by Ed Swires-Hennessy, Local Government Data Unit - Wales
Ed continues his appraisals of different national Web Sites to stimulate use of the Internet, share best practice and encourage debate.
It is now nearly three years since I looked at what was
happening across the Atlantic in the USA. The Federal Statistics portal is still in
operation (http://www.fedstats.gov/ ) and, like the
New Zealand home page (reviewed in January 2004), the entrance is in a very simple single
screen page – which is both easy to read and navigate. The basic page is split into
two – one half for links to statistics and the other for links to statistical
agencies. But how easy to understand and go where you want! The whole of the USA
statistics summarised into five headings. And the limited use of graphics – a mere 12
kb – means that the page would be quick and easy to download.
Topic links is just that – a link to list of
topics with an appropriate alphabet at the top of the page (note the letters that have no
entries are not hyperlinked). Following my usual line of enquiry, I tried to find the
population data. The topic index only lists the 1990 data – and following that link
produces a census page which then has a link to the 2000 census data: not a very elegant
route. Tracing the Consumer Price Index was much simpler and yielded a page of links with
the most recent data in a display box to the right of the page.
MapStats provides data for each of the states in a
convenient form. The data for the state and the whole of the USA is given: some additional
prudent rounding of data may have been appropriate here as the first thing someone will do
with numbers of 10 digits is to round them. The system also allows the user to drill down
below the state to counties and cities, getting similar information.
Through the next item on the menu, Statistics by
Geography, one can get mid-year estimates of population data for the United Kingdom easier
than by going to the National Statistics website (admittedly only for the year 2000). The
vast range of data available from the many federal agencies through the portal is truly
amazing: the only downside to me is the many and varied presentations of the different
agencies’ websites: I have to admit that nothing better is promised though, as a
user, it really would be more helpful if the data were all presented in a similar way
through similar front ends. [One of my disappointments with the way the UK handles data
from the many agencies is that one has to get used to many delivery types and styles and
engines – to get data on one subject for the UK as a whole – if the data request
is not standard].
The Statistical Reference Shelf contains not only links
to publications but also to other key material. Following the Federal Briefing Rooms link
in the first heading, I quickly finished up on the White House site with simple
explanations of what was happening with prices. Further detail is available by following
more links on the pages.
Any dipping into this site will both thrill
statisticians and the webbies. The seamless transition through sites all over the USA is
quite mind-blowing. Some of the navigation is not consistent across the sites but,
primarily, that in the base site is both simple and straightforward – and allows very
quick access to the sites and the data. Try to find data for your own specialism through
the main Topic List and let me know of any failures!
This
review was undertaken using Internet Explorer version 5.50 on 9 March 2004 at 08.30 hrs
GMT using a 2 Mbit link to the Internet on a Pentium 4 1.7 GHz machine.
Please
send and comments and suggestions for sites to review to
Ed.Swires-Hennessy@lgdu-wales.gov.uk