DataFerrett Video

DataFerrett Tutorials

Below you will find links to several different DataFerrett tutorials. Each covers a specific type of data that can be found in DataFerrett and each type is unique and works slightly differently in DataFerrett.
For additional information, you may also want to look at the DataFerrett Users' Guide which offers detailed information on DataFerrett.

Microdata Tutorial
Microdata is data in which every record is at the unit of analysis level and all records must be added up to get thte totals for each data item. For example, for surveys of individuals, microdata contain records for each individual interviewed; for surveys of organizations, the microdata contain records for each organization. This tutorial uses the Current Population Survey (CPS) dataset as an example. Other examples of microdata datasets available in DataFerrett are the American Community Survey PUMS, Decennial Census PUMS, American Housing Survey, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, Mortality, and others.

Aggregate Data Tutorial
Aggregate data is data which has already been summarized or added up, usually for specific geographic units or some other unit, such as industry classifications. In this case, each record is a geographic unit, and there is no summing needed to get the totals for the geographies. This tutorial uses the decennial census Summary File 3 dataset as an example. Other examples of aggregate datasets available in DataFerrett are the County Business Patterns and the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates.

ACS 5-Year Summary File Users Guide/Tutorial
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a household survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau with an annual sample size of about 3 million addresses. Each year the survey produces data that covers 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates for geographic areas in the United States and Puerto Rico. The ACS 5-Year Summary File is a unique data product that includes estimates and margins of error for over 900 detailed tables covering many types of geographic areas down to census tracts and block groups.

Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) Tutorial
SIPP is one of the many datasets available in DataFerrett, but is different than most. It is a microdata dataset, but it is a longitudinal survey and therefore has some unique characteristics. This tutorial shows some basics on using this dataset in DataFerrett.