The PANORAMA of GREEK CENSUS DATA is an internet based application designed to take full advantage of the vast quantity of information contained in the last three censuses (1991-2001-2011) by giving the user the opportunity to:
- effectively manage all variables contained in the census,
- retrieve data for further statistical analysis in easily usable form and
- map census variables at multiple geographical levels.
The database part of the application is designed to maximize flexibility in retrieving tabulated data for every possible use, while the mapping part permits to generate maps for the country as a whole or for specific regions and cities, with a choice of size for mapping units.
The aim for this service is to contribute to research and development. Making the information contained in census data widely and easily accessible through the PANORAMA of GREEK CENSUS DATA contributes to this in several ways:
- Censuses comprise the analytic and extensive registration of important socioeconomic and demographic features of the population that can be useful in investigating many issues and problems, and to document important policy making and other type of decisions. The cost of collecting this information is important, while the advantage taken from it in Greece remains quite limited.
- The direct and easy access to census data is extremely important for research development in several fields. At the same time, it can serve to support / document / evaluate policy, administrative or business.
- The unobstructed dissemination of space related data (like census data) to potential users –research institutions, universities, political and administrative decision making bodies, consulting firms, media etc.– is a developmental resource that, according to experience from other countries, can create a measurable impact in terms of promoting employment.
- The detailed spatial information contained in census data makes the PANORAMA of GREEK CENSUS DATA an ideal canvas on which can be weaved survey data from different sources that can thus acquire important added value. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer numerous technical solutions to make this weaving very productive..
- The direct and easy access to census data through the PANORAMA of GREEK CENSUS DATA may increase considerably research productivity since it allows for economies of scale (avoidance of repeating similar procedures for data seeking and preparation by different research groups); It allows the organized and effective dissemination of new variables and indices produced by qualified users and proposed to be incorporated to the application; promotes the use of common protocoles for the categorization of different variables (i.e. the European Socio-economic Classification [ESeC] derriving from occupational classes) that enhances the local and international comparability of research data and conclusions; enables the communication and coordination among research groups dealing with similar objects.
The development of this application is largely supported by the experience from the previous collaboration between EKKE and EL.STAT –the sole produced and provider of census data in Greece– which dates from the beginning of the previous decade. According to the recent cooperation memorandum signed between the two parties in December 2012, EL.STAT provides special access to census data for members of the EKKE research team –without compromising, however, the anonymity and protection requirements of personal data– in order to develop this application as an important open access resource.
The implementation of the PANORAMA project follows the pattern of experimental applications developed by EKKE in collaboration with EL.STAT during the previous decade that focused on the 1991 and 2001 censuses. The two experimental applications (Panorama of Greek Census Data 1991-2001 and Cartotheque) were developed to be installed in standalone computers. Today, the database and mapping processes are becoming part of the same interface and access is provided exclusively through the internet aiming at the largest possible dissemination of census data, at greatly improving the service provided to regular users and at reaching many new users.
The PANORAMA will be developed incrementally both in terms of the data and the rich variety of tools provided to the users. The 2011 census variables in particular will be gradually incorporated from July 2013 to March 2014 following their final elaboration and control by EL.STAT.