How to Use Summary File 1 with Census 2000 Data Engine Software on DVD

Contents

• The Basics
• Pick Geography (required)
• Output (required)
• Simple Variables or Custom Variables (one of these is required unless you choose a pre-defined report)
• Finish (required)
• Workspace
• Conversion
• Custom Radii
• The Key Field
• Geographies (Summary Levels)
• For More Information

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The Basics

You must do a minimum of three to four things in order to collect data using this software:

1. Pick Geography tab (to choose the geographical area(s) for which you want to collect data).
2. Output tab (to choose the type of output you want and its location).
3. Either the Simple Variables or Custom Variables tab (to choose the variables or tables you want). (These are not used for pre-defined reports.)
4. When all the other tasks have been completed, press Finish to actually view and/or save the data.

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Pick Geography (required)

Use the Pick Geography tab to choose the geographical area(s) for which you want data.

In the Select Geographic Areas window, click on "+" to open a geography to see the lower levels. (This will be called "open" below.) Click in the check box to select a geography. (This will be called "check" below.)

• If a geography has lower levels of geography (these will all have a "+" to the left), then checking such a geography will select all lower levels as well. For instance, checking 050 County will select all of the counties in all of the states, as you can see by opening the "+"s successively, drilling down into lower levels of geography.
• If a geography does not have lower levels of geography (these will not have a "+" to the left), then checking this geography will select a single geography. For instance, if you open the "+" next to 040 State, and then check Alabama, you will select only Alabama.

Choose File/Clear Selection to clear all selected geographies.

Hint: the legend is for reference purposes; it cannot be changed.

Examples of some geographies that you might need with instructions for how to collect data for them.

For More Information... Definitions of geographical areas appear in Appendix A of Summary File 1 Technical Documentation. A complete list of the geographies available is in Summary File 1 Technical Documentation, chapter 4. I have also summarized it.

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Output (required)

Use the Output tab to choose how you would like to view and/or save the data you collect. There are three basic options:

1. A pre-defined report in HTML which you can view on the screen in a browser which is suitable for printing but which does not automatically download, although it can be downloaded as HTML by hand. You can choose the geographical area(s) for which you want data, but not all reports are available for all geographies. You can choose only one table or profile at a time.
2. A custom report in HTML which you can view on the screen in a browser which is suitable for printing but which does not automatically download, although it can be downloaded as HTML by hand. You can choose the geographical area(s) for which you want data. You can choose multiple variables and/or tables.
3. A file which you can download in a variety of formats suitable for opening using spreadsheet, statistical, and database applications, etc.; it is not especially suitable for printing. You can choose the geographical area(s) for which you want data. You can choose multiple variables and/or tables.

	1. Pre-defined Report	2. Custom Report	3. File
Can download?	yes, as HTML from browser	yes, as HTML from browser	yes, in a variety of formats
Can view on screen?	yes, in browser	yes, in browser	yes, optionally, if software is available for chosen format
Suitable to print?	yes, from browser	yes, from browser	not especially
Can choose geography(ies)?	yes, 1 or more; not all reports available for all geographies	yes, 1 or more	yes, 1 or more
Can choose table(s)?	yes, 1 table or profile at a time	yes, 1 or more	yes, 1 or more
Can choose variable(s)?	no, only tables	yes, 1 or more	yes, 1 or more

Option 1. Pre-defined Report. To create a pre-defined report, choose the Output tab/Output Mode/Report. Then choose a named pre-defined report under Report Template File. Note: some reports are not available for all geographies. For instance, DP-1 Profile of General Demographic Characteristics is not available for blocks.

Some of the names of the pre-defined reports are so long you cannot see the end of the name. To more easily browse through and choose a report, press Browse. If you get lost, you can return to browsing at c:\Program Files\SRC\Census 2000\Data\US_SF1\Reports.

The types of pre-defined reports are:

• DP-1 Profile of General Demographic Characteristics
• Quick Tables - good general profiles focussing on a particular topic such as race and Hispanic, age and sex, and general housing characteristics
• Detailed Tables - the most detailed tables available, identical to the tables available through Simple Variables

Next step: Press Finish.

Option 2. Custom Report. To create a custom report with the geographies and variables or folders/tables you want, choose the Output tab/Output Mode/Report. Choose Report (blank).rpt under Report Template File (at or near the bottom of the list). Then follow the instructions under Simple Variables or Custom Variables to add variables to your report.

Next step: You must then choose variables (Simple Variables or Custom Variables).

Option 3. File. To download a file (and optionally view it on the screen), choose the Output tab/Output Mode/File. Then click on the Save As button. (Note: This does not actually save the data.) Type in the filename to save the file you will create on the a:\ drive, e.g. a:\myfile. Choose an option next to Save as Type:

• Comma delimited (*.csv)
• Microsoft Access (*.mdb)
• dBase III (*.dbf)
• dBase IV (*.dbf)
• dBase 5 (*.dbf)
• Paradox 5.x (*.db)
• FoxPro 2.6 (*.dbf)
• Excel (*.xls)
• HTML export (*.htm)

Next step: You must then choose variables (Simple Variables or Custom Variables).

Create Output as Summary

Create Output as Summary will ask the software to aggregate the values for the areas that you have selected from the Pick Geographies tab into a single value. That value will appear in your output. For instance, if you selected all the census tracts in Orange County, NC, chose the Create Output as Summary option, and chose the population variable, the value output would be the aggregate population of all the census tracts in Orange Co., NC (which equals the total population of Orange Co., NC). In another more useful example, if you selected Orange, Durham, and Wake counties in NC, chose the Create Output as Summary option, and chose the population variable, the value output would be the aggregate population of the three counties.

Hint: The data will not be saved until you choose Finish and make final choices on the Processing Finished window.

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Simple Variables (either Simple Variables or Custom Variables is required unless you choose a pre-defined report)

In Simple Variables, you choose a single variable, more than one variable, or an entire folder's (table's) worth of variables to output. To do so, within the Input Variables list, highlight the variable or folder (table) desired and press Select. This will add your choice to the Output Variables list. To remove variables or folders from the Output Variables list, highlight the variable or folder you want to delete in the Output Variables list and press Delete.

Usually, you will choose a "Normal Variable" (see the legend for the symbol for this). You can also choose a Ranking Variable if you are creating a ranking report. The symbol for "No Data Available" means that for the geography you have chosen in Pick Geography, no data are available. (Some variables/tables are not available for some geographies.)

Types of Input Variables:

• Geographic Identifiers - codes for geographic areas, administrative codes, area of land and water (in square meters), internal point, population count, housing unit count, etc.
• H Tables - housing tables
• P Tables - population tables
• PCT Tables - tables available down to the census tract level (i.e. no block groups or blocks)

For More Information... A concise overview of the tables available in Summary File 1 is in the Abstract on page 1-1 of Summary File 1 Technical Documentation (PDF) This documentation is also available on the DVD in the root directory: sf1.pdf. A subject locator is used to identify the tables that contain the data you need. A subject locator is available in Chapter 3 of the Technical Documentation. A list of tables and variables available in Summary File 1 is also available in the Technical Documentation in the Data Dictionary beginning on page 7-25.

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Custom Variables (either Simple Variables or Custom Variables is required unless you choose a pre-defined report)

Follow the instructions on the Custom Variables tab to create a custom variable using arithmetic operations.

Hint: write down the formula that you use to create a custom variable, since, depending on the type of output you have chosen, the software may not make a record of it for you.

Examples:

• To create a variable that gives the land area in square miles (instead of square meters), in folder Geographic Identifiers in the Input Variables window highlight Area (Land) and press Var; press "/"; type in "2589988" (without parentheses and without commas). You should end up with the formula: [AREALAND]/2589988. Give the new variable a name. Before you continue, write down the formula. Press Select. (See also the list of conversion formulas.)
• To create a variable for population density (population per square mile), in folder P Tables and then in folder P1, highlight variable P001001 and press Var; press "/"; press "("; in folder Geographic Identifiers highlight Area (Land) and press Var; press "/"; type in "2589988" (without parentheses and without commas); press ")". You should end up with the formula: [P001001]/([AREALAND]/2589988). Give the new variable a name. Before you continue, write down the formula. Press Select. (See also the list of conversion formulas.)
• To create a variable for the number of people 65 and over, in the folder P Tables open the folder P12 Sex by Age. Highlight a variable, press select, press "+", and repeat until you have a formula that reads: [P012020]+ [P012021]+ [P012022]+ [P012023]+ [P012024]+ [P012025]+ [P012044]+ [P012045]+ [P012046]+ [P012047]+ [P012048]+ [P012049]. Give the new variable a name. Before you continue, write down the formula. Press Select.

For More Information... A concise overview of the tables available in Summary File 1 is in the Abstract on page 1-1 of Summary File 1 Technical Documentation (PDF) This documentation is also available on the DVD in the root directory: sf1.pdf. A subject locator is used to identify the tables that contain the data you need. A subject locator is available in Chapter 3 of the Technical Documentation. A list of tables and variables available in Summary File 1 is also available in the Technical Documentation in the Data Dictionary beginning on page 7-25.

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Finish (required)

When you have completed Pick Geography, Output, and, if you did not choose a pre-defined report, either Simple Variables or Custom Variables, press Finish to begin the completion routine. You will get a Processing Finished window.

If you chose a pre-defined or a custom report on the Output tab, make sure that choices are made to (1) Open the Output File (2) With the System Default Application. Press OK. A browser will display the report. You might have to click on the browser window to bring it to the front. If you would like to download the HTML file, use the browser's File/Save As command to save it to a floppy disk (the a:\ drive).

If you chose to download a file, then you have the option to Open the Output File to view it on the screen (in addition to downloading the file). If you choose to see the file, also choose to do so With the System Default Application. Note: we may not have the software available to view the file in the format you chose. If not, choose another format also, such as HTML. You will also have an option to open the Field Descriptions file (which provides a short definition of each of the variables you chose). If you want to see the Field Descriptions file, you should also choose to open it With the System Default Application. Press OK.

Hint: Once completed, it is very important that you verify that you saved the information that you intended to save. You can do this using Excel, Notepad, QuickView or some other software available on our equipment.

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Workspace

It is not necessary to use this option.

You can save your workspace in order to save the selections you have made for a future session. Next time you open that saved workspace, the selections will revert to the ones that you saved.

• To save a workspace, choose the Workspace tab/File/Save as... Type in the filename, for example, a:\myfile.aws.
• To open a saved workspace, choose File/Open and navigate to your saved .aws workspace file.

Hint: if you choose to save your workspace, you might find that the software later behaves strangely. If this is the case, exit the software and start over, this time not saving your workspace.

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Conversion

To convert:

• square meters to square miles, divide square meters by 2,589,988.
• square meters to square kilometers, divide square meters by 1,000,000.
• square kilometers to square miles, divide square kilometers by 2.58999.

For More Information... More information on conversion and area measurement is available under the heading Area Measurement on pages A-7 through A-8 of Summary File 1 Technical Documentation (PDF) This documentation is also available on the DVD in the root directory: sf1.pdf.

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Custom Radii

Custom Radii allows you to create a report including data for one or more radii around a particular latitude/longitude coordinate expressed in decimal degrees.

If you don't already have a latitude/longitude coordinate to use, you can collect an internal point in Simple Variables/Geographic Identifiers, Internal Point (Latitude) and Internal Point (Longitude). An example latitude: 36.021998. An example longitude: -79.092239.

To create a custom radius around a latitude/longitude coordinate, on the Pick Geography tab, choose File/Add Radii. In the Create a Point window, enter the latitude and longitude. Click on OK. Enter the radius or radii that you want. "1,3,5-7" will give you radii at 1, 3, and 5-7 units from the coordinate and will provide data for inside the 1 unit, inside the 3 units, and between the 5 and 7 unit radii. "1,2,1-2" will give you data inside 1 unit, inside 2 units, and between the 1 and 2 unit radii. Choose the unit you prefer. Click OK. Choose the output and variables/tables as usual.

For More Information... More information on internal points is available under the heading Internal Point on page A-15 of Summary File 1 Technical Documentation (PDF) This documentation is also available on the DVD in the root directory: sf1.pdf.

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The Key Field

Your output may include a Key field. The Key field is made up of a series of codes, including FIPS codes as well as other codes. This series of codes depends on the geography you chose in Pick Geography. The codes included in the list will mirror the codes of the geographies that you find as you drill down, opening each "+" in Pick Geography. I have prepared some examples of the value of the Key field; that Key field value parsed into components; and a description of each of the components, with the number of digits for each component code.

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Geographies (Summary Levels)

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For More Information

• For help on how to use the Census 2000 Data Engine software, use the help system available by pressing the Help button.
• For help on the data, tables, geography, etc., consult Summary File 1 Technical Documentation (PDF) Census Bureau. This documentation is also available on the DVD in the root directory: sf1.pdf.

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See also Selected Sources of 2000 Census Data; Census Documentation, Guides, and History.
Back to A Guide to the Decennial Census with a focus on 1990 and 2000 census data

Barbara Levergood, Former Electronic Documents Librarian

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