Many newspapers do not include margins of error with large amounts of data. They correctly or incorrectly believe that readers will recognize that all surveys have a margin of error. Most readers  are confused by MOEs and do not understand the relevance.

 

Bob Lord

Senior Research Analyst

 

 

Margins of error around ACS 5-year estimates is about 1.75 times as large as those associated with the 2000 Census Long Form estimates.  I assume NY Time’s maps (percentage changes) already accounted for  MOEs.  But it would be nice to put a MOE note for those absolute numbers they are presenting.

 

 

 

Hi Liang and others:

 

I agree that the interactive map they put together is amazing.  However, I am interested to know what everyone thinks about their exclusion of margins of error.  Note, they did present change since 2000 for the measures they show, with no mention of MOE’s.  Thoughts?

 

Nancy

 

Nancy Jones

Data Manager

Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance - Jacob France Institute

University of Baltimore

http://www.ubalt.edu/bnia

njones@ubalt.edu

410-837-4015

 

 

 

 

I was reading the NY Times on my way to work today and found out there are a serious of articles about ACS2005-2009.  The most amazing thing is that they developed this interactive map at the Census Tract level for the whole nation.  The maps show household income, home value, education and race and ethnicity at each tract and also the percentage change from the Census 2000.

Here is the link.  You got to check this out!

http://projects.nytimes.com/census/2010/explorer?ref=us

Liang Long
Cambridge Systematics, Inc.
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