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2020 Data Users Webinar Series

For 2020 our usual fall conference will be replaced with a series of webinars.

Even though we won’t be able to meet in person, we’re lining up a great series of presenters to help keep Tennessee data users current on the latest Census products, tools and topics.

Fall Webinars

With the state’s 2020 Census results planned for release sometime after April 1, 2021, its time to start brushing up on some important topics that might only come up every 10 years. This fall we’re focused on helping you get ready access, analyze and implement the new decennial census data.

Intro to IPUMS NHGIS:
Geographic U.S. census data, time series & crosswalks

November 10, 2020

Jonathan Schroeder headshot

Jonathan Schroeder
Research Scientist, IPUMS Center for Data Integration
University of Minnesota

Presented in partnership with the Tennessee Geographic Information Council


The IPUMS National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS – https://nhgis.org) provides free online access to summary tables and GIS mapping files for U.S. censuses and surveys going back to 1790 and for all summary levels down to census tracts and blocks. This webinar will provide an overview of NHGIS resources and demonstrate how to create customized data extracts. We will then delve into two unique NHGIS resources that facilitate studying changes across time: time series tables, which link together comparable statistics for multiple years, and geographic crosswalks, which support the allocation of data from one census’s units to another’s, enabling high-quality measures of change in small areas.


Updates on the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program and Local Government Redistricting in Tennessee

Oct. 27, 2020

James Whitehorne
Chief, Redistricting & Voting Rights Data Office
U.S. Census Bureau

Matthew Hill
Senior Specialist (GIS), Division of Property Assessments
Comptroller of the Treasury


The 2020 Census Redistricting Data Program is nearing the official delivery of the 2020 P.L. 94-171 State Redistricting Data Summary Files. James Whitehorne will discuss how the states help define the soon to be released 2020 Census geography and the official 2020 Census redistricting counts, as well as the content and timeline of the expected data, how the data will be delivered and to whom, additional relevant data products such as the CVAP tabulation, and an introductory discussion of differential privacy being used to protect respondent data in the published statistics.


Keeping up with data.census.gov:
A refresher, new features and planned products updates

Oct. 13, 2020

KaNin Reese headshot

KaNin Reese
Chief of Dissemination Outreach, Center for Enterprise Dissemination
U.S. Census Bureau


Whether you have been using data.census.gov, or are a newcomer to the site, join us for the latest updates on how to use data.census.gov, the Census Bureau’s new dissemination platform. During this webinar we will discuss how to search for and download data, use the map feature, and customize table views on the site. Along with a walk though of data.census.gov, we will share helpful learning resources, and address the most commonly asked questions. We will also show the latest feedback and how your comments drive our development of the site.


Spring Webinars

Differential Privacy and the 2020 Census

May 21, 2020

Nicholas Nagle, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Geography
University of Tennessee, Knoxville


Concerns that advanced computing power and new algorithms could be used to identify individual responses to the 2020 Census have led the U.S. Census Bureau to institute new statistical methods to ensure that respondents remain confidential. But preliminary results show the impact on the accuracy of resulting data can be affected. We discuss what this means for Tennessee communities whose funding and representation are determined by this same data.


Microdata for All:  Creating Custom Tables on data.census.gov

June 18, 2020

KaNin Reese
Chief of Dissemination Outreach, Center for Enterprise Dissemination
U.S. Census Bureau


Census microdata can be used to create custom tabulations that may not be available through the pre-compiled tables in data.census.gov. MDAT, the Census Bureau’s new Microdata Access Tool, exposes this capability in a new web-based interface. We get a demo on the new platform and learn about extracting it for research and analytical use.