereforhelpfilesforLandView[pdf](1,2,3).TheGeographywebpagewasnotreturnedinfourresults.3Nopageswerereturnedusingthesekeywords.4Thefirst,secondandthirdwereforvariousfilesinGeographysubdirectories(1,2,3).TheGeographywebpagewasnotreturnedinfiveresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Notoolsareprovidedtoaidnavigationthroughoutthesite.WithintheTIGERpages,alefttableprovidesadecentnavigationtoolonsomepages.However,thisisn’tpresentonallpagesanddoesn’thaveself‐referencingprevention.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
NonavigationtoolsareprovidedwithintheGeositetoallowforhorizontalnavigation.Anyhorizontallocationrequiresgoingbackapage.Nobreadcrumbsareavailabletohelpwithverticalnavigation.However,thesitearchitectureiswellstructuredvertically.TheURLisabletogivegoodindicationofverticallocation.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Mostlinksarewelllabeled.Linklabelsmatchthetargetpagetitlesverycloselyorexactlynearlyallthetime.OneexceptionwouldbeontheGeographicProgramspage,thetargetoftheCooperativeResearchandDevelopmentAgreements(CRADA)linkisapagenamedCooperativeProgramswithCommercialPartners,thoughCRADAisprominentsubjectinthetext.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesText&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Jargonisusedfrequentlyonthesepages.Sincethetypicaluserofthesitewillbemoreadvanced,thisismoreacceptable.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
Extensive
Essentiallynointroductoryinformationisgiven.Mostpagesconsistonlyoflinksandsinglelinedescriptions.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Navigationtoolsasmentionedabovearenearlynon‐existentsobacksteppingisfrequentlyrequiredforbrowsing.LinkstoPDFandotherfilestypesareverywellmarked.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Veryfewlinksgotoexternalsites.IdidcatchnumerousunlabeledexternallinksontheLandViewpages(e.g.,CAMEOontheLandViewmainpage).
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Nointerestgeneratingcontentisfeaturedonthehomepage.Themostimportantproductsarelistedonthehomepage.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
Prominentprogramsandproductsarelistedonthehomepage,butanyoftheirinformationorfeaturesareburiedinsubpages.Eachpagetendstohighlightthemostrecentinformation(e.g.,TIGER).
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Withineachgroup,pagestendtobesimilarlyandintuitivelyorganized,buteachdifferentgroupmayhaveseparatelayoutschemes.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •1ormoredeficiencies
Thepagesarenotpresentedinanintuitivemanner.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
Extensive
Thelayoutisveryinconsistentbetweenpages.Itisevidentthatthepagesarefromnumerousgenerationsandsub‐programs.(e.g.,1,2,3)
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Seriousdeficiencies,Extensive
Thepagesarenotvisuallyappealing.Theuseofheadersandbulletpointsgivesanamateurishandoutdatedqualitytothepage.Thewindowsdoresizeanddonotrequirehorizontalscrollingfor768pixelandabovemonitorwidths,thoughhorizontalscrollingisrequirefor600pixelwidths.Largepatchesofunusedspacearepresent,requiringverticalscrollingdespitealackofcontent.Anyattemptatorganizationcouldplacesignificantinformationabovethescreenfold.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesGraphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Therearelimitedvisualelements.Thefewimagesareveryoutdated(e.g.,LandView,TIGER).ConsideringthegraphicalnatureofGeography,thisseemsparticularlyegregious.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•1ormoredeficiencies
Tableformatisgenerallyveryrough,(e.g.,1,2).
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsarenotused.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheGeopages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Adequate
ItisapparentfromthelinkthatthesearchincludestheentireCensus.govwebsite.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •AdequateIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,Limited
TherearetwoseparateFAQsontheTIGERpage,TIGERFrequentlyAskedQuestionsandAnswerstoFrequentlyAskedQuestions.ThelatterisageneralGeoFAQ,whichbelongsontheGeomainpage.ItisdifficulttofindtheFAQs
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite WelldefinedURLarchitecture Gooddescriptionsonhyperlinks
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13.DataToolsTestURL:http://www.census.gov/main/www/access.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle DataAccessTools 1 1Text TheAmericanFactFinder‐Thisinteractive
applicationsupportstheEconomicCensus,theAmericanCommunitySurvey,the1990Census,Census2000andthelatestPopulationEstimates
2 1
Keywords applicationstoobtaincensusinformation 1 011Doesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
N/A–Thiswebsiteisasinglepage
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Inmanycasesthetargetpagedoesnotmatchthelinktext,howeverinthefollowingcasesitisunclearwhatthedestinationpageis,forexample:Census2000EEODataTool→EqualEmploymentOpportunity(EEO)Onlinemappingtools→MapsinAmericanFactFinder
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Inmanycases,thedescriptionsfordatatoolsarevagueanduninformative,forexample:OnlineMappingTools‐usingTIGERandtheAmericanFactFinder(WhatisTIGER?)
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thereisnointroductiontothewebsite–itisjustabulletedlistoflinks.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Somelinknamesarevagueormisleading(e.g.,“Onlinemappingtools).Withnointroduction,itishardtograspthebreadthofthesiteotherthanperusingthelinksonebyone.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thereisnointroductionshowcasingthecontentonthepage.Itisunclearwhichlinksaremorepertinentorusefulthanothers.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thebulletedlistoflinksdoesnotindicatewhichmightbemostpertinentorrelevant(theydonotappeartobelistedinanyparticularorder).Thetoptwolinkshavenointroductionsoitisunclearwhattypeofsitestheylinkto.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Websiteisonlyonepage,but thelinksarenotorganizedinamannerwhichiseasytocomprehend.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
Itdoesn'tseemlikethereisarationalefortheorderingofthelinks.Thetoptwolinkshavenoexplanationdifferentiatingthem.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved Websiteisonlyonepage.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearefewvisualelementsonthepage–justalistoflinks.Screenshotsofthesearchtoolsmighthelpguideusers.Theimagesatthetopofthepageseemirrelevant.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •Nodeficienciesobserved TherearenotablesorgraphicsAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies Therearenoicons
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Yes,althoughitispresentedasalinktotheCensussearchtoolratherthanasatextbox.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Adequate ThisisahelpsiteIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limitedThereisnoaccesstohelponthispage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Nobestpracticesidentified
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14.DataFerrettTestURL:http://dataferrett.census.gov/ThisreviewexcludestheDataFerrettapplicationandfocusesonlyonthewebpages.
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle DataFerrett 1 01Text WelcometotheDataFerrettforTheDataWeb
DataFerrettisauniquedataanalysisandextractiontool—withrecodingcapabilities—tocustomizefederal,state,andlocaldatatosuityourrequirements.(FERRETTstandsforFederatedElectronicResearch,Review,Extraction,andTabulationTool.)
1 02
Keywords analysisextractionminingfederalstatelocalquerytablesbeta
1 02
1Themainpagewasnotreturnedinthe60searchresults.2Nosearchresultswerereturned.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thereisanavigationsystem,butitisn’tpresentonallpagesnorisitconsistentonallthepageswhereitispresent.Theleftsidebarispresentonasignificantnumberofpages,buttherightsidebarisfrequentlynotpresent.Onsomepages,selfreferencinglinksareeliminated(e.g.,theDataFerrettHomelinkinthelefttoolbarisabsentonthetoppage).However,thisisn’tthecaseforallpages,andsomedohaveselfreferencinglinks(e.g.,DatasetsAvailable).
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Nobreadcrumbsorothertoolsareprovidedforidentifyinglocationwithinthesite.Clickingsomelinksbringsupaseparatetaborwindow.ThisisreasonableforopeningtheDataFerrettapplet,butisnotacceptableforpageswithintheDataFerrettwebsite.Thewebsitearchitecturedoesnotaidinverticallynavigating.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,Extensive
Veryfewofthelinksmatchthetargetpageheadings.Mostwillbeclose,butnearlyallareincorrect.Thereisaseriousproblemwithdownloadablefilesnotbeing
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Criteria Evaluation Notesindicated.Moviedownloadsfromthetoppageshouldbelabeledasfiletypewithfilesize(e.g.,DataFerrettVideoshouldincludealabellike[.mov,31.4MB]).Also,clickingtheferretimageintheupperleftcornerunexpectedlydownloadsthevideo.Worddocumentsarenotindicated(e.g,ChildrenUnder18belowPovertyfromtheUseExamplespage).WorddocumentsshouldbehtmlorPDFformatted.Themoreegregiousproblemareunlabeledexecutablefiledownloads(e.g.,ProductionDataFerrettApplication–hyperlinknotincluded).Theseshouldbeverywelllabeled,asbrowsersdonotlikeunexpected.exedownloads–theyappearlikeasecuritythreat.FromtheFAQspage,nearlyallthelinksontheleftsidebararebroken.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
TheuseofstatisticalandCensuslanguageisveryfrequentthroughouttheDataFerrettpages.Somedefinitionsareprovided,buttheyarescatteredaboutthewebsite.Adefinitionspagewithinacombinedhelpsectionwouldbeuseful.However,thispageisprobablyonlygoingtobeusedbythemostadvancedusers,soexplainingallterminologieshereislessneeded.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Adequate
Thereisasufficientintroductionandenoughsupportandtutorialstohelpnewusersbecomefamiliarwiththefunctionality.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Seecommentsthroughnavigation.Thereisalackofconsistencyinthelayoutregardingthelackofconsistentglobalnavigationtoolsthatmakesbrowsingdifficult.Furtherthereisoftenminorvariationbetweenpageswiththeglobalnavigationtoolsthatmakessomelinksdisappearandformattingtochange.Thisisverydisorienting.Unexpectedfiledownloadsandpagepop‐upsfurthertanglebrowsing.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
WiththeexceptionoftheunlabeledexternallinksontheDatasetspage,thereseemtobefewoutsidelinks.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•AdequateThereisplentyofcontentandinformationavailabletoshowcasetheDataFerrettapplication.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
SincethedataareretrievedwiththeDataFerrettapplication,thisquestionisoutsidethescopeofthiswebsiteevaluation.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Organizationisscattered.Thereisplentyofinformationavailable,butitmaybeburiedinpagesordifficulttofind.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Contentiswellorganized(e.g.,DatasetsAvailable).
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,Extensive
Pagelayoutismostlyconsistent,butlayoutproblemsarepresentthroughoutthesite.Inconstantlayout(e.g.,ExampleQueriesvs.mainpage)occursevenwhenallthecommonnavigationtoolsarepresent.Otherwise,thepagesvaryinformatting.Tutorialbecomebasicandrawhtml(e.g.,QuickTour)whentheycouldbeintegratedintothecenterframe.Expectedlinksonthe(e.g.,DataFerrettHelpDeskandDataFerrettTeamEmailonthesidebarappeartobelinksbutarestatictext.)
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Seriousdeficiencies,Limited
Therearesomeveryunusualproblemswiththedisplay.Onsomecases,goodeffortsaremadetopresentavisuallyappealingpage,howeverthedeficienciesoverwhelmthepositives.Thetextismostlylegible,thoughreadingbrowntextonabluebackgroundorbluetextonayellow‐tanbackgroundismildlydifficultduetolackofcontrast.Onthemainpage,thereisnocontentonthebottomhalfofthepage,yetverticalscrollingisrequiredtogettothefooter.Ironically,thetwosidebarsandcentercontentarewellbalancedsothatscrollingshouldnotberequired.AsimilarproblemoccursontheFAQs,wherethereisoverapageworthofblankspaceatthepagebottom.Asidefromblanksectionsatpagebottoms,thepagesusescreenrealestatewell.Themainpagesalsoresizeeffectively,andeven600pixelwidthmonitorsdonotrequirehorizontalscrolling.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesGraphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thegraphicspresentmayincreaseuserengagement.However,theimagespresenthaveacutesyorarchaicpresentation–notprofessionalbycurrentstandards.TheDataFerrettVideoisadecentpresentation,butfewuserswillwanttodownloadthefiletoviewit.Itwouldbemuchbetterservedasaninpageflashvideo[i.e.,YouTubestylevideo].
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•1ormoredeficiencies
Tablesareavoidedforthispage.Thereareabout5differentferretimages,noneofwhichareconsistent.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsaresparselyusedthroughoutthesite.TheMacIconintherighttoolbarwouldbeveryhelpfulinlabelingfiletypesorassistinginnavigation.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheDataFerrettpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Adequate
ItisapparentfromthelinkthatthesearchincludestheentireCensus.govwebsite.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•Adequate
Thehelpresourcesareplacedinmultipleareas.TheFAQs,arelocatedintheleftsidebar.Troubleshootingisintherightsidebar,andisn’tpresentonsomepages.TheNeedmoreinformation?pageisburiedontheBetapage,andnotaccessiblefromthetoppage.Therearealsoampleuserguidesandexamples.Thetutorials,whicharenumerous,areofvaryingquality.Theissueisn’tthepresenceofhelpresources,ratheritisthattheirintegrationintothesiteispoorsotheyarescatteredthroughoutthepages.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
TherearenumerousFAQ/help/tutorials,butlocatingthemisdifficult.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Numeroustutorialsandinstruction
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15.ListingbySubjectTestURL:http://www.census.gov/main/www/a2z/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle SubjectsAtoZ 1 1Text AccessDataToolsAccommodationandFood
Services3 4
Keywords Alphabeticallistingoftopicsoncensuswebsite 1 011Doesnotappearinsearchresults
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Therearenobreadcrumbsonthewebsite,butthenavigationhighlightsthecurrentlocationandbreadcrumbsdonotseemnecessary.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Therearesomeinconsistent/confusinglinks,orplaceswhereitisunclearhowdestinationrelatestothetopicinthelisting:Accessdatatools;Dataaccess,tools,&processing‐>DataAccessToolsDynamicsofEconomicwellbeing‐>WellbeingMining‐>Manufacturing&ConstructionStatistics
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Thereissomeunfamiliarterminology,butsinceitisanindexoftopicsitisnotanissue.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Adequate
Thereisnointroduction,butasthewebsiteisanA‐to‐ZlistingofallCensusBureautopics,anintroductiondoesnotseemnecessary.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,limited
Sometimeswhenmultiplesub‐linksarelistedunderatopic,itisdifficulttoselectwhichlinkismostappropriate(e.g.,Linksunder“Age”or“Population”).
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Needsimprovement,limited
“Newonsite”ontherightsideofthepageisnotuptodate(Ifyouclickthelinkthenewestinformationaddedtothesiteisnotwhatisfeaturedinthesidebar).
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Adequate
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •Needsimprovement,
limitedSearchisalinkthatyouhavetoclicktogettothesearchpage.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Adequate ThisisahelpsiteIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limitedThereisnoaccesstohelponthispage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Thepagelayoutandnavigationisconsistentandeasytouse ThePDFiconisusedconsistentlytoindicatePDFfilesinthelisting.
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16.NewFactFinderTestURL:http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle AmericanFactFinder 01 02Text Yoursourceforpopulation,housing,economic,and
geographicdata03 02
Keywords searchforcensus2010data 04 021OldversionofAFFisfirstlinkinsearchresults;however,alinktothenewAFFappearsasanadintheGoogle searchresults.2Websitedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults3OldversionofAFFisfirstlinkinsearchresults4OldversionofAFFis3rdlinkinsearchresults
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
PagelacksCensuswebsiteglobalnavigationoptions.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Therearenobreadcrumbs,butnavigationbarhighlightsdoanadequatejobofindicatinglocationinhierarchy.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Thereissometerminology,e.g.“RacePermutation”,the“Allocation/imputation”datatype;themeaningofthedifferent“producttypes”and“datasets”arenotimmediatelyclear.Tablenamesandothersearchresultsoftenareunclearlywordedordifficulttounderstand–forexample,thedifferentkindsofgeographiesinthegeographysearch.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Needsimprovement,
extensive
Thereisverylittletextonthemainpageexplainingwhatisavailableandhowtousethesite.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,limited
Overallthisisgood;howeverboth“FAQs”and“Help”arepresentinthenavigationbar.FAQsislistedfirstandgoestotheCensusQ&Apage;HelpisspecifictoAFF.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Searchresultsusuallyfeaturealonglistoftables,manyofwhichappearsimilar,whicharenotsortedbyrelevance,makingitdifficulttoidentifythemostrelevantdatasource.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficienciesNavigationoptionsareformatteddifferentlyonmainpage.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficienciesProblemwithhorizontalscrollingonmainpage.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Mainpagemakesgooduseofimages,butremainderofwebsitedoesnotusevisualelements.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
The“quickstart”searchseemstorelyonveryspecificphrases,especiallyforgeography,whichmakesitdifficulttouse.Thereisalsonowaytosearchotherthanusingthequicksearchorsearchtools,andnowaytosearchtheentireCensus.govwebsite.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •AdequateIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Thehelppageopensinanewwindowsoyoucancontinuetosearch. Thefeedbacklinkisapopupboxonthepage. Youcanviewmapsofdata Youcantransposerowsandcolumnsinatable Websitemakesgooduseoficons Youcansavequeriesforlaterretrieval “Didyouknow”featureprovidesinterestingdata
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17.SurveyofIncomeandProgramParticipationTestURL:http://www.census.gov/sipp/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle SurveyofIncomeandProgramParticipation 1 01Text2 ThemainobjectiveofSIPPistoprovideaccurate
andcomprehensiveinformationabouttheincomeandprogramparticipationofindividualsandhouseholdsintheUnitedStates,andabouttheprincipaldeterminantsofincomeandprogramparticipation.SIPPoffersdetailedinformationoncashandnoncashincomeonasubannualbasis.
1 1
Keywords incomeindividualhouseholdtaxeslaboreligibilitycoverageeconomicgovernmenttransferaid
03 04
1TheSIPPmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe213results.Thesecond result theSIPPWorkingPaperspage.2SincetheSIPPmainpageisgraphical,textfromtheIntroductiontoSIPPpagewasusedinthequery.ThereturnedpositionofthequeryreflectstheIntroductiontoSIPPpage.3TheSIPPmainpagewasnotreturnedinthefirst100results.4TheSIPPmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe73results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Thereisaglobalnavigationtoolintheformofagraphicallinkatthetopofthepage.Thisis(redundantly)duplicatedintextformatthebaseofthepage.Thistoolisincludedonmanypages(excludingthetutorial)withintheSIPPsite.Themainpagehasaverydifferentlayoutandnavigationtoolsthantheremainderofthepages.Thismakesforadisorientingtransitionfromthemainpagetotheremainderofthesite.Therearemanypagesthatareonlyaccessiblefromthemainpageandcannotbefoundthroughtheglobalnavigationtools.(e.g.,AccessSIPPSyntheticData,SIPPSmallGrants)Thereisnoself‐referentialclickabilityprevention.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Thereisabreadcrumbstrailprominentlydisplayedonmostpageswhichgivesverticalorderandencouragesverticalmovement.Theglobalnavigationtoolsalloweasyhorizontalmovement.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficienciesForthemostpart,linksandpageheadingsmatch.LimitedexamplesofnonmatcheswouldincludeAccess
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Criteria Evaluation NotesSIPPSyntheticData‐>SIPPSyntheticBetaDataProduct,AccessSIPPData‐>SIPPAccessTools
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficienciesobserved
Manyunfamiliartermsarepresent.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Someoutsidelinksarenotindicated.OneexampleistheSIPPListServe,whichalsopopsupanunexpectednewwindow.
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Thereisnoinformationonthemainpage,justacollectionoflinksandimages.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
Thepublicationsandtechnicaldocumentsarereadilyaccessible,butfindinglineitemdataisdifficult.SincetheprimarytoolisDataFerrett,thedataarenoteasilyaccessiblefromtheSIPPsites.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Thereisamostlyuniversalformattothepages.However,someotherlayoutsarepresent.Onepagethatdoesnotfollowtheformatistechnicaldocuments.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate? •1ormoredeficiencies
Thepagesarevisuallyoptimized.Eventhoughthepagesautomaticallyresizeforwindowwidth,horizontalscrollingisrequiredonallpages.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thetutorialusesvisuals,butvisualsareotherwiseabsentfromthesite.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies Iconsarerarelyused.Theyareonly
usedononepage
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Criteria Evaluation NotesSearch Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
AsearchtoolfortheentireCensusBureauwebsiteisincludedviaalinkatthebottomofthepage.Thiscouldbeimprovedwithatextsearchboxintheupperrightcorner.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
ItisnotclearfromtheSIPPpages,butfromthesearchpageitisfairlyclearthatthesearchisfortheentireCensus.govsite.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Theonlyindicationofhelpisalinkwithane‐mailaddress.Thislinkappearslikeawebpagelink,butcontainsonlyane‐mailaddress.Therearetutorialsanduserinformationavailable,buttherearenohelpdocumentsavailable.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,Extensive
ThereisnolinktotheFAQ.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Breadcrumbstrails Consistentlayoutwith(mostly)globalnavigation Interactivetutorial
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18‐20.Monthly&AnnualRetailTradeTestURL:http://www.census.gov/retail/index.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle MonthlyandAnnualRetailTrade 1 1Text TheNovember2010AdvanceMonthlySalesfor
RetailTradeandFoodServicesreportwasreleasedonDecember14,2010at8:30a.m.,andavailableas:
1 1
Keywords U.S.salesdatatrade 1 011Doesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Onepagelacksthenavigationoptions.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thereareacoupleofpages whereitisunclearwherewithinthesitehierarchytheylie.Ononepage,thenavigationpanelandbreadcrumbsdonotreflectthesamelocation.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •1ormoredeficiencies
Linkstodataonmainpagetalkabout“adjustmentfactors”,howeverthistermisdefinedonthedefinitionspage.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,limited
Itwouldbeeasiertonavigateifthepartsofthesitepertainingtothespecificsurveyswerelinkedtoeachother.Themostrecentdataareonlyavailableonthemainpageandarenotincludedinthenavigationalstructure.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently? •Needsimprovement,
limited
Thehomepagefeaturesthemostrecentdata,butitcouldbenefitfrommorebackgroundinformation.Therearefewlinkstootherrelevantinformationonthewebsitefromthemainpage.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
Minorissue:Itseemslike“Howthedataarecollected”isrelatedto“Aboutthesurveys”butthetwotopicsareinnowayconnectedonthewebsite.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenographicsonthesite,otherthanintheheader.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Therearenoiconsusedonthewebsite.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •Needsimprovement,
extensiveYouhavetoclickthelinktobetakentothesearchpage.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
ThereareseveraloptionsforFAQcategoriesthattakeyoutothecentralCensusQ&Apagewithaspecifickeywordsearchselected.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Themostrecentdataarefeaturedonthemainpage. Theimagesintheheaderseemsuitedtothesubjectmaterial. ThereisanactualFAQpagewithinthewebsitebeforeyouaretakentothecentralCensusQ&Asitewiththelinks. Thereisalistingofrelevantdefinitions.
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21.AnnualSurveyofManufacturers(ASM)TestURL:http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/asm/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle AnnualSurveyofManufacturers 1 01Text TheAnnualSurveyofManufactures(ASM)
providessampleestimatesofstatisticsforallmanufacturingestablishmentswithoneormorepaidemployee.Conductedannually,exceptforyearsendingin2and7,atwhichtimeASMstatisticsareincludedinthemanufacturingsectoroftheEconomicCensus.
1 02
Keywords economicemploymentpayrolllabormaterialsexpensescostsvalueshipmentscapitalinventoriesindustrygeographic
1 03
1ThefirstresultwasforanoutdatedASMpage.ThecurrentASMmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe171results.2TheASMmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe29results.3ThenineteenthresultwasforanoutdatedASMpage.ThecurrentASMmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe91results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
ThenavigationalsystemandcommonlayoutispresentonallASMpages.Thehorizontalnavigationbarpreventsself‐referencing,thoughanASMlinkontherelatedsitessidebarisalwayspresent.TheASMpageslookidenticalincolorandlayouttosomeotherEconproducts(e.g.,CurrentIndustrialReports),whichcanmakenavigationconfusing.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Thereisabreadcrumbtrailassistinginverticalnavigation.Thehorizontalnavigationbarhelpslateralmovementwithinthesite.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficienciesThereareoutdatedorbrokenlinksonsomepages(e.g.,3linksonAbouttheSurveys).
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •1ormoredeficiencies
Industryjargonisusedthroughoutthesite.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
TheAbouttheSurveys andmain pageprovidesomeintroduction,butnotenoughtowelldescribethescopeoftheprogram.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thelimitedexternallinksarelabeled.However,fewifanysiteswithintheCensus.govbutoutsidetheASMpagesarelabeled(e.g.,GetFormsandanylinktoFactfinderpages).Thiscausessomeabruptandunexpectedpagechanges.ThesimilaritytotheotherpagesmakesiteasytounknowinglybeonotherCensus.govsites.
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•AdequateThemainpagepresentsthelinkstothecontent.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•AdequateThelinkstothemaindatainFactfinderareeasilyfoundonthemainpage.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Pagesarewellformattedandresizewell.Textislegibleandwellspaced.Thereissomeunusedspacebelowtheleftandrightsidebars.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Asidefromimagesonthetophorizontalbar,therearenographics.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•Nodeficienciesobserved
N/AsinceinformationispresentedinFactfinder.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsarenotusedinthesite.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheASMpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
LimitedThereisverylimitedonlinehelpintheASMpages.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Nobestpracticesidentified
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22‐23.Annual&QuarterlyServicesTestURL:http://www.census.gov/services/index.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Annual&QuarterlyServices 1 1Text The2008AnnualServices reportwasreleased
betweenDecember2009andJanuary2010.4 1
Keywords datainformationtransportationartshealthcaresector
1 11
1Thirdresultisthedatapageofthewebsite.Websitemainpageappearsas8th searchresult.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Somepages(mainlythoselinkedfromthemainpage)arenotincludedinthenavigationalsystem,whichmakesthemdifficulttofind.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thebreadcrumbsonlyincorporatesitesatthetoptwolevels–afterthatthecurrentlocationdoesnotappearinthebreadcrumbs,forexample.Somepagesalsodonothighlightthecurrentsectioninthenavigationbar.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •1ormoredeficiencies
Linkstodataonmainpagetalkabout“seasonaladjustmentfactors”
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,limited
Itwouldbeeasiertonavigateifthepartsofthesitepertainingtothespecificsurveyswerelinkedtoeachother.Themostrecentdataareonlyavailableonthemainpageandarenotincludedinthenavigationalstructure.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently? •Needsimprovement,
limited
Thehomepagefeaturesthemostrecentdata,butitcouldbenefitfrommorebackgroundinformation.Therearefewlinkstootherrelevantinformationonthewebsitefromthemainpage.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
Minorissue:Itseemslike“Howthedataarecollected”isrelatedto“Aboutthesurveys”butthetwotopicsareinnowayconnectedonthewebsite.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenographicsonthesite,otherthanintheheader.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Therearenoiconsusedonthewebsite.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •Needsimprovement,
limitedYouhavetoclickthelinktobetakentothesearchpage.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Needsimprovement,
limitedTheonlinehelpjustgoestotheCensuscentralQ&Apage
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Themostrecentdataarefeaturedonthemainpage. Thereisalistingofrelevantdefinitions.
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24.InformationandCommunicationTechnologySurveyTestURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/ict/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle InformationandCommunicationTechnology
Survey1 01
Text TheInformationandCommunicationTechnology(ICT)SurveyprovidesdataonbothnoncapitalizedandcapitalizedspendingforinformationandcommunicationtechnologyequipmentandcomputersoftwarebyU.S.nonfarmbusinesseswithemployees.
1 02
Keywords expenditurepurchasepayrollcapitalcomputerperipheralhardwaresoftwareequipmentindustry
03 04
1ThefirstresultwasforanoutdatedICTpage.ThecurrentAbouttheSurvey pagewasthefifthresult.ThecurrentICTmainpagedidnotreturninthe221results.2TheICTmainpagedidnotreturninthe3results.3ThethirdresultwasforICTDefinitionspage.TheICTmainpagedidnotreturninthe221results.4TheICTmainpagedidnotreturninthe3results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Thereisagoodanduniversalnavigationsystem.Thetoolsappearuniformlyonallpages.Self‐referencingclickabilityhasbeenpreventedonallpages.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Thesitehadbreadcrumbtrailswhichaidinverticalnavigation.Lateralmovementisfacilitatedbythenavigationtools.Understandingstructureandlocationisintuitive.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•NodeficienciesobservedLinksarewelllabeledandmatchtargets.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Theterminologiesandjargonmaybeconfusingforreaders.Thedefinitionspagecouldbeexpandedtoaddressmoreterms.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductionto thecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved Theformattingisveryconsistentthroughoutthesite.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•NodeficienciesobservedThepageiswelloptimized.Thepagesresizewell.Sidebarsappearonlyonrelevantpages.Textislegible.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Therearenovisualelements.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Navigationthroughthedatareleasesisabitdifficultsinceeachsectionisinadifferentfile.Thetablesarenotoptimallyformatted.AneasysolutionwouldbetoofferthereleaseasasinglePDF.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsarerareonthesite.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheICTpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•AdequateTheFAQiswellbuiltandorganized.Therearelinksavailabletoresourcesforfillingouttheforms.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?•Nodeficienciesobserved
TheFAQisaccessiblefromeveryICTpage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite IntegratedandfunctionalFAQ. Consistentpagelayoutandnavigationtools Welldefinedverticalstructure
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25.2007SurveyofBusinessOwnersTestURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle SurveyofBusinessOwners 1 51Text Approximately2.3millionbusinessesreceivedthe
2007SBO‐1questionnaireaskingforinformationaboutcharacteristicsofthebusinessesandtheirowners.FinalestimatesfromthesurveywillbereleasedonaflowbasisthroughJune2011.Seeourdatareleaseschedulefordetails.
1 02
Keywords businessesagegenderracedata 23 141Fifthresultisthecontactuspageofthewebsite.Mainpagedoesnotshowupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.2Therewerenoresultsfromthesearch.32ndsearchresultisalinktoresultsofthe2002census,mainpagedoesnotappearinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.41stlinkistomethodologypageofwebsite.Mainpagedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigation Doeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
2007DataReleaseSchedule seemstoexistoutsideofthenavigationoptions.Thereareotherexamples,includingthe“importantlinks”linksintheleft‐handbar,suchasspecialtabulations.Sincetheseoptionsarenotincludedinthenavigationbar,theycanbedifficulttolocateifyouarenotstartingfromthemainpage.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thehistoricaldatabreadcrumbsdonotincludeatoplevel.Aswasstatedabove,somesectionsseemtoexistoutsideofthenavigationoptions,andinthesecasesthewebsitedoesnotindicateacurrentlocationinthenavigationbar.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •1ormoredeficiencies
Linkonmainpage/pagetitle/breadcrumbdonotmatchfordatareleaseschedulepage.“Whywecannotprotectlistofcompanies”linkinlefthandbargoesto“Abouttitle13”.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thereissomejargonontheaboutthesurveypage(e.g.,“nonemployerfirms”,“metropolitanandmicropolitanareas”).Mainpagealsousessomejargon,suchas“receiptssize”or“employmentsize”,themeaningofwhichmaynotbeimmediatelyapparent.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,limited
The“importantlinks”arenotpartofthenavigationalstructure.Themostrecentdataareonlyavailableonthemainpageandarenotincludedinthenavigationalstructure.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thewebsitelinkslistsmixpageswithinthesiteandoutsideofthesitewithnoindication.Forexample,thelinkstodataonthemainpageincludelinkstotheCensusBureaunewspage,asdothe“importantlinks”ontheleft‐handside‐bar.
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently? •Needsimprovement,
limited
Thehomepagefeaturesthemostrecentdata,butitcouldbenefitfrommorebackgroundinformation.Therearefewlinkstootherrelevantinformationonthewebsitefromthemainpage.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
Minorissue:Itseemslike“Howthedataarecollected”isrelatedto“Aboutthesurveys”butthetwotopicsareinnowayconnectedonthewebsite.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
It’snotclearhowthelinkstorecentdataonthemainpageareordered.(ItseemslikeSummaryofFindingswouldbeplacedfirst).Itisalsoconfusingthatestimatesandpreliminaryestimatesarebothavailableonthemainpage.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenovisualelementsonthewebsite,otherthantheimagesintheheader.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Someoftheexceltablesaredifficulttoreadbecauseofthelargeamountofexplanatorytextintheheader.Forexample.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Therearenoiconsusedonthewebsite.ThePDFiconispresentedatthebottomofthepagebutisnotactuallyusedanywhereonthesite.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •Needsimprovement,
limitedYouhavetoclickthelinktobetakentothesearchpage.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
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Criteria Evaluation NotesHelp Isonlinehelpuseful?
•Needsimprovement,limited
ItwouldbehelpfuliftherewasalinktothegeneralCensusQ&Awebsiteforadditionalquestions.Atableofcontentsforthequestionswouldalsobehelpful,asitisnecessarytoscrolldowntoseeallthequestions.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite TheFAQpageiscontainedwithinthewebsite. Themapsareausefulfeature. Thelinksofallthedifferentplacestofinddataarepresentedtogether.Therearedifferentoptionsforobtainingdatain
differentformats(HTML,excel,PDF). Importantinformationandrecentdataareavailablefromthemainpage. Thetableofcontentsfortopicsonthemainpagehelpstheuserfindthedesiredinformationonalongpage.
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26.ResidentialConstructionIndexTestURL:http://www.census.gov/const/www/newresconstindex.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle NewResidentialConstruction 1 1Text CurrentPressRelease(PDF)Building Permits‐
Data,Documentation,ReleaseDates,OrderingInformationandOtherTopicsQuarterlyStartsandCompletionsbyPurposeandDesign‐USandRegions(PDF)QuarterlyStartsandCompletionsbyPurposeandDesign‐USandRegions(Excel)
11 11
Keywords permitsstartscompletionshousingunitsbuilding 11 111Thefirstresultishttp://ww.census.gov/starts whichautomaticallyredirects tothe NRCmainpage.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Whilethereisanavigationtooltootherproductswithinthemanufacturing,miningandconstructionstatistics,thereisnoglobalnavigationtoolwithintheNRCpages.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Therearenotoolstorepresentlocationorverticalstructurewithinthesite.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficienciesLinksareforthemostpartlabeledwellanduniquely.Mostlinksmatchthepagetitlescloselyifnotexactly.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •1ormoredeficiencies
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
Extensive
TheNRCpageslackintroductionandbackgroundtextonthemainpagenoraretherepagesdedicatedtoprovidethisinformation.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Therearenoglobalnavigationtoolstoallowseamlessnavigation.LinkstoPDForXLSfilesarenotconsistentlylabeled,sofrequentlyunexpectedfiletypesdownload.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Mostofthedataareavailablefromthemainpage,buttheorganizationandlackofinformationburiesthedatabehindthelinks.Someofthemoreprominenthistoricalinformationisaccessiblefromthemainpage.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Theorganizationislackingwhichobscuresthedatabehindsomewhatblindlinks.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway? •NeedsImprovement,
Extensive
Thevolumeofdataonthesiteisimmense,butthereisnotastrongunifyingnavigationororganizationsystem.Assuch,ausermayneedtolookthroughmanypagesandtablesbeforefindingtheproperinformation.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Numerouslistsoftablesseemhap‐hazardwithoutalphabeticalornumericalorganization(e.g.,AnnualCharacteristicsofNewHousing).Afewseemwellorganizedbydate(e.g.,PermitsbyMetropolitanArea).
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Therearetwodifferentpageformatsthatareusedcommonly.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
Thepagesareconfiguredwithonlyasingleframeandnosidebarsorothercolumns.Thismakesforinefficientuseofvisualspaceandlargeblankareas.Theoutdatedformattingdoesnotoptimizethepages.Textislegible.Thepagesresizewell.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Therearesomegraphics,butmostpageshavenovisuals.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•1ormoredeficiencies
MosttablesinPDFformarewellformattedandpresented(e.g.,permucsa.pdf)Sometablesarenotpresentedclearly(e.g.,Relationship….).
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsarenotusedfrequently
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheNRCpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
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Criteria Evaluation NotesHelp Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
LimitedThereisalinktotheBusinessHelpSite,butthereisn’tmuchotherhelp.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
ThereisaFAQpage,butitisnearlyinaccessiblesincethelinktoitisburiedontheBuildingPermitspage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Nobestpracticesidentified
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27.LongitudinalEmployer‐HouseholdDynamicsTestURL:http://lehd.did.census.gov/led/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle LongitudinalEmployer‐HouseholdDynamics 1 71Text NewDataVisualizationTool:
ManyEyesonLocalEmploymentDynamics1 1
Keywords U.S.localcurrentworkersemployersjobsconditionschange
02 43
1Themainpageisthe7thlinkinthesearchresults.Otherpageswithinthewebsiteoccurearlierinthesearchresults.2Pagedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.3Fourthlinkistoarchivessubpage.Mainpagedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Navigationoptionschange withinlocalemploymentdynamicssectionofthewebsite.Onepageinthedatatoolssectionismissinganavigationoption.Onepageinthesitemapcan’tbefoundusingthenavigationoptions.Otherpageslinkedfromthehomepagealsodonotappearinnavigationoptions(orsitemap).Somepagesaremissingthenavigationbar.ThewebsiteisalsomissingthecensusheaderthatmostotherCensus.govwebsitesinclude.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Therearenobreadcrumbs.Thenavigationbarindicatesthefirstlayerofthewebsiteyouareinbutdoesnotindicatethesecondlayer(e.g.,thesitemapisinhome/sitemap.Thenavigationbarhighlightshomebutdoesnothighlightthesitemap,andyoucanclickthesitemaplinkinthenavigationbarevenwhenyouareonthepage).
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Olderworkerprofiles‐> profilesWorkshops‐>Annualworkshops“WorkingwithQWIonline”linkfromsitemapgoesbacktositemap.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Theterm“longitudinal”isneverreallydefined.Example.NAICSandSICareusedonthedatatoolspagewithnodefinition.FortheQWIOnlinetool,“QWI”isneverofficiallyspelledoutbeforetheacronymisused.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thereisnoexplanatorytextonthewebsitemainpage.ThelinkstoQ&Asintheright‐handsidebarhelptofindgeneralinformationbuttheoverallfunctionalityofthesiteisstillunclear.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,limited
Navigationoptionschangeinsomesections,andsomesitesarenotincludedinthenavigationoptions.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thehomepagedoesshowcasecontent,butthereistoomuchinformationwithnoexplanation–alotofthelinksareveryspecificsuchthatsomeoneunfamiliarwiththesitewouldnotbeabletodifferentiatebetweenthem.The“what’snew”andQ&Aboxesonthemainpagearehelpfulforhighlightingrecent/backgroundinformation.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thereisnorealexplanationofwheretoobtaindataorwhatthemostusefultoolis.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thesitemapisdifficulttoreadbecausetheformattingdoesn’tseemconsistentthroughout.Itisnotclearwhattherationalbehindtheorderingofthelistofdatatoolsis.Therearetoomany“quicklinks”onthemainpagewithlittleexplanation.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficienciesSomepagesaremissingthePDFfootnote.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Adequate
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•1ormoredeficiencies
Tableformattingisnotconsistentthroughoutthewebsite.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
ThePDFiconisnotusedconsistently.Theiconsonthesitemappageareconfusingandseeminconsistent.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •AdequateIsitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Needsimprovement,limited
ItdoesnotindicatewhetherthesearchfunctionisspecifictotheLEHDwebsite.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesHelp Isonlinehelpuseful?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Itseemsliketheonlinehelpanswersaverylimitedselectionofquestions,withsomeverybasic(WhatisLEHD)andsomeveryspecific(DoesPUMSissuehaveanimpactonLEDdata).
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Cannotaccesshelpotherthanfrommainpageandaboutsection.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Linkstooutsidewebsitesopeninanewwindow,withsomeexceptions. Graphicsareusedwellthroughoutthewebsite. Helpsectioncontainstableofcontents,withlinkstoreturntotop. Thedatatoolsprovideinterestinginformationbutaresometimesdifficulttouse(e.g.,onthemap).
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28.NewsroomTestURL:http://www.census.gov/newsroom/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Newsroom 25 01Title CensusNewsroom 1 02Text NewsSubscriptionRequestNewsReleases
Newsworthyfindingsaboutournation'speopleandeconomyTipSheetsInformationonupcomingreleasesandreportsEconomicIndicatorsMonthlyandquarterlymeasuresofeconomicchange
1 03
Keywords releasesreportsmultimediaindicatorspopulationeconomicfeaturesarchivessubscription
04 05
1ThefirstresultwasfortheNewsroom:SubscriptionsForm.TheNewsroommainpagewasnotreturnedin132results.2ThefirstresultwasfortheNewsroom:SubscriptionsForm.TheNewsroommainpagewasnotreturnedin130results.3Noresultswerereturned.4ThefirstresultwasforNewsroom:TipSheets:TipsheetNumber26.TheNewsroommainpagewasnotreturnedinfirst100results.5ThefirstresultwasforNewsroom:TipSheets:TipsheetNumber14.TheNewsroommainpagewasnotreturnedin3results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Consistentandfunctionalnavigationscheme.Navigationoptionsappearonallpages.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Thebreadcrumbstraildefineslocationandaidsinverticalmovement.Thenavigationoptionsaidinlateralmovement.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Linksmatchtargets.Labelsaredescriptiveandconsistent.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
Whilethenewsroomcontentismostlyabletospeakforitself,thereisn’tanyintroductionorformaldescriptionofthecontentcontainedwithinthesite.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
Linksarewelllabeledsothatfiletypesareindicated.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
Someexternallinksarenotindicated.(e.g.,MoreFederalStatistics).
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thehomepageislackingincontent.Theresignificantblankspacethatcouldbeusedwithvisualsorhighlights.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Informationiswellsortedalphabeticallyorbydate
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•NodeficienciesobservedVisualspaceiswellused.Pagesresizewell.Textislegible.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement? •NeedsImprovement,
limited
TheMultimediasectioniswellstockedwithqualityvisualcontent.Howevertherestofthesiteisbarrenofvisuals.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsarerarelyused.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheNewsroom.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Adequate ThisisahelpsiteIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
ThereisnoNewsroomspecificFAQnoristherealinktotheCensus.govFAQ.TheCensus.govFAQdoeshavesomeNewsroomspecificcontent.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Welllabeledlinkswithfiletypeandsize PDFandhtmlversionsavailablesidebyside Videosloadingwithinframe Stockpictureswithcheckboxesformultipledownloads Consistentnavigationoptions Welldefinedverticalpagestructure
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29.PublicationsTestURL:http://www.census.gov/prod/www/titles.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Publications 9 1Text Thepublicationsinthisareaarearesourceguide
totheprogramsandservicesoftheCensusBureau.Eachareafeaturesanintroductionthatwillprovidekeyinformationaboutthecensuses,surveys,andotherprogramsthatarethesourcesofdataproducts.
1 1
Keywords censusdataproductsagriculturebusiness 1 011Doesnotappearwithinfirst fewpagesofsearchresults
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Websitedoesnotnaveanavigationsystem.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformation andfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Websitedoesnothaveanavigationsystem.Youcannotreturntothemainpagefromthesub‐pages(somepageshavea“returntopublications”linkburiedinthetext,othersdonot).Therearenobreadcrumbs.Thisisespeciallyneededsincesometimeslinkswithinpagesjumpsections(e.g.,betweenEconomicCensusandTransportation).
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Agriculture‐>AgricultureReportsBusiness–TradeandServices‐>BusinessOtherPublications‐>OtherReportsIncomeandPoverty‐>ConsumerIncomeReportsManufacturingandMiningReports‐>Mining&ConstructionStatistics
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Somepublicationnamesincludeunfamiliarterminology,e.g.“metropolitanareasandremainderofstate”,“nonemployer”,“subjectseries”,ontransportationpage.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Needsimprovement,limited
There is a brief introduction on themain page, but it is not clear what isavailable for the different areas, andthe listing of publications in specificsections also does not sufficientlyintroduce thatmaterial available fromindividualpublications.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thereisnonavigationscheme.Linksarevague.Forexample,onthemainpageitisnotnecessarilyclearthedifferencebetween“Business–TradeandServices”and“EconomicCensus”.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
Onthetechnicaldocumentation page,alllinksaretooutsidesiteswithoutindicatingso.
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Contentisnotshowcased– thereisjustalistoftopics.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Pagelayoutdoesnotfeeluptodate,especiallycomparedtootherCensus.govwebsites.Mostpagesarelonglistsoflinksthatwouldbeeasiertoreadwithamoreappealinglayout.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Adequate
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
ThePDFiconisveryusefulsincelinksonsiteareamixofPDFsandHTMLpages,butitisnotuseduniformly.Forexample,thispagecontainsalistofPDFsbutdoesnotutilizethePDFicon.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,limited
ThereisalinktogototheCensus.govsearchenginethatyouhavetoclickinordertosearch.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Adequate ThisisahelpsiteIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limitedThereisnoaccesstohelponthispage.
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III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite TheuseofthePDFiconishelpful,eventhoughitisnotconsistentlydeployed. Backtotoplinksonlongpagesoftextareuseful.
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30.SurveyParticipation(AreYouInaSurvey?)TestURL:http://www.census.gov/survey_participants/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle SurveyParticipation N/A1 01Title AreYouInaSurvey? 1 02Text InformationforSurveyandCensusParticipants
TheCensusBureauconductsavarietyofcensusesandsurveys,notjusttheonce‐a‐decadecensus.Everymonth,quarter,andyearweconductsurveyswithhouseholdsandbusinesses.
1 03
Keywords requestsurveyfraudphishingscamlegitimateemployeeidentificationconfidential
04 05
1TheSurveyParticipationmainpagewasnotreturnedinthefirst200results.2ThefirstresultwasfortheAreYouInaSurvey?:Isthisalegitimatebusinesssurvey….TheSurveyParticipationmainpagewasnotreturnedinthefirst200results.3Themainpagewasnotreturnedin2results.4Themainpagewasnotreturnedin200results.5Noresultswerereturned.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•1ormoredeficiencies
OneunlabeledexternallinktotheFederalTradeCommissionwasfoundontheFraudulentActivityandScamspage.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Nographicsarepresent.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheSurveyParticipationpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•AdequateN/A–Sincethispageismoreorlessanonlinehelppage,oneisnotneeded.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,limited
ThereisnoFAQsection,noristherealinktotheCensuswideFAQ.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Consistentnavigationsystem Self‐referencingprevention Breadcrumbtrail
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31.AboutTestURL:http://www.census.gov/aboutus/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle AboutUs 01 12Text OurMission
‐Toserveastheleadingsourceofqualitydataaboutthenation'speopleandeconomy.
1 03
Keywords censuspeoplemission 3 031Doesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults(includingmodifiedsearchof“Censusaboutus”2Firstlinkistothe“contactus”sectionoftheAboutUssite.3Doesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Navigationsystemonlyencompassesfirstlayerofhierarchy–togettothesecondlayerofnavigationyoumostoftenhavetofindthelinkwithinthetextonthepage(exceptinthecontactussection).
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Minorissues:Notallpageshighlightcurrentlocationinnavigationbar,forexample.Breadcrumbson“whatwedopage”showcurrentlocationas“aboutus”.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Mostlinktextissemi‐accurate,butoftenitdoesnotmatchexactlyandthereareacoupleofegregiousinaccuracies:“Respondtorequests”‐>QuestionandAnswerCenterPopulation&HousingCensus‐>2010CensusOurmanysurveys‐>Surveys“Researchingfamilyhistoryorahistoricaltopic”‐>NationalArchives
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thereisno“mainpage”totheaboutuswebsite – the first page loaded is“What we do”. As such, there is nointroduction to the material availableonthewebsite.However,thisdoesnotnecessarily impact the usability of thepage,sinceitis“Aboutus”
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Overallthisisgood,butsometimeslinksdonotseemtoreflectwhatisactuallyonthedestinationsite.Forexample,“Website/Internet‐Informationondowntime,etc”goestoInternetSiteInformation,whichhasinformationaboutassociations,newadditions,suggestedcitations,FTPtransfers,Q&A,inadditiontodowntime.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
LinkstoCFRleaveCensus.gov websitewithoutindicating.OnthePolicies&Noticespage,somelinksarewithinAboutUssite,someareanothersectionoftheCensusBureauwebsite,someareanoutsidewebsite,withnoindicationofwhereyou’regoing.“Researchingfamilyhistoryorahistoricaltopic”‐>NationalArchives
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Again,thereisnomainpageonthiswebsite,soitjumpsrightintothecontent.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•AdequateDoesn’treallyapplytosite.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Orderingoflistsoflinksappearsrandom.E.g.,listofsurveyson“whatwedo”seemsoutoforder–Ourmanysurveysshouldcomefirstsinceitisoverarchingandwithinthewebsite.Similarly,linksonpoliciesandnoticesdon’tseemtofollowanorder,&linkstopagesinsamewebsitedonotappeartogether(e.g.,varioussectionsoftheDataProtectionandPrivacyPolicy).Socialmediaseemsmisplacedinthecontactussection.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •1ormoredeficiencies
Theleft‐handnavigationboxinthecontactussub‐sectiondisappearsonthesocialmediapage.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesGraphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Therecouldbemorevisualelementstoenliventhelongbulletedlists.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•1ormoredeficiencies
Beltwaymapistoosmalltoreadandcannotbeenlarged.Onthesamepage,thevisitorsguideimageisverypixel‐y.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Therearenoicons.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •Needsimprovement,
limitedYouhavetoclickthesearch@censuslinktobetakentothesearchpage.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Adequate ThisisahelpsiteIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limitedThereisnoaccesstohelponthispage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Socialmediapagemakesgooduseofimages. PDFfilesareclearlyindicated
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32.RegionalOfficesTestURL:http://www.census.gov/regions/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle RegionalOffices 2 01Text ListofStatesServicedbyeachRegionalOffice
RegionalOfficeAreasServedAtlantaAlabama,Florida,GeorgiaBostonConnecticut,Massachusetts,NewHampshire,RhodeIsland,Maine,PuertoRico,Vermont,NewYork(allcountiesexceptthosecovered
1 02
Keywords centerlocalworkersjobsservicecollectionoperationspartnerprogramsurvey
03 04
1TheRegionalOfficesmainpagewasnotreturnedin259results.2TheRegionalOfficesmainpagewasnotreturnedin4results.3TheRegionalOfficesmainpagewasnotreturnedinfirst200results.4TheRegionalOfficesmainpagewasnotreturnedin64results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Thenavigationsystemisconsistentthroughoutthesiteandiscomprehensive.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Gooduseofbreadcrumbtrails.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•NodeficienciesobservedLinksmatchtargetpagenamesLinksarewelllabeledanddescriptive.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
Thereisalackofinformationregardingthefunctionandservicesprovidedbytheregionaloffices.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
ThelinkstotheFederalStatistics sitearenotmarked.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Noinformationisprovidedregardingthefunctionoftheregionalofficesonthehomepage.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Therearesomemapsfortheregions,butthereisnoothervisualinformationused.Mapsandpictureswouldbeusefulinshowcasingtheregionaloffices.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheRegionalOfficespages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•AdequateSincethisisaninformationalandhelppage,itdoesnotrequireitsownhelppage.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,limited
ThereisnoRegionalOfficeFAQssectionnoristherealinktotheCensuswideFAQ.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Usingmapsforregionaldivisions Consistentnavigationsystem Breadcrumbstrail
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33.FAQsTestURL:http://ask.census.gov/cgi‐bin/askcensus.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=vlXuh3dk
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Question&AnswerCenter 01 02Text Question&AnswerCenter
Foranyquestionsrelatedtochangeofaddress,W2requests,employmentverifications,oranyotheremploymentrelatedissues,pleasecontactourHumanResourcesDivisionat301‐763‐4748,[email protected].
03 03
Keywords CensusfrequentlyaskedquestionsFAQs 03 021Doesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults(includingmodifiedsearchof“Censusquestion&answercenter”)2Doesnotcomeupinactualsearchresults,butlinkstoFAQsareincludedingrayboxabovesearchresults.3Doesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
“Help”disappearsfromnavigationoptionson“Login”page.“Login”disappearson“Askaquestion”SiteismissingthegeneralcensusnavigationbarthatappearsonmostCensusBureauwebsites.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenobreadcrumbs. Therealsoisnohierarchyofinformation–noorganizationalsystemfortheFAQs,theyarepresentedasalistof900+questions,whichmakesthemdifficulttonavigate.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •1ormoredeficiencies
Inthe“mystuff”section,thereisalistofdefaultcategoriesinamenuwhicharenotdefinedanywhere.
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
ThereisnointroductiontothewebsiteorinstructionsforhowtosearchFAQs.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
ItisdifficulttofindananswerunlessyouknowspecifickeywordstousetosearchtheFAQ.HavingsomesortoftableofcontentsfortheFAQwouldmakethemeasiertouse.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
AlinktoTitle13leavestheCensus.govwebsite.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thereisnomainpageonthiswebsite.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
TheFAQarepresentedasalonglistwithnoclearorder,itisdifficulttodetermineif/wheretolocateadesiredanswer.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
ThelistofFAQquestionsis notorganizedinanyway.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Seriousdeficiencies,
extensive
TheorderingoftheFAQsdoesnotappeartofollowanylogic–itisnotnumerical,alphabetical,etc.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenovisualelements.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •AdequateIsitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thelackoforganizationofthequestionswithinthesitemakesitdifficulttouse.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Websitemakesgooduseoficons. OptiontosubscribeviaRSSorsignupforNotifyMeforquestionupdates. Usefulfeatureallowsyoutorateanswers. Youcansignupforanaccounttotrackthestatusofanswers.
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34.QuickfactsTestURL:http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle QuickFacts 1 01Text Quick,easyaccesstofactsaboutpeople,business,
andgeographyTobegin,selectastatefromthislistorusethemaptotheright.
1 02
Keywords demographicspopulationgeographyhouseholdshousingeconomicincomebusinessstatecountiescities
03 04
1TheQuickFactsmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe13results.2TheUSAQuickFactspagewasthefirstresult.TheQuickFactsmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe100results.3TheNewJerseyQuickFactspagewasthefirstresult.TheQuickFactsmainpagewasnotreturnedinthefirst100results.4TheQuickFactsmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe36results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
ThereisaglobalnavigationtoolfortheQuickfactssite.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Eventhoughthenatureandstructureofthesitehelpsdefinetheverticallocation,abreadcrumbtrailwouldbeusefultogiveafirmsenseoflocationandnavigation.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thereisnorealintroductionorbackgroundinformationonthissite.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•NodeficienciesobservedThepagesarelegibleandresizewell.Thescreenspaceiswellutilized.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Adequate
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtoQuickfacts.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •AdequateIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Thewhat’snewpagetoinformofrecentchanges. Rapidlyloadinggeneralinformation Comparisonofinformationtothelevelup(e.g.,comparestatevs.national,comparecityvs.state) Accesstootherlinksformorecompleteinformation Informationiconswithscroll‐overpop‐upsandclickfordetailedinformation.
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35.CorporateBlogTestURL:http://blogs.census.gov/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle RandomSamplings 3 01Text TheofficialblogoftheU.S.CensusBureau 3 01
Keywords Censusblog 5 011Doesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Minorissues:Therearenobreadcrumbs,butsincethisisablogthatmaynotbeanissue.Itisdifficulttoreturntothemainblogpageonceyouclickoneofthelinkstoasub‐page.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Sometimeslinktextcanbereallymisleadingastoactualdestination,forexample:Viewtable21‐>Section1,populationCurrentpopulationsurvey‐>Nation'sForeign‐BornPopulationNears37MillionSomelinksopenasPDFswithoutwarning.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Adequate
The“aboutrandomsamplings” isaseparatelinkfromthemainblogpage.However,asthesubjectmatterisablog,theintroductionisprettystraightforward.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
Alinktowatchavideogoestoyoutube.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Adequate
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •AdequateIsitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Adequate ThisisahelpsiteIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limitedThereisnoaccesstohelponthispage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Websitemakesverygooduseoficonsandvisualelements–thispageismuchmorevisuallyappealingcomparedtoother
censussites. Youcanclickongraphicstoenlargeinanewbrowserwindow. Therearelinkstoshare,getemailupdates,orsubscribeviaRSS.
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36.CalendarTestURL:http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php?crd=cens1sample&op=cal&month=5&year=2011&PHPSESSID=d04dc1126031ed860330dc34101d54b5
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle U.S.CensusCalendar 01 02Text U.S.CensusBureauEventsCalendarClickHereTo
FollowUsOnYouTubeLoginSearchPrintExportHelpCensusTwitter
01 02
Keywords N/A3 03 021TheCalendarwasnotreturnedinthefirst200results.2Thecalendarcannotbereturnedsincethesearchisrestrictedtocensus.govsites.3SincethesitecouldnotbereturnedwithTitleorText,aKeywordsearchwasconsideredunneeded.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Whilethecalendarisfunctional,thereisconnectivitytotheCensus.govsite.ThismakesusingthecalendarinconjunctionwiththeCensus.govsitenearlyimpossible.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •1ormoredeficiencies
Abbreviationsandtextcanbeconfusing
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
Itwouldbeusefultohavesomeintroductionstatingwhichprogramswhereusingthiscalendarandforwhatpurposes.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•AdequateN/A–Nohomepage
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thereisonlycolorcodingbyevent.Thereisnogroupingtoidentifyatypeofprogramortypeevent.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •1ormoredeficiencies
Thecodingoftheeventsisalphabetical(andsortedlefttorightratherthanvertically).
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficienciesTextcanbedifficulttoreadagainstthecoloredbackgrounds.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Whileacalendardoesnotneedgraphicstobefunctional,thepagedoesappearveryflatandnon‐engaginginpartduetoalackofgraphics.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •AdequateIsitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •AdequateIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limitedNoFAQsectionorlinktoCensusFAQ
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Nobestpracticesidentified
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage89of127
37.ForeignTradeDivisionTestURL:http://www.census.gov/foreign‐trade/index.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle ForeignTrade 1 01Text FOREIGNTRADEistheofficialsourceforU.S.
exportandimportstatisticsandresponsibleforissuingregulationsgoverningthereportingofallexportshipmentsfromtheUnitedStates.
1 1
Keywords U.S.importsexports 2 721Doesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.27thlinkgoestodatapagewithinforeigntradewebsite.Mainpagedoesnotcomeupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Navigationoptionschangeonsomepages.2ndlevelofnavigationisnotalwayspresentedthesameway(boxinleftsidebar,boxattopofpage).Notallsectionsappearinnavigation(e.g.,“ScheduleBValidation”ontheScheduleBpage.)Right‐handnavigationbarmovestoleftsideofpageonsomepages.Somenavigationoptionsarehidden(e.g.,sitemap)
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Manypageslackbreadcrumbs.“Data”pageisnothighlightedinnavigationifclicklinkfrommainpage.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
Manylinksdonotmatchtheirtargetpageheadings,forexample:“Searchdatabase”linkisvague–notclearwhatpageitgoesto.OverviewoftheEEI‐>Overview–GettingStartedonAES
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Abbreviationsarewidelyusedthroughoutthewebsitebeforetheyaredefined.Mostnotably,“AES”isoneofthemainnavigationoptions.AnotherexampleisareferencetoFTRTitle15,Part30withnoexplanationofwhatthatis.Gooddefinitionspage.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thelayoutcompletelychangesonmanypagesofthewebsite,makingnavigationjarringanddisconnected.Manylinksarevagueorjargon‐y(e.g.,“AES”,“Reference”,“ScheduleB”).
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
Somelinksgotooutsidewebsitewithoutwarning,e.g.“LetterofIntent”goestoCBP.gov
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Therearenolinkstothemostrecentdatafromthemainpage,butitishighlightedonthedatapage.FTDwebnewsonsomepagesdoesnotmatchnewsonthemainpage.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thevaguenavigationlinktitles“AES”,“Reference”,etc.,maketheorganizationlessstraightforward.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Onaboutpage,orderofinformationisexportstatistics/importstatistics/exporterdatabase–seemslikeexporterdatabaseshouldbelinkedtoexportstatistics.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Therearetwodifferent layouts usedthroughoutthewebsite.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Secondlayoutformatismoredifficulttouse,especiallythenavigationpanel.It’salsoveryawkwardthatthewebsiteshiftsbetweenthetwolayoutformatswithnorationale.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needs improvement,extensive
Thereareveryfewvisualelementsthroughoutthewebsite.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Therearenoiconsonthewebsite.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thereisalinktosearch@census,butthereisalsoasearchenginespecifictotheFTDsitethatisdifficulttofind.Thesearchenginealsotimedoutduringseveraltestsearches.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Needsimprovement,limited
ItisunclearwhethersearchengineislimitedtoFTDsiteorentireCensus.govwebsite
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage91of127
Criteria Evaluation NotesHelp Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
limitedOnlinehelpislinkedtoCensusQ&Asitewith“zftd”selected.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •1ormoredeficiencies Somepageslacklinktohelp.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Thealphabeticalindexonthedefinitionspageishelpful. Theright‐handnavigationbarprovidesuseful,timelyinformation. TheNovember2010chartonthedatapagelinkstomoredetailedinformation. Contactusinformationiseasilyaccessible
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage92of127
38.BusinessHelpSiteTestURL:http://bhs.econ.census.gov/bhs/index.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle BusinessHelpSite 11 11Text WelcometotheU.S.CensusBureauBusinessHelp
Site(BHS).Thissiteisdesignedtoassistallbusinessesandgovernmentagencieswiththeirsurveyneeds.SomeoftheservicesontheBusinessHelpSiteinclude:AidinthecompletionofsurveysRequestonlineservicesAssistwithgeneralandtechnicalquestions
11 11
Keywords onlineelectronicreportingfilingsurveysecureformseconomicindustryassistanceinstructions
151,2
03
1Theresultistohttp://www.census.gov/econhelp/,whichredirectstotheBusinessHelpSite.2Therankingwaswhenthesearchwasconfinedtocensus.govonlysites.TheunfilteredfirstreturnwastotheAnnualSurveyofManufacturesBHSpage.3ThefirstresultwastotheReportofOrganization(COS)BHSpage.TheBHSmainpagewasnotreturnedin4results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Thereisarobustnavigationsystemforthemajorityofthepages.However,whentransitioningintothehelppageforsomeoftheprograms,thelayoutandnavigationoptionschangetoanolderpagestyle(e.g.,AnnualCapitalExpendituresSurvey).Sidenote:Itappearsthattheolderstyleprogrampagesarebeingupdatedtothenewerformat.(e.g.,QuarterlyFinancialReport[Beta]).Thisevaluationisbasedonlyonactivepages.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Breadcrumbtrailsareavailableonallpages.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Sincethispageisintendedforbusinessusers,jargonistobeexpected.TheGlossaryishelpfulinoffsettingcomplexlanguage.
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage93of127
Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thereisalimitedintroductiononthemainpage.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Giventhetwostylesofpages,therearesomeinconsistencieswhennavigating.Thetwopagestylesaresomewhatincompatiblewithregardstonavigation.Linksarewelllabeledanddescriptive.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•AdequateThehomepageprovidesadirectlinktothehelppageforeachprogram.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Thepagelayoutisinconsistentbecauseofthetwostylesofwebpages.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•NodeficienciesobservedPagesusevisualspacewell.Theformatofthetwopagetypesisadequate.Pagesresizewell.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Thereisalackofgraphicsonthepages.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thesearchfunctiondoesnotworkfromthemainpage,butworksfromallotherpagestested.ThesearchfunctioniscontainedwithintheBHSpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
ItisnotlabeledfromtheBHSpages.Oncethesearchwindowpopsup,thesearchbuttonstate“BHSSearch.”
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•Adequate
Thisisahelpsite.ThereareadditionalhelpresourcesavailablethroughthemainFAQandotherFAQs(e.g.,ASMFAQ,QuarterlySurveyofPlantCapacityUtilizationFAQ).
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Sitespecificsearch Sitemap Onlinereporting
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage95of127
39.StatisticalAbstractTestURL:http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle The2011StatisticalAbstract 1 11Text TheStatisticalAbstractoftheUnitedStates,
publishedsince1878,istheauthoritativeandcomprehensivesummaryofstatisticsonthesocial,political,andeconomicorganizationoftheUnitedStates.
1 02
Keywords U.S.socialpoliticaleconomicdata 1 031Firstlinkistostateandlocalgovernmentfinancessectionofwebsite.Websitemainpagedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.2Nolinkscomeupinsearchresults3Websitemainpagedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Someinformationcanonlybeaccessedfromthemainpage:“Sourcesofdata”sectionisnotpartofnavigationalstructure.Right‐handnavigationisonlypresentonmainpage.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Itwouldbehelpfulifthecurrentsectionwerehighlightedintheleft‐handsidebar.Itmaybedifficulttonavigatetothesitesthatarenotpartofthenavigationalstructure(seepreviousquestion)
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Ingeneraltheterminologyusedonthewebsiteisstraightforward,butthesitedoeslackadatadictionaryexplainingthemeaningofdifferentmetrics/sections
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage96of127
Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •1ormoredeficiencies
Itseemslikethestaterankings tablesshouldlistthestatesbyrankinadditiontoorinsteadofalphabetically.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Colorschemechangeswhenlookingatabstractsforpreviousyears,butnavigationoptionsremainthesameeventhoughsomeremainwithintheprioryearsectionandsometakeyoutothe2011section,whichisconfusing.Exceltablesarenotuniformlyformatted.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenographicsonthewebsite
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•1ormoredeficiencies
MosttablescanonlybeviewedasexcelorPDF,thereisnoHTMLversion.SometimesthePDFversionscontainmultipletables(astheyareexcerptsfromthelargerPDFdocument),soitisdisorientingatfirsttofindthedesiredtable.OthertablesareavailableinHTMLandexcelonly.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Therearenoicons.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Searchboxonlyappearsonmainpage,otherwisethereisthesearch@censuslinkinthenavigationbar.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Needsimprovement,
extensive
Searchfunctionsays“searchtheabstract”,butsearchresultsareforentireCensus.govwebsiteandevennon‐CensusBureauwebsites.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
limitedThewebsitedirectstheusertotheCensusQ&Awebsite.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Accesstohelpisonlyavailableonmainpage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Websitenavigationisconsistentanduseful Tablesoflinkshighlighttherowasyouhoverthemouse. Websiteprovidesagoodamountofbackgroundinformationthroughoutthesite.
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage97of127
40.FamiliesandLivingArrangementsTestURL:http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh‐fam.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Familiesandlivingarrangements 1 1Text Demographiccharacteristicsofhouseholdsand
familiesarecollectedannuallyintheMarchCurrentPopulationSurvey(CPS)fortheNation.Detailedinformationfromrecentsurveysandhistoricaltrendsinselectedtopicsarelistedbelow.
1 1
Keywords demographicshouseholdschildrensurveyhistoricalpopulationincomeracemarriageparents
1 2
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
TherearenonavigationaltoolsthatarecommontoallpagesinthisFLAtree.Eachpageisstandalonewithnoconnections.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Therearenolocationinformationtoolsavailable.Verticalandlateralmovementisnotpossibleusingnavigationaltools.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
extensive
Linklabelsrarelymatchpagetargets(e.g.,‘DetailedTables(includinghouseholdandfamilydetailedtables)‘‐>‘America’sFamiliesandLivingArrangements:2010’)
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Complexlanguageisusedthroughout.TheCPSDefinitionsandExplanationspageisavailablebuthidden.Oneexamplesofobtusetextonthemainpage:
NOTE:Duetoseveralanomaliesinthecodingofparentpointersandrelationshiptohouseholder,thereareseveralcellsinthetableswhichshowminorinconsistencies,orwherethetotalswillnotagreewitheachother.
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage98of127
Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
AbriefbutbrokenintroductionincludingtwoFactSheetlinksisonthetopofthemainpage.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite? •NeedsImprovement,
Extensive
Asmentionedpreviously,thelackofnavigationtoolsmakemovingthroughthesitedifficult.Mostlinksarewelllabeledforfiletypes(PDF,XLS,CSV)andsizethoughsomearenot(e.g.,XLSfilesunder‘Same‐SexCouples’).
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thein‐pagelinksatthetopofthemainpagedeliveringtheusertothedifferentsurveysdata.However,nothingistrulyshowcased.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Theonlylinksaretotheprogramsandnotthecategories,soitisdifficulttofindtherecentorrelevantdatawithoutextensivescrolling.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•AdequateThesupportingpagesarewellorganizedwiththeirrespectivecontent.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Thepageisnotoptimallyformatted.Thesingleframestylegenerateslargeareasofblankspaceontherightsideofthepagealternatingwithlongsentencessprawlingacrossthescreen.Thepagedoesresizewell.Thecontentheadershaveanunusualformattingissue.Whenthemousescrollsovertheheader,thetextandbackgroundchangecolorwhichappearslikealink.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thepagelacksvisualelements.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage99of127
Criteria Evaluation NotesSearch Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheFLApages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
ExtensiveThereinnoonlinehelporFAQ.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Serious deficiencies,extensive
Thereisnoaccesstohelp/FAQ.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Nobestpracticesidentified
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage100of127
41.EducationalAttainmentTestURL:http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Educationalattainment 1 91Text Educationalattainmentreferstothehighestlevel
ofeducationthatanindividualhascompleted.Thisisdistinctfromthelevelofschoolingthatanindividualisattending.
1 02
Keywords U.S.highestlevelofschoolingcompletedstatistics 1 131Linkistoguideto2009tablessectionofwebsite.Websitemainpagedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.2FirstlinkistoeducationalattainmentFAQpage,mainpagedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Left‐handnavigationbar onlyappearsonsomepageswithindatasection.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Currentlocationisnothighlightedinnavigationbaronsomepages.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Lackoftextonmainpageandaboutpage.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage101of127
Criteria Evaluation Notes
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficienciesThecolorusedtohighlightthecurrentlocationinthenavigationbaristoosimilartotheregularcolor.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Veryfewgraphicsonwebsite.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•1ormoredeficiencies
MosttablesareonlyavailableinCSVorXLSformat.Tablesarenotformatteduniformlythroughoutwebsite.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Websitedoesnotuseicons.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Youneedtoclickthesearch@censuslinkinthenavigationbartoconductasearch.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Needsimprovement,
limitedHelpislinktoFAQsitefrommainpage.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
CanonlyaccessFAQpagefrommainpage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite FAQiscontainedwithinwebsite. Latestreleasesarehighlightedonmainpage. Backgroundinformationisprovidedforeachofthesurveys,andsurveybackgroundislinkedtodata.
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage102of127
42.IncomeTestURL:http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Income 3 11Text TheCensusBureaureportsincomefromseveral
majorhouseholdsurveysandprograms.Eachofthesesurveysdiffersfromtheothersinsomeway,suchasthelengthanddetailofitsquestionnaire,thenumberofhouseholdsincluded(samplesize),andthemethodologyusedtocollectandprocessthedata.
1 1
Keywords earningsoccupationeducationhouseholdsurveyinequalitytaxestransfers
02 03
1ThepagewasreturnedusingtheKeyMatch2TheIncomeStatisticspagewasthefourthresult.Themainpagewasnotreturnedinthefirst100results.3Themainpagewasnotreturnedinthe14results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Thereisaglobalnavigationsystemthatallowsforeasynavigation.Thesystemappearsonallpages.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Thebreadcrumbstraildisplayslocation.Hierarchyiswellformed/describedbythenavigationtools.Lateralmovementenabledwithglobalnavigationoptions.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•NodeficienciesobservedLinksmatchtargetpageswell.Labelsaredescriptiveandconsistent.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Theterminologyiscomplex(e.g.,AboutIncome).TheDefinitionspageislessthanfullyfunctionalsincedefinitionsarenotprovidedonthepageandsomeofthelinksdonotgotodefinitionpages(e.g.,CensusofPopulation>General).
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Thereisathoroughintroduction&backgroundonAboutIncome.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
Asdescribedabove,thenavigationtoolsareusefulandconsistent.Linksarewelllabeled.Linksindicatedfiletypesandsizesifapplicable.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage103of127
Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•AdequateThemainpageprovidesthemostrecentreleases
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•AdequateSeeabove.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•NodeficienciesobservedPagesresizewell.Textislegible.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thereisalackofvisualelementsinthesepages.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheIncomepages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Adequate
ItisapparentfromthelinkthatthesearchincludestheentireCensusBureauwebsite.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •AdequateIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
TheFAQisburiedintheAboutIncomeleftsidebar.Abetterlocationforitwouldbeonthehorizontalnavigationbar.ThereisalinkfortheCensus.govwideFAQhiddenintheContactUsboxontherightside.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Goodnavigationoptions Consistentpagedesign ‘Goodbye’pagesforexternallinks(e.g.,LuxemburgIncomeStudy)
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43.PovertyTestURL:http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Poverty 3 1Text TheCensusBureaureportspovertydatafrom
severalmajorhouseholdsurveysandprograms.2 1
Keywords U.S.povertystatistics 1 1
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Useoftheleft‐handnavigationboxisinconsistent,evenwithinthesamesection.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thecurrentlocationisnothighlightedinthenavigationbaronthe2ndlevel.Ononeversionofthemainpage,thecurrentlocationisnothighlightedinthenavigationbarandifyouclickthelinkforthemainpagethepagereloadsandthecurrentlocationishighlighted.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficienciesSomelinkstoPDFsdonotindicatethatyouareopeningaPDFfile.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Theleft‐handnavigationboxisnotconsistentlyused,whichmakesnavigationfeeldisconnected.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thedatapageisdifficulttousesinceallofthedatasourcesarepresentedonthedatapageandtherearenolinkstobackgroundinformation.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,limited
The“PovertyDataSources”and“HowtheCensusBureauMeasuresPoverty”pagesappearbothinthe“AboutPoverty”and“Methodology”sections–eachpageisidenticaleventhoughtheyhavedifferentURLs.ItwouldalsobehelpfuliftheDescriptionofIncomeandPovertyDataSourcespagewaslinkedtothedatapagetoallowtheusertomoreefficientlyselectthecorrectdatasourcefortheirneeds.Apageislocatedinthedatasection,eventhoughitisonlylinkedfromthemethodologysection.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Theorderofthepublications isconfusingbecauseitdoesnotfollowtheorderinwhichthesurveysarelistedelsewhereonthesite.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficiencies
The2ndlinkonthemainpage isformatteddifferently(onlytheyearishyperlinkedratherthantheentiretext).Itseemslikesometextismissingonthemethodologypageunderthefirstlink.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenovisualelements.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•1ormoredeficiencies
SometablesareonlyavailableinXLSwhileothersareonlyavailableinPDFformat.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Iconsarenotusedonwebsite.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •Needsimprovement,
limitedThereisasearch@censuslinkinthetopnavigationbar.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Needsimprovement,
limitedHelplinkgoestoCensusQ&Apage.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Helplinkonlyvisibleonmainpage.
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III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Latestreleasesarehighlightedonmainpage.
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44.HealthInsuranceTestURL:http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthins.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle HealthInsurance 17 1Text TheCensusBureaucollectshealthinsurancedata
usingthreenationalsurveys:theCurrentPopulationSurvey'sAnnualSocialandEconomicSupplement(CPSASEC),theAmericanCommunitySurvey(ACS)andtheSurveyofIncomeandProgramParticipation(SIPP).
1 1
Keywords CPSASECACSSIPPsurveypremiumscoverage 2 011ThefirstresultwasforHealthInsuranceSurveyComparison(XLS).TheHealthInsurancemainpagewasnotreturnedin8results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thenavigationtoolsarerobustandarenearlyuniversal.However,somelinksunexpectedlylinkoutsidetheHealthInsuranceDatasiteevenasthevastmajorityofthelinksonthesamepagestaywithinthesite.Thismakesnavigationclunkyandthepagesseemincomplete.(e.g,CPSASEC2009:DetailedTablesonthefromDatapage)
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Thebreadcrumbtrailgivesagoodindicationoflocationandassistsinverticalnavigation.Thenavigationtoolsassistinlateralnavigation.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Mostlinksmatchtargets,butsomeexceptionsexist(fromRelatedSites:StatisticalResearchDivision(SRD)‐>ResearchReportsandStudies).Linklabelsaredescriptiveandlinksareconsistentlylabeled.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •1ormoredeficiencies
Thewritingismostlyclear,butadefinitionsorglossarypagewouldbewelcomed.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thereisashortintroductiononthemainpage.TheAboutHealthInsurancePagedescribestheprogramsratherthanprovidinganintroductionorbackgroundtohealthinsuranceissues.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
TheDatacanbedifficulttolocate.Sincedataarepresentedbysurvey,locatingatypeofdatarequiresknowingwhichsurveyitisin.Presentingdatabydatatypeinadditiontosurveytypewouldhelp.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•NodeficienciesobservedThepagesresizewell.Textislegible. Visualspaceiswellused.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thereisalackofvisualelements.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheCOGpages.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Adequate
ItisapparentfromthelinkthatthesearchincludestheentireCensus.govwebsite.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesHelp Isonlinehelpuseful?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
ThereisasiteFAQ,butitonlyhasthreeQ/As.Therearehelpsectionsforeachofthedifferentprograms,butthesearetechnicaldocumentationratherthanhelp.Thereisnounifyinghelpsection.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
TheFAQisburiedinAboutHealthInsurance,andisnotavailablefromtheotherpagesofthesite.Thehelppagesareinthemethodologybranch.TheCensus.govwideFAQishiddenintheContactUsbox.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Labelingofexternal(governmentandnon‐government)websitesontheRelatedSitespages Useofa‘goodbye’pageontheexternallinks(e.g.,CDC)
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45.PopulationProjectionsTestURL:http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/index.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle PopulationProjections 1 1Text OverviewNationalProjectionsoftheUnitedStates
residentpopulationbyage,sex,race,andHispanicorigin.StateProjectionsoftheresidentpopulationforeachofthe50statesandtheDistrictofColumbiabyage,sex,race,andHispanicorigin,consistentwiththenationalpopulationprojections.
2 01
Keywords expectedunitedstatesresidents growth 12 131Noresultstoquery21stResultisnationalpopulationprojectionspage,mainpagedoesnotshowupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.32ndresultispopulationprojectionspage,mainpagedoesnotshowupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Therelatedlinkssectionofthewebsiteislinkedfromthemainpagebutdoesnotappearinthenavigationbar.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thenavigationbardoesnothighlighttoshowthecurrentlocation.Therearenobreadcrumbs.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
2008NationalPopulationsProjectionsMethodologySummaryDocument‐>Methodology:UnitedStatesPopulationProjectionsbyAge,Sex,Race,andHispanicOrigin:July1,2000‐2050Tablesdownloadasexcelfileswithoutindicating.Onthesamepage,“newsrelease”takestheusertotheCensusBureaunewsroom.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
“cohort‐componentmethod”Additionalterminologyinthemethodologysection,forexample.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Needsimprovement,
extensive
Thereisverylittleintroductorylanguageonthemainpage,andthewebsiteprovideslittlecontextthroughout.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
TheNationalprojectionslinks arenotdistinguishableuntilyouvisittheindividualpages.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thereisverylittletextonthemainpageexplainingthecontentofthewebsite.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Eventhough2009dataare presentedonthemainpageasthelatestdata,the2008dataaremoreappropriateforuserswhichmakesithardtonavigateandfindtherightdatasource.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Itwouldbehelpfulifthenational/stateprojectionsandtheirrespectivemethodologieswerebetterlinkedtoeachother.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
OntheNationalpage,theorganization,thoughchronological,makesithardertolocatetheappropriatesourceofdata.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficienciesMainpagedoesnotmakegooduseofthepage.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenovisualelementsonthewebsite.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•1ormoredeficiencies
SometablesareavailableonlyasPDF/XLS/CSV,othersonlyasXLS,othersonlyasHTML–thereisnostandard.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
WebsiteusesoutsidelinkiconbutdoesnotusePDFicon.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •AdequateIsitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Needsimprovement,
extensive
Itisnotclearwhetherthesearchfunctionappliesonlytothepopulationprojectionssiteortotheentirewebsite.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•Needsimprovement,limited
ItishardtofindtheFAQslink– itiscalled“Questions”atthebottomofeachpage.TheQuestionslinkbringstheusertotheCensusQ&Awebsite
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Websiteusestheoutsidelinkicons. Searchthissiteappearsasatextfieldoneverypage
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46.E‐Stats TestURL:http://www.census.gov/econ/estats/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle E‐Stats 1 1Text MeasuringtheElectronicEconomyWelcometoE‐
Stats‐theU.S.CensusBureau'sInternetsitedevotedexclusivelyto"MeasuringtheElectronicEconomy."Thissitefeaturesrecentandupcomingreleases,informationonmethodology,andbackgroundpapers.
1 1
Keywords internetonlineelectroniceconomytraderetailmanufacturingservicewholesalesurveyshipmentsales
01 02
1TheE‐Statsmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe144resultswithsearchrestrictedtocensus.govsites.ThesecondresultwastheMeasuringtheDigitalEconomypaper.TheAboutE‐Statspagewasthe14thresult.2TheE‐Statsmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe23results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
ThenavigationsystemisrobustandconsistentthroughouttheE‐Statspages.SelfReferencingClickabilityisprevented.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Thereisabreadcrumbstrailwhichprovideslocationinformation.Verticalandlateralnavigationisaidedbythenavigationtools.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Notalllinksmatchtargets(e.g.,GetForms‐>E‐StatsHistoricalDataandForms;FAQs‐>QuestionandAnswerCenter).Linksareotherwisewelllabeled.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Theterminologyiscomplex.TheDefinitionspagewouldbenefitbyhavingthecontentinhtmlformatratherthanpdf.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesExpectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Whilethesiteissimple,itisverylimitedonexplanationsregardingitscontent.Manylinksdirectstootherinformationpagesregardingothersurveys,withoutprominentlyaddressingE‐Stats.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Themainpageprovidesthemostrecentdata,butdoesnotprovideanycontenttobuildinterest.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•AdequateThemainpageprovidesthemostrecentdata.TheotheryearsareeasytolocateinHistoricalData.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
TheHistoricalDataandForms pagescontainthesamecontentandareessentiallyidentical.Otherwise,organizationisreasonable.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•NodeficienciesobservedPagesareconsistentthroughoutthesite.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thepageisvisuallyoptimized.Thepagesresizewell.Textislegible.Thepagesaresparseoncontentsosomeareasseemempty.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Thereisalackofvisualelements.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Atextboxisnotavailable,requiringthesearchtobeperformedonaseparatepage.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtoCOG.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •Adequate
ItisapparentfromthelinkthatthesearchincludestheentireCensus.govwebsite.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•Needsimprovement,limited
TheFAQisintheCensus.gov wideFAQ,whichhassomeinformationregardingE‐Commerce.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?•Nodeficienciesobserved
TheFAQslinkisavailablethroughoutthesite.
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III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Nobestpracticesidentified
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47.NAICSTestURL:http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle NorthAmericanIndustryClassificationSystem
(NAICS)1 1
Text TheNorthAmericanIndustryClassificationSystem(NAICS)isthestandardusedbyFederalstatisticalagenciesinclassifyingbusinessestablishmentsforthepurposeofcollecting,analyzing,andpublishingstatisticaldatarelatedtotheU.S.businesseconomy.
1 1
Keywords U.S.businessstandardcodes 9 3
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
Thecombinationofthetopandleft‐handnavigationoptionsencompassthesiteandappearoneverypage;however,theleft‐handsidebarappearslessimportanteventhoughitcontainstheactualdataonthesite.Also,notallcomponentsitesareincludedinnavigation,forexample.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearenobreadcrumbsonthesite.Currentlocationisnothighlightedinnavigationbar.Youcanclicknavigationlinksevenwhenyouareonthepage.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
History‐>EarlyDevelopmentDocumentsSomelinksarevaguelyworded,e.g.,“Concordances”
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Needsimprovement,
limited
ThewebsiteintroducestheNAICSsystem,butdoesnotprovidedirectiontothereaderforfindingcontentonthesite.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Itdoesn’tfeellikethelinksarenecessarilyorganizedinorderofimportance,whichmakesithardertonavigatethesite.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
SIC ‐>U.S.Departmentoflabor
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Websitedoesnotshowcasecontent.ItisdifficulttolocatetheactualNAICScodesfromthemainpage.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata? •Needsimprovement,
extensive
Websitedoesnotprovideeasyaccesstothedata.(Thelinksto2007NAICSareintheleft‐handnavigationbarinverysmalltextratherthaninthetopnavigationbar,andthelinknamesarenotself‐explanatory).
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,limited
ItisnotclearwhydevelopmentpartnersandtheEconomicClassificationPolicyCommitteeareseparatewebsitesoratleastnotlinkedtoeachotherwhentheycontainsimilarinformation.ObtainingactualNAICScodesisnotstraightforwardfromthemainpage.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement? •Adequate
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?
•1ormoredeficiencies
InNAICSnavigationtable,therearenocolumnheadingsforusersunfamiliarwiththeNAICSclassifications.Concordancelinkstableisformattedawkwardly.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Outsidewebsiteiconisused,butPDFiconisnotused.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •Needsimprovement,
limited
NAICSsearchesareuseful,buttosearchentireCensus.govwebsiteitisnecessarytousesearch@censuslink.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •AdequateIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite FAQiscontainedwithinwebsite NAICSkeyword/codesearchesareuseful Websiteeffectivelyusesoutsidewebsiteicon
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48.CensusinSchoolsTestURL:http://www.census.gov/schools/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle CensusinSchools 1 11Text Specialthanksgotoeveryonewhosupportedthe
effortsofCensusinSchoolsduringthepastyear.Withoutyouassupportingpartnerswecouldnothavereached118,000schoolsandinformedabout56millionstudentsabouttheimportanceofthe2010Census.
1 21
Keywords educationallessonteachingmaterialsstudentsactivityworksheetsmapsdata
73 02
1Resultsreturnedthrough‘KeyMatch’2Ateachingguidewasthefirstreturn.Themainpagewasnotreturnedinsixresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Thenavigationsystemisconsistent,globalandcoversthesitewell.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Adequate
Therearebreadcrumbtrailsoneachpagetoindicatelocationandassistinverticalnavigation.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Linksarewelllabeled.OnebrokenlinkwasfoundontheForTeacherspage:WhatHighSchoolTeachersNeedtoKnow[PDF]
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Adequate
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•AdequateThemainpageiswellorganized,directsusers,anddescribescontent.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•NodeficienciesobservedPagesarevisuallyoptimized.Contentisfocusedtolimitscrolling.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•AdequateGreatvisualsthroughout.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork? •NeedsImprovement,
LimitedIsitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•AdequateWhilethereisnoonlinehelp,therearenumerousinformationandresourceswithinthesite.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,limited
ThereisnolinktoCensus.gov wideFAQsorotherhelp.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Emailforupdates Flashgamesforkidsandteens Pagesfordifferentaudiences(teacher,kids,teens)
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49.GenealogyTestURL:http://www.census.gov/history/www/reference/genealogy/http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/index.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle Genealogy 11(2nd page) 11Text Censusinformationandrecordscanbeinvaluable
toolsingenealogicalresearch.1 02
Keywords U.S.censusfamilyhistoryrecordsinformation 03 341Firstlinkgoestogenealogyagesearchpage.Mainpagedoesnotcomeupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.2Noresultstosearchquery.3Websitedoesnotcomeupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.4Linkistootherresourcespage.Mainpagedoesnotcomeupwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Therearetwogenealogywebsites–oneinthehistorysectionofCensus.govandoneinthepeopleandhouseholdssection.Thetwowebsitesaredisconnectedanditisdifficulttonavigatefromonetotheother.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy? •Needsimprovement,
extensive
Thewebsitedoesnotfacilitatemovementbetweenthehistory‐genealogywebsiteandthepeople&households‐genealogywebsite.InthehistorysectionoftheCensusBureauwebsite,itisdifficulttoreturntothegenealogymainpagefromoneofthesub‐pages.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies72yearrule‐>Legislation1974‐1983
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Thehistorygenealogypage providesagoodintroductiontothesite,butthepeople&householdsgenealogypagedoesnotdoagoodjobofintroducingthefunctionalityofthesite.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thetwoseparategenealogypagesmakenavigationdifficult.Navigationwithineachoftheseparatewebsitesisstraightforward.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
TherearemanyexternallinksontheOtherGenealogicalSourcespage.
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Thepeopleandhouseholdspage doesnotshowcasecontent.Thehistorypageisslightlybetterbutdoesnotprovideeasylinkstothecontent.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata? •Needsimprovement,
extensive
Thishistorypageisnotorganizedtoprovideeasyaccesstodata.Thepeopleandhouseholdspagedoesabetterjobofprovidingaccesstodatabutdoesnotprovidemuchtexttoguidetheuser.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearetwoseparategenealogywebsites,anditisdifficulttomovebetweenthetwo.
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Onthehistorypage,“othergenealogicalsources”islistedabove“censusrecords”–itseemslikeitshouldbetheotherwayaround.
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Withineachseparatewebsite,thepagelayoutisconsistent,butthetwowebsiteshavedifferentpagelayouts.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficienciesUseofleft‐handnavigationbox isinconsistent.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Historypageusesimageswell,butpeopleandhouseholdspagedoesnot.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
WebsiteusesoutsidewebsiteiconbutnotPDFicon.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Itisnecessarytousethesearch@censuslinktoconductasearch
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful?
•Needsimprovement,limited
HistorypagedoesnothaveaFAQsection.PeopleandhouseholdspagelinkstoCensusQ&Asite.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Linktohelpisnotavailableoneverypageofthesite.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Historypagemakesgooduseofimages. Thecountdownforthereleaseof1940Censusrecordsisaninterestingfeature.
ReportproducedbyAbtAssociatesPage122of127
50.InternationalDataBaseTestURL:http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle InternationalDataBase 1 1Text CountryRankingsLargestcountriesforanyyear,
1950to2050.WorldPopulationInformationGlobalpopulationtrends,linkstohistoricalpopulationestimates,populationclocks,andestimatesofpopulation,births,anddeathsoccurringeachyear,day,hour,orsecond.
1 1
Keywords worldcountriesregionspopulationdemographicvitaleventsbirthsdeathsmigrationprojectionestimation
01 02
1TheIDBmainpagewasnotreturnedinthefirst100results.ThesecondresultwastheInternationalDataBasePopulationEstimatesandProjectionsMethodology[pdf].2TheIDBmainpagewasnotreturnedinthe20results.ThesecondresultwastheInternationalDataBasePopulationEstimatesandProjectionsMethodology[pdf].
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thenavigationsystemconsistingofthetophorizontalbarisfairlyuseful.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Therearenobreadcrumbtrailsorothertoolstodesignatelocation.Verticalnavigationisimpeded.Lateralmovementisaidedbythenavigationtoolsmentionedabove.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•NodeficienciesobservedLinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch.Linksarelabeled
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•NeedsImprovement,Extensive
Thereisnotanygoodintroductiontothesite’scontent.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
Thenavigationandlabelingoflinksallowforeasynavigation.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Themaintoolsarefeaturedprominentlybutnotwellshowcased.Moreintroduction/background/descriptionwouldbeuseful.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thereareoftenunusedspacesinthepagesdueinparttoalackofcontentandlackofformatting.Textislegible.Pagesresizewell.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
WhilesomegraphsaregeneratedusingDataAccess,thereisotherwisealackofimages.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Adequate
Thereisatextboxavailablefromallpages.ThesearchisnotrestrictedtotheIDBsite.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
“Searchthissite”couldbeinterpretedasjustIDBorCensus.gov.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •AdequateIsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limitedTheFAQisavailable,butonlyfromthemainpage.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Moderndataaccessformsandtables
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51.U.S.andWorldPopulationClocksTestURL:http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle U.S.&WorldPopulationClocks 1 1Text PopulationclocksontheUSCensusBureau's Web
sitewillupdatecontinuouslyforoneminuteandthenwillupdateonceperminuteafterthefirstminuteawebpageisdisplayed.
1 1
Keywords currentnumberpeopleinnation 1 011Websitedoesnotappearwithinfirstfewpagesofsearchresults
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite?
•Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Thereisnonavigationsystem.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Onepagedoesnothavebreadcrumbsandseemslikeitexistsinadifferenthierarchy.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite? •Needsimprovement,
extensive
Thereisnointroductiononthemainpage,andingeneralthewebsiteprovidesverylittlebackgroundinformation.
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Needsimprovement,limited
TheWorldPopclockpage isinadifferentsectionoftheCensus.govwebsite,whichisjarringsincetheU.S.Popclockiscontainedwithinthesite.
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •1ormoredeficiencies
WorldPopclockisinadifferentsectionoftheCensus.govwebsite.
Organization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•Adequate
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•Adequate
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
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Criteria Evaluation NotesPageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
WorldPopclockpagehasadifferentlayoutbecauseitislocatedinadifferentsectionoftheCensuswebsite.
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•1ormoredeficiencies
Thetextbelowthepopclockcouldbeformattedtobetteremphasize/deemphasizeimportant/unimportanttext.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Needsimprovement,extensive
Therearefewvisualelementsonthewebsite.
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly? •NodeficienciesobservedAreiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Websitedoesnotuseicons.
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•Needsimprovement,limited
Itisnecessarytousethesearch@censuslink,exceptontheworldpopclockpage.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain?
•Adequate
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •Needsimprovement,
extensiveTherearenolinkstohelponthewebsite.
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
Thereisnoaccesstohelponthewebsite.
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsite Therelevantinformation(population)iseasytolocateandisemphasizedonthewebsite. Itisusefulthatthepageautomaticallyupdates.
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52.PopulationProjections‐PopulationPyramids(alt:U.S.PopulationPyramids;NationalPopulationPyramids)TestURL:http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/natchart.html
I.Findability:SearchbyTitleorText SearchTerms
ListedOrderusingGoogle
ListedOrderusingWebsiteSearch
EngineTitle PopulationProjections–PopulationPyramids 1 1Text PopulationPyramidsTotalResidentPopulationof
theUnitedStatesbySex,MiddleSeries:July1,1990 GIF(34k)PDF(4k)July1,2000
1 1
Keywords unitedstatesnationalresidentsexage 01 011Thenatchart.htmlpagewasnotreturnedinthefirst100results.
II.WebsiteEvaluationCriteriaAdaptedFromTopTenUsabilityIssuesattheCensusBureau
Criteria Evaluation NotesNavigationDoeswebsiteprovideasinglecomprehensivenavigationalsystemthatenablesuserstoaccessinformationacrosstopicsquicklyandefficiently?Doglobalnavigationoptionsappearconsistentlyonallpagesofwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,
limited
Thenavigationtoolsbelongtotherootsite:U.S.PopulationProjections.Sincethereareonlypdfandgiffilesattachedtothispage,thesehavenonavigationoptions.However,Icannotfindawaytoaccessthenatchart.htmlpagefromtherootpages.
Doesnavigationconveythehierarchyofinformationandfacilitatelateralandverticalmovement?Doeswebsiteadequatelyindicatecurrentlocationandwherecurrentpageresidesinoverallsitehierarchy?
•NeedsImprovement,extensive
Therearenobreadcrumbstrails.
Dolinksandtargetpageheadingsmatch?Arelinklabelsuniqueanddescriptive?Arelinkslabeledconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •1ormoredeficiencies
Thenatchart.htmlpagehasapagetitleofPopulationPyramids–PopulationProjection,butthepageheaderstatesNationalPopulationPyramids.
Text&Terminology Doeswebsiteavoidusingunfamiliarterminology,unclearwordingandlabeling,orjargon? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Expectations Doesthewebsiteprovidesufficientintroductiontothecontentandfunctionalityofthesite?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thereisnointroductionorbackground
Doesconsistentnavigationandlayoutallowuserstoseamlesslynavigatedifferentsectionsofwebsite?Arelinksdifferentiatedwithspecificlabelstoallowuserstoefficientlynavigatethroughsite?
•Adequate
DoesthewebsiteclearlyindicatewhenlinkingtoanoutsideURL? •Nodeficienciesobserved
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Criteria Evaluation NotesOrganization Doeshomepageshowcasecontenttobuildinterestandguideusers?Isimportantinformationfeaturedprominently?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Thereisnoshowcasingofcontent.Thelinkstothedataaresimplypresented.
Iswebsiteorganizedinsuchawayastohighlightandprovideeasyaccesstothemostrecentormostrelevantdata?
•AdequateThepagedoesprovideclearlinkstothedata.
Isinformationthroughoutthedifferentpagesofthewebsiteorganizedinareadilyapparentandstraightforwardway?
•Adequate
PageLayout Isinformationorganizedclearly?Doesinformationappearinorderuserexpects(e.g.,alphabetical,numeric)? •Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagelayout(colorscheme,navigationoptions,etc.)consistentthroughoutwebsite?
•Nodeficienciesobserved
Ispagevisuallyoptimized?Istextlegible?Arethereanyawkwardformattingissues?Doeswebsitemaximizescreenrealestate?
•NodeficienciesobservedForthesinglewebpage,therearenoissues.Regardingthegraphs,seebelow.
Graphics,Tables,&Icons Doeswebsiteusevisualelementstoincreaseuserengagement?
•Adequate
Isinformationintablesandgraphicspresentedclearly?•Seriousdeficiencies,limited
Thegiffilesaretoosmall.Forboththegifandpdf,theheadingsaretoosmalltoread.
Areiconsconsistentthroughoutwebsite?Isfunctionalityclear? •1ormoredeficiencies
Search Doessearchfunctionalitywork?
•NeedsImprovement,Limited
Therearetwosearchoptions.Themoreprominent“SearchthisSite”textboxsearchprovidesresultslackingtheURL,whichmakesthesearchsignificantlylessuseful.ThelinktoSearch@CensusprovidesthestandardCensus.govsearch.
Isitclearwhethersearchfunctionappliestoentirewebsiteorsingledomain? •NeedsImprovement,
Limited
WhiletheSearch@Census isapparentthatitisCensusBureauwide,the“SearchthisSite”erroneouslyappearstobejustforthePopulationsite.
Help Isonlinehelpuseful? •NeedsImprovement,
ExtensiveNoonlinehelplinksareavailable
IsFAQsectionorganizedconsistentlythroughoutwebsite? •Seriousdeficiencies,extensive
NoFAQlinksareavailable
III.IdentifyBestPracticesandFeaturesonWebsiteContinuouslyupdatingclock