2011 UK Census

Even this far in advance, it is clear that the 2011 Census will provide an invaluable - and interesting - snapshot of life in the United Kingdom. Crucial to making that information useful (and well used) will be making census outputs intelligble for a wide range of users, from specialised statisticians and researchers right through to interested citizens and schoolchildren. Against this background, there is also the constantly changing technological backdrop of the Web, which will play a key role as a delivery channel. So - how should 2011 Census data be presented to users and in what formats?

ONS has already made some progress in re-thinking how statistics can be presented for different audiences. For example, the interactive, animated population pyramid has proven popular with a wide-ranging audience. A tactile, playful approach to data presentation certainly seems to have its place. However, we are also aware that - in addition to downloading data, people might also to access data directly using Web 2.0 technologies. Such a mechanism might be useful for integrating data with data from other locations.

We are interested to hear about people's expectations of how they will access and interpet Census data. Do users want tables of data and nothing else? Or do graphs, maps and other visual mechanisms have a role to play? Do people need guidance in interpreting Census data? What about places to share stories about census data? Do you already have plans for how you would like to engage with Census data? If so, please let us know.

As a casual observer of census results I believe only the client, who has requested your service, can make a decison based on your presentations.

Asking all and sundry to comment on this subject will lead to many varied opinions.
Personally I like to read articles that have been released to the newspapers. I realise all these will be edited to show facts that the Chief editor requires.

The Census bureau should always be releasing Media faqs everyday. Rather than only when asked by the media when preparing a current news item.

The varied forms of presentations can be a simple Pie chart, a pyramid, or even a clickable Flash page (swf).

The vast majority of people would prefer an Internet based database, which might be offered in a variety of formats for the same request.

Goodluck hope you surf the web and view all the other census sites, as I did, maybe your site will be easy to navigate.