VT Census Case Studies : Location Inc (Neighborhoodscout)

Created and last modified by molfe on 09 Aug 2015

Brief Overall Description of the Dataset:

Neighborhoodscout is a service for current homebuyers looking for the best community to buy in, based off their many needs, including but not limited to, affordability, walkability, school quality, noise level and hipness. The dataset itself is collected through mining and patented algorithms. Very little of the data is open to the public. Most information for state and nation are available publicly, but to view county and neighborhoods, a subscription must be bought and in order to access the raw data and apis, the research company, Location, Inc. would need to be contacted for price appraisal.

Data menu has been received (listed as confidential)

Link: http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/

http://www.locationinc.com/faq

Date Inventory Completed: 05/28/15

Screening

  • Is the data collected opinion-based?
  • Is the data collection recurring (must be collected at least annually)?
  • Is there data available for 2013?
  • For Housing: Is the data collected at the property or housing unit level?
  • Can we access the data by August 15th?

Purpose

  • What is the purpose of the organization collecting the data?

The purpose of the organization collecting the data is to allow current homebuyers to investigate the areas they are interested in moving to and picking out their future house based off the qualifications of the neighborhood, not just the home’s amenities.

  • Why is it collected and how does the organization use it?

This data is collected in order to help homebuyers understand the neighborhoods in where they are interested in living in.

  • Who else uses the data?

Citizens, businesses

  • Who do they sell the data to?

Researchers, businesses, insurance agencies

The do send some of their crime data to CoreLogic.


Method

  • What is the data collection method? 

“Much of our data is patented, patent-pending, exclusive or proprietary to Location, Inc. How can that be? Because we build the data ourselves! We are Ph.D.-led geographers and data miners. We are passionate about accuracy, and we see ourselves as being on your side – our customer - so that you can make informed decisions with confidence that reduce your risk, and help your business grow by saving time while increasing revenue.

Whether you are assessing the risk of property crime by street, investing in real estate, developing new commercial office space, or making a critical site selection decision for a facility or retail outlet, Location, Inc. provides your company with access to data unavailable from any other source, as well as precision patented search algorithms.”

  • What is the type of data collected? 

Administrative and survey data

  • If designed, who created the questions?

  • What is the raw source of the collected data (prior to any aggregation)? 

75 sources (HUD, FBI, ACS) leveraged

Many of their variables seems to be based on the census.


Description

  • What is the general topic of the data (1-2 words)?

 Neighborhood characteristics

  • What are the earliest and latest dates for which data is available?

unknown - 2015

  • Is data collected and available periodically?

Yes, it is updates at least 6 times a year

  • How soon after a reference period ends can a data source be prepared and provided? 

As soon as updated


Selectivity

  • What is the universe (e.g., population) that the data represents?

Neighborhoods in the United States


Accessibility

  • How is the data accessed? 

API  for apps is available, raw data is also available for purchase. For our purposes, will be CVC at census tract level

  • Is it open data?

No, it must be purchased

  • Any legal, regulatory, or administrative restrictions on accessing the data source?

None listed

  • Cost? - One time or annual or project based payment?

$26,500 for the top 10 variables. This is a 20% discount already.

A two year agreement is usually required. For research institutions, this requirement is waived.

$40-$50 a year for commercial entities (Normally two year commitment required)

Does this dataset appear to meet our needs for the Census study? Yes

Full Inventory

Description

  • Features

    • What is the temporal nature of the data: longitudinal, time-series, or one time point?

    • Geospatial? If Yes, at what level?

Neighborhood (accessible by street address), zip code, city, state, and United States overall

  • What is the scope of the records?

Neighborhoods in the United States


Metadata

  • Is there information available to assess the transparency and soundness of the methods to gather the data for our purposes?

No (have received some information  papers about some of the patented data, but nothing specific about algorithms. 

  • Is there a description of each variable in the source along with their valid values?

Yes

  • Are there unique IDs for unique elements that can be used for linking data?

Census tract, neighborhoods

  • Is there a data dictionary or codebook? If so, put the link here and add to folder.

Data menu if inquired about


Selectivity

  • What unit is represented at the record level of the data source? 

geographic area.

  • Does this universe match the stated intentions for the data collection? If not, what has been included or excluded and why?

Unknown

  • What is the sampling technique used (if applicable)? 

  • What was the coverage?

Unknown


Stability/Coherence

  • Were there any changes to the universe of data being captured (including geographical areas covered) and if so what were they?

None listed

  • Were there any changes in the data capture method and if so what were they?

None listed

  • Were there any changes in the sources of data and if so what were they? 

None listed


Accuracy

  • Any known sources of error?

None specifically listed

  • Describe any quality control checks performed by the data’s owner. 

None listed


Accessibility

  • Any records or fields collected, but not included in data source, such as for confidentiality reasons)?

None listed

  • Is there a subset of variables and/or data that is must be obtained through a separate process? If yes, is there a separate legal, regulatory, or administrative restrictions on accessing the data source? Cost? - One time or annual or project based payment? 

Choose the ones that you want to buy only


Privacy and security

  • Was consent given by participant? If so, how was consent given?

Unknown; Varies by source of raw data

  • Are there legal limitations or restrictions on the use of the data?

None listed

  • What confidentiality policies does the source have?

None listed


Research

  • What research has been done with this dataset?

School ratings, crime rates

  • Include any links to research if provided:  

  • List any other data use notes provided by the supplier.


Gaps/Concerns

  • Feasibility - can all jurisdiction levels provide the data (if applicable)?

  • Data ownership - a lack of clarity in legal guidance stemming from a lack of clarity with who owns digital data

  • Data collection authority - what data is reasonably private and what constitutes unwarranted intrusion?

  • Describe any other notes you have or any gaps/concerns you see with this dataset: