Plan Making and Implementation Flashcards
What are the three steps to planning?
1) Goals and visions;
2) Analysis of current problems;
3) Creation and evaluation of alternatives
What are surveys most often used for in planning?
To obtain citizen input. They are used to collect data on a topic that cannot be directly observed, and are used to assess attitudes on a wide range of topics.
What is a sampling frame?
A sampling frame is a the population of interest used as a sample in a survey.
What is the difference between a cross-sectional survey and a longitudinal survey?
A cross-sectional survey gathers information about a population at a single point in time. A longitudinal survey is conducted over a period of time.
What is a written survey and what are its pros and cons?
Written surveys can be mailed, printed in a newspaper, or administered in a group setting. They’re popular when a planner is trying to reach a broad audience. This method is low-cost and generally convenient for survey-takers. However, mail surveys have a low response rate and requires participants are able to read and write.
What is a group-administered survey and what are its pros and cons?
Group-administered surveys are best when there is a specific population that a planner is trying to target. This form of surveying allows a high and quick response rate. The difficulty is gathering everyone you need to survey in one place. Therefore, sample size is generally small.
What is a drop-off survey and what are its pros and cons?
A Drop-off survey allows the survey to be dropped off at someone’s residence or business. Respondents are free to complete the survey at their convenience. Response rates are higher than with a mail survey because the person dropping off the survey may have personal contact with the respondent. This method can be expensive because of the time required to distribute the surveys. Tends to be a small sample size.
What are oral surveys?
Can be administered on the phone or in person.
What is a phone survey and what are its pros and cons?
Phone surveys are useful when you need yes/no answers. Surveys on the phone or in person allow the interviewer to follow up and gain further explanation on answers. The response rate varies greatly, depending on the ability to reach potential respondents. Response rates for phone surveys are declining. Phone surveys are usually more expensive than mail or internet-based surveys. Phone and in-person interviews can be biased due to interaction with the interviewer. Long questions and those with multiple answers are difficult to administer using this method.
What is an online survey and what are its pros and cons?
Online surveys are popular. These can be administered on a website, e-mail, or text message. This is an inexpensive method of surveying that can generate quick responses. Electronic surveys have a higher response rate than written or interview surveys. The downside is that you will not reach people without Internet access, which can introduce significant bias.
What is stratified sampling and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling??
(probability) The population is divided into separate groups or classes, from which a sample is drawn such that the classes in the population are represented by the classes in the sample.
What is cluster sampling and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling??
(probability) A cluster sample is a special form of stratified sampling, where a specific target group out of the general population is sampled from, such as the elderly, or residents of a specific neighborhood.
What is a convenience sample and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling?
(non-probability) A sample of individuals who are readily available.
What is a snowball sample and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling?
(non-probability) Where one interviewed person suggests other potential interviewees.
What is a volunteer sample and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling?
(non-probability) Self-selected respondents - for example, a wiki map (volunteered geographic information)
Define nominal data.
Data that is classified into mutually exclusive groups or categories and lack intrinsic order (i.e. unordered factors in R).
Define ordinal data.
Data in ordered categories implying a ranking of observations (e.g. letter grades).
Define interval data.
Data with an ordered relationship where the difference between the scales has a meaningful interpretation. The typical example is temperature, where the difference between 40 and 30 degrees is the same as between 30 and 20 degrees, but 20 degrees is not twice as cold as 40 degrees.
Define ratio data.
Ratio data is the gold standard of measurement, where both absolute and relative differences have a meaning. The classic example of ratio data is a distance measure, where the difference between 40 and 30 miles is the same as the difference between 30 and 20 miles, and in addition, 40 miles is twice as far as 20 miles.
What is a continuous variable?
Continuous variables can take an infinite number of values, both positive and negative, and with as fine a degree of precision as desired.
What is a discrete variable?
Discrete variables can only take on a finite number of distinct values. An example is the count of the number of events, such as the number of accidents per month. Such counts cannot be negative, and only take on integer values, such as 1, 28, or 211.
What is a binary variable?
A type of discrete variable - variables with a finite number of distinct values - which can only take on two values, usually 0 or 1.
What is the difference between descriptive statistics and inferential statistics?
Descriptive statistics describe the sample; inferential statistics use probability to determine/infer characteristics of a population based on a sample.
What is the normal/Gaussian distribution?
The bell curve. The distribution is symmetric and has the additional property that the spread around the mean can be related to the proportion of observations. More specifically, 95% of the observations that follow a normal distribution are within two standard deviations from the mean. Often used for statistical inference.
What is a skewed distribution?
When data are asymmetrically skewed above or below the mean.
What is dispersion, and what are it’s two most common measures?
Data is often defined by its central tendency (mean, median, mode, etc). However, dispersion covers how its values are spread around the center. The two most commonly used measures and variance and standard deviation.
What is sampling error?
The error when you infer from a sample to an entire population. Inherent in inferential statistics; different than systematic error (such as model misspecification).
What is a Type I error in statistics?
When we reject the null hypothesis when in fact it is correct. We want this probability to be small, so typically a significance of 5% or 1% is chosen as a benchmark.
Describe a t-test.
Typically used to compare the means of two populations based on their sample averages (two-sample t-test - a single one compares the sample average to a hypothesized value for the mean). The null hypothesis is that the two population means are equal. However, since we do not observe the actual means, but only the sample averages, we can only make probabilistic statements about whether they’re equal or not.
Describe the Linear Method of population estimation/projection.
Uses the change in population over a period of time and extrapolates this change to the future in a linear fashion.
Describe the Exponential and Modified Exponential Method of population estimation/projection.
The exponential method uses the rate of change over a period of time to estimate the current or future population.
Describe the Symptomatic Method of population estimation/projection.
Uses any available data indirectly related to population size, such as housing starts or new drivers licenses. Then it estimates the population using a ratio, such as average household size (Census).
Describe the Step-Down Ratio Method of population estimation/projection.
Uses the ratio of the population in a city/county/region at a point in time (decennial Census). Use this ratio to project current/future population.
Population of city is 20% of county in 2000. If the county population is 20,000 in 2005, we estimate the population of the city is 20% of that (4,000).
Describe the Distributed Housing Unit Method of projecting/estimating population.
This method uses Census data for number of housing units and multiplies it by occupancy rate and persons per household. Reliable for slow growth/stable communities - not for communities changing quickly.
Describe the Cohort Survival Method of projecting/estimating population.
The cohort survival method uses current population + natural increase (births, deaths) and net migration (in-migration, out-migration) to estimate future population. Calculated by gender and age group.
Most accurate of the methods, but requires the most data.
How is the Death Rate calculated?
The Death Rate is the number of deaths per 1,000 people.
How is the Crude Birth Rate calculated? How is the General Fertility Rate calculated? How is the Age-Specific Fertility Rate calculated?
The Crude Birth Rate is the total number of births per 1,000 people. The General Fertility Rate is the number of babies born per 1,000 females of childbearing age. The Age-Specific Fertility Rate is the number of babies born per 1,000 females in a given age group.
Describe the Economic Base Analysis method of economic analysis (includes basic activities vs. non-basic activities, location quotients).
Economic base analysis looks at basic and non-basic economic activities. Basic activities are those that can be exported, while non-basic activities are those that are locally oriented. The exporting industries make up the economic base of a region.
In order to identify economic base industries, a location quotient is calculated for each industry. The location quotient is the ratio of an industry’s share of local employment divided by its share of the nation (or other levels of government). A location quotient of less than one indicates an importing economy. If the quotient is greater than one then the area is an exporting economy.
