In lesson 8,
I will review some basic elements of your table
and help you add the metadata.
Last, I will go over some tips and tricks on how to set up your table for analysis.
This is one of the tables that we exported from a query in Microsoft Access.
What I will share with you right now are a few tricks that can facilitate your process to start analyzing your data.
As you can tell by looking at this Excel spreadsheet,
is that there are a lot of abbreviations and terminologies here.
And we'll need to work with the metadata for each of these columns.
It's important to note that if you are planning to use this table to create a map,
whether using ARCGIS, Tableau, or any mapping software, or Data Visualization using mapping,
you need to keep the Geo ID and Geo code columns on this table.
This information is critical to you when creating a map.
But if you're only using this table
to create a graph or chart to create percentages, it is okay to hide some columns that you no longer need.
So, I will hide columns A through C.
If you're not sure what these abbreviations mean,
remember to go to the page of the Redistricting Program Data Management
and open the header records.
Let's use, for example, column J.
On the data dictionary reference,
you can see it right here,
and you can now tell what this abbreviation means. Logical Record Number.
It will help you determine if you need the column in place for whatever work you will
be doing to analyze your data. Some statistical software will require that you keep some of these columns
so they can better process your data for analysis.
Another example, look at column H character.
You'll find here on the data dictionary reference, and it means characteristic iteration.
So, what I will do, I will hide columns F through J.
Just for this demonstration, I will keep the column containing the name of my selected geography,
Providence County.
If you use your query to extract data for tracts, blocks, cities,
these geographies will be listed in this column.
The next step now is to work with the metadata for each of the columns displaying the actual numbers.
Let's go back to our header records
and now use the Segment definitions.
We are using data segment two for this table,
therefore, I'm going to click on segment two definitions.
This is exactly what we need.
So, let's first identify the metadata for column K, P0030001.
It is right here, and it means total.
So, I can go to the header of my column
and replace that code with total.
Let's do the same thing here with column L.
So, we're looking at
the P30002,
and that means population of one race.
Unfortunately, we do not have a metadata file that will allow us to import the metadata in joint with these files
so you don't have to manually enter them.
Another solution is to create a database these files,
after entering the metadata manually, that will continue to fill out all the spreadsheets
with the metadata automatically as you create a formula that associate the code with actual metadata.
I will now continue to make modifications to the headers.
Now I have modified the first few columns to include the basic race categories,
and with the metadata now available for each column as well as the data, it will be much easier for you to create
charts and graphs
to start analyzing your data.
If you'd like to learn more about how to use Excel, for instance, with Census Bureau data,
visit census.gov/academy and watch our Excel course.
You'll learn
really amazing tips and tricks how to create charts and graphs using Excel.
For this demonstration, I am going to create a chart using the race categories displayed on this table.
So, let's go ahead and start by selecting rows 1 and 2 for columns M through R.
Next, click on "insert."
Now, just choose a pie chart for this example.
It should demonstrate how you can go from downloading the data, importing, extracting,
exporting, to actually visualizing so you can start analyzing your data.
I hope you find this information useful.
Now, let's go over a quick recap of Part II of this course.
In Part II,
you'll learn where to locate the data for the 2020 Census redistricting files,
and then how to download these files and the software available, the Microsoft Access database shell.
Next, you'll learn how to import a file to create your own database.
The next step was to extract the data using the pre-created queries and how to customize these queries.
Last, we learn to export and prep the data for analysis.
We hope that you've found this course informative. To be the first to hear about new Census Academy learning content,
be sure to sign up for email updates, follow us on social media, and go to census.gov/academy.