This project will continue the development of an innovative data access, dissemination, and analysis system, PDQ-Explore, being developed by the applicant, Public Data Queries, Inc. (PDQ) in two areas begun under Phase I of this project: (1) the development of the software portion of the system and (2) the acquisition of data and related documentation under subcontract to the Population Studies Center of the University of Michigan. The system will permit a large base of users characterized by varying degrees of technical and substantive skills to quickly and easily extract information from a variety of large census and survey data sets. The system will combine an intuitive user interface with parallel processing to dramatically reduce the time, effort, and expertise required to work with these data sets. The interface will allow the use of multi-media technology to integrate documentation and tutorial materials with the analytic capabilities of the system. Tools designed to facilitate the use of the data for research will be included, along with integrated multi- media tutorials that will encourage use by the less experienced. The system, accessible via the internet at a modest cost, will give the public access to resources that surpass oven those presently available to well funded researchers.
The Explore system can be of value to any person who has questions, concerns, or interests related to the demographic, social, economic, health, or environmental characteristics of the United States--i.e., most of the population age eight (8) and other. I has the potential to provide new information to students, teachers, scholars, researchers, planners, administrators, politicians, reporters, etc., anyone who is now or will be in the future connective to the internet, interactive TV, or other interactive public communication system.
