[CTPP] Heads-up on PUMS

I am hearing that there are some discussions underway at Census concerning the 2000 PUMS. Below is an email that Elaine Murakami (fhwa) snagged concerning a meeting on the issue. Elaine is trying to get to the bottom of it but I thought it was important to get the issue before us. We will let you know more as we find out. If anyone on the list can shed any information on this or the direction of PUMs please let us know. (don't forget to make sure to "reply all" if you want to reply to the list.) -------------------insert------------ Date: 05/09/2000 05:20 pm (Tuesday) From: ruggles(a)hist.umn.edu To: hubsmtp.gwhub("ipums-users(a)ipums.umn.edu") Subject: URGENT! Census 2000 PUMS ** High Priority ** Dear IPUMS users: The Census Bureau is considering significant reductions in the level of subject and geographic detail for the 2000 PUMS files in order to enhance confidentiality. As the Principal Investigator of the IPUMS project and chair of the ICPSR Census 2000 Committee, I have been asked to attend a meeting at the Bureau later this month to report how these changes might affect users. No final decisions have yet been taken, but various measures are under discussion. Although I do not have the specifics of any proposals, I have heard that they include such steps as grouping ages for persons 65 or older, providing only broad occupational groupings, reducing the available detail on race, ancestry, and income, and reducing geographic detail. I would like to get your feedback on these issues before I meet with the Bureau so I can fairly represent the concerns of IPUMS users. I would therefore appreciate it if you could complete the brief survey at http://www.ipums.umn.edu/~ipums/survey.html. I need the results as soon as possible. The survey will remain open until May 16th, but it will help greatly if you could complete the survey today or tomorrow. A high response rate will strengthen the credibility of the results. I appreciate your help on this, especially given the very short notice. If you know of people who have used the IPUMS but who are not registered to use the data extraction system, I would appreciate it if you would forward this message to them. If you do not want to receive email from IPUMS and would like us to remove you from our list of registered users, please email ipums(a)hist.umn.edu and ask to be removed, and accept my apologies for clogging your inbox. Yours, Steven Ruggles Minnesota Population Center 537 Heller, University of Minnesota 271 19th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55455 FAX: (612) 624-7096 PHONE: (612) 624-5818