Sept. 15, 2022
The following are the questions received during the live webinar and their answers. For additional questions or clarifications, contact IPUMS User Support at [email protected]
How long have data been available through IHGIS?
We launched the first public version of the IHGIS data access system in October 2020. Since then, we have more than doubled the number of available datasets and quadrupled the number of available tables, with data releases several times per year. Our next major data release will include data tabulated from IPUMS International microdata for the more than 300 datasets that were in IPUMS Terra. Each dataset will include a similar set of tabulations for easy comparisons across time and place. We hope to release these data by the end of 2022.
[UPDATE: The data tabulated from IPUMS International are now available, and the IHGIS collection continues to grow.]
Does the ipumsr package support IHGIS?
Not yet, but we do plan to add this funcitonality.
[UPDATE: The ipumsr package now supports metadata browsing and extract submission, downloading, and loading for IHGIS.]
What is the source of the boundary shapefiles?
The original source material for our boundary shapefiles comes from a variety of sources, including GeoBoundaries,GADM, SALB, HDX, and others. In some cases, we are able to obtain boundary shapefiles from the country’s national statistical office or mapping agency.
We process all boundary shapefiles to align international boundaries with the Large Scale International Boundaries (LSIB) dataset from the U.S. Department of State and to make the set of units in the shapefile consistent with the set described in the data tables. (Note that IHGIS uses the March 2020 version of LSIB.)
Note that IPUMS IHGIS boundary data are intended for visual representations and statistical analysis. The boundaries do not necessarily reflect exact political delineations.
What coordinate reference system are IHGIS shapefiles in?
All IHGIS shapefiles are in the WGS 1984 coordinate system (unprojected).
Can the shapefiles be analyzed in ArcGIS and R?
Yes! Both the shapefiles and data tables provided by IHGIS are designed for ease of use in any of the major statistical and GIS software packages. Use whatever tools you are most comfortable with.
Which tool is better for producing the final output map, R, QGIS, or ArcGIS?
It depends. R has made a lot of improvements over the past several years in handling and mapping spatial data. Each software package has advantages and disadvantages in terms of editing control, functionality, and display options. Choose whichever tool you are most comfortable with and meets the needs of your particular project.
In the demo, why were the maps done using proportions?
The maps in the demo were intended to show where dirt floors, detached houses, and outdoor cooking areas were most common. If we had created the maps based just on the counts in the original table, municipalities with higher populations (and more dwellings) would show up darker, regardless of which characteristic we were trying to map. Converting to a proportion by dividing by the total number of dwellings in each unit shows where the characteristic is more prevalent.
Do you have data on India?
IHGIS has not yet released data for India. We do have a large quantity of data from the 2011 Population Census in our pipeline. In addition, microdata from employment surveys in select years between 1983 and 2009 are available via IPUMS International and from the Demographic and Health Surveys in 1992, 1998, 2005, 2015, and 2019 are available via IPUMS DHS.
Are shapefiles available for West Africa?
All IHGIS shapefiles are listed and available for download from our Geography & GIS page. In addition, IPUMS International shapefiles are available from that project’s GIS Boundary Files page. Note that IPUMS International shapefiles reflect the geographic units identified in the microdata.