Re: [CTPP] Sign our open letter to Census Bureau leadership about ACS data

Thanks, I was so confused. Ben Gruswitz, AICP | Senior Planner (Pronouns: he/him) Office of Long-Range Planning Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission 190 N Independence Mall West, 8th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19106-1520 <https://www.google.com/maps/place/Delaware+Valley+Regional+Planning+Commission/@39.9543225,-75.1508621,18.75z> 215.238.2882 | www.dvrpc.org Subscribe <https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/1808352/1403728/> | Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/DVRPC> | Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/DVRPC> | Instagram <http://www.instagram.com/DVRPC> | LinkedIn <http://www.linkedin.com/company/delaware-valley-regional-planning-commission> | YouTube <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEU8UI5_iGkVypHP93b5jLA> [image: DVRPC] <https://www.dvrpc.org/> On Thu, May 2, 2019 at 12:51 PM Ed Christopher &lt;edc(a)berwyned.com&gt; wrote: > There may be some who are interested in this. I apologize if it has > already crossed your desk. > > -------- Forwarded Message -------- > Subject: Sign our open letter to Census Bureau leadership about ACS data > Date: Thu, 2 May 2019 16:05:03 +0000 > From: Steven Ruggles &lt;ipums(a)umn.edu&gt; &lt;ipums(a)umn.edu&gt; > Reply-To: Steven Ruggles &lt;ipums(a)umn.edu&gt; &lt;ipums(a)umn.edu&gt; > To: edc(a)berwyned.com > > *IPUMS Census and Survey Data * > Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser > <https://ipums.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=775cbf39c77535e784cdfd6f9&id=83814c570c&e=36b61efbdf> > . > > Dear IPUMS User, > > I know many of you have been following developments in Census 2020 and > the proposed citizenship questions. Several sessions at the Population > Association of America (PAA) covered many aspects of Census 2020 planning > and were well-attended with lively discussions. I’m writing to you today > about plans for the American Community Survey (ACS). Please join me in > asking the Census Bureau to clarify their plans for ACS disclosure > avoidance control and dissemination. We want to protect the usability of > the important public use data that we all use in our work. > > *Here's the short version: please sign our open letter > <https://ipums.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=775cbf39c77535e784cdfd6f9&id=0222dbb69f&e=36b61efbdf> > to the Census Bureau asking for transparency in changes to the ACS*. For > the long version, please keep reading and visit our webpage on this topic > <https://ipums.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=775cbf39c77535e784cdfd6f9&id=f6acb67c09&e=36b61efbdf> > . > > The Census Bureau is planning an extensive revision of procedures for > ensuring the confidentiality of public use data, based on a method known as > "differential privacy." The new disclosure avoidance system will rely on > injecting noise into the data, and the new procedures may reduce or even > eliminate the usability of public use data for many common research and > policy applications. For more information, see our recent working paper > <https://ipums.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=775cbf39c77535e784cdfd6f9&id=322a2fd9db&e=36b61efbdf> > and forthcoming article > <https://ipums.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=775cbf39c77535e784cdfd6f9&id=f1bb775c87&e=36b61efbdf> > . > > The American Community Survey (ACS) is the single most important > statistical source in the social sciences. They generate 9,000 articles a > year, and a new paper appears about every hour. If these data become > unusable, unreliable or available only through restricted-access > environments because of the new confidentiality measures, that would have > profound consequences across many areas of demographic, economic, and > policy research. > > Acknowledging the importance of the ACS data, we are seeking > clarification and engagement with the research community from the Census > Bureau. Our open letter > <https://ipums.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=775cbf39c77535e784cdfd6f9&id=f257c84869&e=36b61efbdf> > requests: > > 1. A public timeline for changes to the ACS summary files and > microdata. > 2. Engagement with the research community in advance of any changes. > 3. Public versions of new noise-infused ACS summary files and > microdata for 2005-2017 so that researchers can assess their usefulness by > replicating existing studies. > > If you support these requests, please sign our letter > <https://ipums.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=775cbf39c77535e784cdfd6f9&id=9710166dfb&e=36b61efbdf> > . > > Thank you, > > Steven Ruggles > IPUMS Director > Regents Professor of History and Population Studies > IPUMS > <https://ipums.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=775cbf39c77535e784cdfd6f9&id=c094a4d994&e=36b61efbdf> > | University of Minnesota > <https://ipums.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=775cbf39c77535e784cdfd6f9&id=9d35d76aa9&e=36b61efbdf> > > *Copyright © 2019 University of Minnesota, All rights reserved.* > > *Our mailing address is:* > IPUMS > 225 19th Ave South > Minneapolis, MN 55455 > > > > > > > > > > >