Go up
SimplyMap Tip: Using the Variable Search
Posted on Sep 18, 2015 by Admin
With tens of thousands of variables available in SimplyMap, it’s common for users to wonder whether or not a particular variable they have in mind is available in SimplyMap. This is where the value of our variable search function comes in. The variable search allows you to type in a keyword or two, and will output any related results. Let’s take a look at an example.
We’ll start with something broad and go with a simple search for data related to income.
Open the Variables Panel and click on the Search icon. Enter your keyword, “income,” in the empty text box and hit the search button. Your results will be displayed (over 2,800 income related variables!).
By default, SimplyMap will display results ordered by the popularity of that given related variable among all SimplyMap users. In this example, popular income variables include: Family Income Average, Family Income Median, and HH Income ranges. Hover over a variable and select Use This Variable to add into your report or map.
Using the basic keyword search is a quick way to determine the availability of a variable. Equally helpful is the ability to combine an additional keyword into your search.
To narrow down the 2856 “income” results displayed, return to the search box and add an additional query. In this example, we will look for all variables related to “income” and “Hispanic”.
Your results will now be refined to display variables related to “income” and “Hispanic”, (233 in total), including Hispanic Household Income Average.
Final TIP:
There is a dropdown option located directly to the right of the keyword search function. This dropdown will allow you to specifically search by: Variable Name, Source Agency, Folder or All of the Above.
NOTE: If you do not select the dropdown box above, the keyword search will include all of the search options.
That’s it for this week’s tip, we hope that we’ve inspired some users to go out and try the variable search function.
Stay tuned for more tips and SimplyMap reports!
More from SimplyAnalytics
SimplyAnalytics is Coming to ER&L in Austin, TX [March 5-6]
Posted on Feb 21, 2018 by Admin
We are looking forward to attending our first Electronic Resources & Libraries (ER&L) conference in Austin, TX! Visit us at Table #510 for a closer look at SimplyAnalytics – the b...
SimplyMap is NC Live Featured Resource
Posted on Oct 12, 2010 by Admin
NC LIVE, a member-driven library service organization dedicated to providing online information services that support education, enhance statewide economic development, and increase qu...
GRI Exhibiting at ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston - Jan 15-18 2009
Posted on Nov 29, 2009 by Admin
The ALA 2010 Midwinter Meeting will be held on January 15-19, 2010 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. (Note that this is not the Hynes Convention Center). Geographic Research...
Feature Spotlight: Custom Combination Location
Posted on Nov 03, 2017 by Admin
This week we’ll talk about one of our favorite features in SimplyAnalytics - the custom combination location. This feature is a simple and effective means to create custom geographies whe...
Exploring SimplyMap Data: America’s Historic Homes
Posted on Jan 07, 2015 by Admin
In this week’s exploration of SimplyMap data, we set out to find which cities in the United States have the highest percentage of older houses. To determine this, we used the variable “% ...
ALA is Coming - June 26-29 in San Francisco
Posted on May 19, 2015 by Admin
We will be attending ALA this summer in San Francisco (hint: dress warm!). Visit us at Booth 413 and don't forget to enter our raffle - we will be giving away a $100 gift certificate to A...
SimplyMap Tip - Editing the Map Legend
Posted on Dec 02, 2014 by Admin
Today we take a look at one of the more advanced features in SimplyMap - editing the map legend. Editing the map legend is a great way to not only customize how the data is distributed on...
SimplyMap Deemed "Essential" in ALA Choice Review
Posted on Dec 06, 2009 by Admin
ALA's Choice Magazine, publisher of independent reviews of products and services for academic libraries, released a new review of SimplyMap in the December 2009 edition. The reviewer, Car...
American Household Spending on Pets
Posted on Dec 09, 2014 by Admin
In this week’s SimplyMap blog post, we set out to discover which large US cities spend the most money per year on their pets. To find this out we used the variable, “Pets, Household Avera...
From the Help Desk - Population Data Filter
Posted on May 16, 2022 by Admin
Hello readers! We hope you are having a wonderful day. Today we feature a question from the help desk that we think many users would find useful. Let’s get started. The question: How can ...