Big microdata for population research

Demography. 2014 Feb;51(1):287-97. doi: 10.1007/s13524-013-0240-2.

Abstract

This article describes an explosion in the availability of individual-level population data. By 2018, demographic researchers will have access to over 2 billion records of accessible microdata from over 100 countries, dating from 1703 to the present. Another 2 to 4 billion records will be available through restricted-access data enclaves. These new resources represent a new kind of data that will enable transformative research on demographic and economic change and the spatial organization of society.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Censuses
  • Demography / methods*
  • Humans
  • Population Dynamics
  • Population Surveillance / methods*
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • United States