# Presentation: 191240

## What makes FactFinder so easy?

- Logically organized
- Multiple data access points
- Easy to navigate
- Point-and-click interface
- Context-sensitive Help

**Notes:**
What makes FactFinder so easy?  Many points come to mind...

FactFinder is organized so that you can access the data you want from  multiple entry points.

Navigation is simple, and you interact by pointing and clicking with your mouse.

FactFinder’s Help provides:
 Context-sensitive support for the task at hand.
 Detailed information about Census data.
 A glossary of terms.
 Tutorials for in-depth instruction on using certain FactFinder features.

## FactFinder organization

**Notes:**
This is the American FactFinder Main page. Think of this as your “home base.”   The links on the Main page form your gateway to the information stored in FactFinder. 

Data in FactFinder can be accessed using multiple entry points.  For example, using FactFinder you can:
 Search by keyword or place name to locate data, maps, and Census products.
 Display Basic Facts in the form of a predefined table or thematic map.   
 Use the Data Sets feature to access all tables for the Decennial Censuses for 1990 and 2000 that are available in FactFinder, find  annual releases of the American Community Survey and other data, and the Economic Census for 1997. 
 Use the FactFinder Data Sources feature to go directly to pages where you can create tables and reports.
 View boundaries on a Reference Map.
 Create a Thematic Map to view a graphical representation of data.
 Create Reference Maps that show the boundaries and features for the geographic areas in both the censuses   and surveys.

## Main page

**Notes:**
The Main page consists of three areas:
1. Banner.  Serves as an anchor point throughout American FactFinder.  No matter where you are in FactFinder, you can always access the Main page by clicking the Main button on the banner.
2. Left column.  Provides links to additional information about FactFinder, and other FactFinder options.
3. Display/selection area.  Provides access to Basic Facts, Data Sets, and Maps

## Main page - banner

- Return to the Main page from any page in FactFinder

- Go directly to the Search page

- Communicate directly  with American FactFinder staff

- See answers to frequently asked questions

- Get definitions of Census terms

- Click for instant online assistance

**Notes:**
The banner is always at the top of the screen, and always provides the same six links. You can use the banner to return to the FactFinder Main page, and to access the Search, Feedback, FAQs, Glossary and Help features.

You can also use the banner to access the Census Bureau home page (www.census.gov), by clicking the U.S. Census Bureau logo in the upper left corner of the banner.

## Search

**Notes:**
Click Search to retrieve tables, maps, and Census products that meet your search criteria. You can narrow your search by year and program.  You can enter a word or phrase to search on, or you can choose a subject from a list.

You can search by keyword (subject) or geography (named location) by clicking the appropriate tab to choose your preference.

## Feedback

**Notes:**
Clicking the Feedback button opens a window like the one shown here.  

Enter your remarks about the system, and classify them as a comment or a problem.

Providing your name, e-mail address, and phone number makes it easy for us to help you with a problem, or answer a question.  However, entering this information is completely up to you.

## FAQs

**Notes:**
Click FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) to view answers to common questions related to FactFinder functions, data, geography, and performance. 

This page is updated with new information on a regular basis.  Many answers that you see here come from the Feedback system, in response to questions that other users have asked.

## Glossary

**Notes:**
The FactFinder Glossary gives definitions of the many of the Census Bureau terms you may not be familiar with.  Most definitions contain a “Related term” link.  Clicking that link will direct you to another word and definition that may further improve your understanding.

Use the A – Z listing at the top of the page to move to other areas of the glossary just as you would use tabs on a dictionary’s pages to go directly to different sections.

## Help

**Notes:**
FactFinder is very easy to use, but at times, you may need a little extra help.

Clicking Help opens another browser window.  The information in this window will be specific to the task you are currently trying to complete in FactFinder.

## Help window

**Notes:**
When the Help window opens, the FactFinder Help option is active and the Current Topic page displays.  

The left column of this page lists the tasks that you can perform for your current location in FactFinder, and the right side of the page displays instructions for performing the first task in the list.

When you click a task in the list, FactFinder displays a complete description of that task on the right side of the page.  

You can also click the Table of Contents tab to view a complete list of FactFinder Help topics.  Then, click a topic name to view the related text.

## Help options

**Notes:**
In addition to the context-sensitive Help available through the FactFinder Help button, Help also includes the following features:  
 Census Data Information.  Provides detailed information about the data that you can access through FactFinder, including a description of the current data set, a list of the tables in the data set, and links to related documentation.  This is the metadata, or technical documentation for the data in FactFinder. 
 Glossary.  Defines Census Bureau and FactFinder terms that you may encounter. 
 Tutorials.  Provides in-depth instruction on using certain FactFinder features (for example, creating maps).

## Main page– left column

**Notes:**
From the left column of the Main page, you can:
Search: Three methods are offered to find tables, maps, and Census products. 
Search by keyword such as poverty, ancestry, age etc.
Search by geography such as Alabama, New York, Denver etc.
Search using a local street address 

Find out What’s New in FactFinder: new data releases and new features in FactFinder are announced here.
Link to important Items of Interest related to the release of Census 2000 products and information.
Learn About this Site:
Take a guided tour of the American FactFinder site to learn some basics. 
 Read about our confidentiality procedures.
 Find out which browser software works best with FactFinder. 
 Learn more about the sources of data that are available through FactFinder.
 Access a Spanish-language interface to Census 2000 data on Puerto Rico.
 Visit the Kids’ Corner, a fun and educational site for children ages 7 through 11.

## Search

**Notes:**
Use this feature when you know the subject you want to search for, or the name of the geographic area for which you want data. 

Three methods are offered to find tables, maps, and Census products. 
Search by keyword such as cat food, poverty, ancestry, age etc.
Search by geography such as Alabama, New York, Denver etc.
Search using a local street address 

With Search, finding information for a topic or area is easy:

 Click a radio button to indicate whether you want to search by keyword or geography. 
2. Type the word or words the search box.3. Click Go.
When searching for an address, click on the link “Enter a street address”to type in an address. 

## Keyword search results

- Click on the link to see the map or table

**Notes:**
Tips for understanding keyword search results:
Results are organized into categories. Each category is defined in the Glossary.
Within a category, results are organized into data sets; the most recent data sets are listed first, the oldest last.
FactFinder contains similar information that is collected in different years.
For each data set, up to 3 “links” are listed. Click on the  “More”  to see additional matches for a given category.
Click on the link to see the table or map.

## Geography search results

- Scroll through the list, select one and click “OK”

**Notes:**
Geography search finds all of the geographic areas that match the name you entered. 
These results are organized by geographic type within data set. 
In this example, there is a Laramie County, a Laramie county subdivision and a Laramie place and more.

To see the information available in FactFinder for this area:
Scroll through the list and click on the  “Laramie” you want.
Click OK to get your final search results.

If you are not certain which of the listings will best suit your needs, you can click on any of of them and then click MAP IT to see a map of the specified geography level.

## Search by address results

**Notes:**
Search by address results show all census geographic areas that contain the address you enter. To see the information available in FactFinder for a particular geographic area:
Scroll through the list.
Select the geographic area you want.
Click “Go”.

If you are uncertain about the level of geography for which you would like to see data, highlight any level and click MAP IT to view an individual map.  This allows you to easily see the difference in the area covered by a Census Tract and Census Block, for example.

## What’s New

**Notes:**
The What’s New page presents information about what’s new in American FactFinder, such as newly released data or Census products.  This is especially important because Census 2000 data are released on a flow basis.  You can check here to find out which products have been released.

This page is updated regularly, so come here often to find out what’s new.

## Items of Interest and FactFinder Data Sources

**Notes:**
Located in the left column of the main page below What’s New, the Items of Interest section provides links to data and information of current interest. These may include newly released tables or data sets, notes and errata or descriptions of questionnaires.  The items highlighted here will change, as new products are released. 

The Census Bureau has many sources of data.  The FactFinder Data Sources area tells you more about the censuses and surveys from which FactFinder data are derived.  It also provides direct links to FactFinder pages where you can create tables and reports. 

## Site Tour and Tutorials

**Notes:**
Click Site Tour/Tutorials to take a tour of FactFinder features, learn how to navigate in FactFinder, and learn where to look to find the data that you need.

## Confidentiality 

- Confidentiality

**Notes:**
The Confidentiality page provides more information about the procedures that the Census Bureau follows to preserve the confidentiality of survey respondents.

## Puerto Rico Data and Kids’ Corner

**Notes:**
Click Censo 2000 Puerto Rico en español to access a Spanish language interface to Census 2000 data on Puerto Rico. Using this site, you can find Population and Housing data for Puerto Rico.  You can also view maps of Puerto Rico, and find Census 2000 products for Puerto Rico.  

(Note:  Only data on Puerto Rico are available from this site.)

The Kids’ Corner provides a fun and educational site designed for kids ages 7 to 11.  Kids can play a game, take a Census tour of the United States, and learn other fun and interesting facts. 

## Main page - display/selection area

*Popular* tables and maps
*Limited* geographic areas

*All* tables and maps
*All* geographic areas
- Detail varies by data set:
-   Subject matter content
-   Geographic areas covered

**Notes:**
This is the display/selection area of the FactFinder Main page.  From this area, you can access:
Basic Facts
Basic Facts contains popular tables and maps from the 1990 and 2000 Census for a limited set of geographic areas.
Data Sets
This area provides access to all tables and maps for all geographic areas contained in FactFinder. Note that different data sets have different subject matter content and geographic detail. Read the descriptions about each data set to determine if it has the information you need. 

 Reference Maps and Thematic Maps
Use Reference Maps to create a map showing the boundaries of a Census geographic area or areas (such as a congressional district or census tract), as well as features (for example, roads or waterways) and other information.  
Use Thematic Maps to create a map that graphically depicts statistical data, such as population, median income, or industry data.  

## Basic Facts

**Notes:**
Basic Facts is located at the top of the display/selection area, just beneath the banner.  

Basic Facts is your starting point when you want to select from a list of popular tables and maps from the 1990 Census and Census 2000. These tables are formatted to print nicely on letter size paper. There are two types of tables in Basic Facts:

Quick Tables (QT) – simple tables for one geographic area at a time
Geographic Comparison Tables (GCT) – simple tables that compare information for a list of many geographic areas

Thematic Maps display information visually on a map allowing quick comparisons of many areas. For example, a Thematic map of population density for the U.S. by state, shows concentrations of population on a state be state basis.  

These maps and tables provide information about the United States, states, counties, cities, towns, and American Indian Reservations.

Detailed tables and geographic areas can be found in the Data Sets area below Basic Facts on the Main Page.

## Data Sets

**Notes:**
The Data Sets feature serves as a gateway to all of the tables and maps for all geographic areas in FactFinder.  

Click the Data Sets banner to see the complete data sets page and access all available tables and maps: 

Population and Housing Data
Decennial Censuses (collected in years ending in 0; 1990 and 2000 are available) 
American Community Survey (collected annually; 1996 forward available) 
Population Estimates (estimated annually; 2001 available) 

Economic Data
Economic Censuses and Surveys (collected in years ending in 2 and 7; 1997 is available) 

For  Economic data, you can view the data set, and obtain Industry Quick Reports and Geography Quick Reports.  You can also create Thematic Maps.  

## Choosing a path 

**Notes:**
Each Population and Housing data set may contain Quick Tables, Geographic Comparison Tables or Detailed Tables and Reference or Thematic Maps.

The tables and reports you can view or create vary for each data set.

When you select a data set by clicking inside the small circle next to its name or choosing its direct link on the main page, you will see an option box showing all choices available for that data set.

## Maps

**Notes:**
Using Reference Maps, you can create a map showing the location and geographic boundaries for Census tabulation areas (for example, the boundaries of a Census tract), as well as features (for example, roads or waterways), and other information. When you create a table for a geographic area using FactFinder, Reference Maps provide a handy method for seeing that area on a map. 

Thematic Maps show interesting facts about places by using colors or patterns to shade areas on the map.  You use Thematic Maps when you want to see statistical data, such as population or median income, displayed on a map.   For example, you can see median income by state for the entire country using Thematic Maps.

## FactFinder navigation

- Hypertext links
- Pop-up windows
- Bulleted instructions
- Radio buttons
- Check boxes
- Drop-down lists
- Tabs

**Notes:**
FactFinder makes it easy for you to choose a pathway to data, make selections, and display your choices.  

To guide you in making choices and navigating, FactFinder makes use of:
 Hypertext links
 Pop-up windows
 Bulleted instructions
 Radio buttons
 Check boxes  
 Drop-down lists
 Tabs

## Hypertext links

**Notes:**
When you see underlined text in American FactFinder, move your mouse over it.  If the cursor changes to a hand shape, the text is a hypertext link.  

Clicking a hypertext link will take you to another web page, or open another browser window that contains the information related to that link.  You’ll find many hypertext links throughout FactFinder that provide additional information, or additional selections for the task you are performing.

## Pop-up windows

**Notes:**
Often, when you click a hypertext link, FactFinder opens a new browser window called a pop-up window.  You can use the pop-up window to review information, or make selections related to the task you are currently performing. 

To close a pop-up window, click the Cancel button or the symbol (usually an X) in the window’s upper right corner.  

To apply selections made in a pop-up window, click the Update button.

## Bulleted instructions

**Notes:**
Bulleted instructions on a screen explain the steps you need to take to accomplish a task.

Typically, the first bullet provides a list of methods you can use to make selections.  This is followed by more specific directions for using that method.  

## Radio buttons

**Notes:**
Some lists appear with a radio button beside each selectable item.  Radio buttons are small circles that appear to the left of items that can be selected.  When you click on the circle, a black dot appears in its center.   

Radio buttons indicate a list of choices from which you must make a single selection.  For example, on the Detailed Tables - Select Geography screen, you must choose a selection method, and you can choose only one method (list, name search, address search, or map).  

## Check boxes

**Notes:**
Other lists appear with a check box beside each selectable item.  Check boxes are small squares that appear to the left of items that can be selected.  When you click on a square next to an item, a tiny checkmark (Windows 3.1/95/98) or “X” (Mac OS, OS/2) appears inside of it to indicate that the item has been selected.  

Check boxes indicate a list of choices from which you can make multiple selections.  If you click on another check box, the first checkmark doesn’t disappear.  To deselect an item, you must click the check box again.  

## Pre-selected check boxes

**Notes:**
On some screens in FactFinder, you’ll notice that several check boxes have already been selected for you. This means that these are the defaults, or frequently used selections.  To deselect any of these, simply click on them.

## Drop-down lists

**Notes:**
Drop-down lists provide you with options for making selections and narrowing your choices.  For example, in the drop-down list shown here, you can identify the type of geographic area you want to locate in FactFinder.  

Depending upon your choice, additional drop-down lists may appear to help you refine your selections.

## Tabs

**Notes:**
Tabs allow you to toggle between pages.  You click on a tab to go directly to that page.  

For example, the tabs on this window let a user move among the Boundaries, Features, and Title pages to change or enter the selections for these items. 

And that covers all of the basics that make FactFinder so easy to use!