ASk A Researcher

February 2014

New Geographic Profiles: How they can work for you

The new North Dakota Compass Project Director, Kendra Erickson-Dockter, introduces all-new Geographic Profiles for a variety of state geographic levels (e.g., county, metropolitan areas, and Native American reservation areas) and Gretchen Dobervich, the North Dakota director for the Alzheimer’s Association, a website user, gives her perspective on how to utilize the Profiles.

 

Q: What are Geographic Profiles?

Geographic Profiles give a snapshot of useful data across the range of ND Compass topics. The profiles, which pull data from the most important social indicators present on the ND Compass website and deposit them all in one table, make it easy to see quick, at-a-glance information about a location of interest in the state. While we generally have many more years of data available throughout the website, these Geographic Profiles show the most recent data and the 2000 data for a quick and easy comparison where possible. This format helps you easily see location-specific information about populations that have grown or shrunk in the last decade. In addition, by viewing these Geographic Profiles, you can possibly establish what an area’s strengths are, as well as where it may be struggling. These new profiles not only serve as a good way to compare trends over time within specific locations, but also help compare changes from location to location (e.g., region to region, county to county, county to state, etc.).

Q: Why create Geographic Profiles?
Individuals approach data and research in a variety of manners. Some people dig into data by topic or indicator; however, others may dig in by geographical location. Knowing these differences exist, we thought it would be beneficial if we could present our data in a geographic format. In addition, we have realized that sometimes it is just not practical, nor may you have the time, to get into all the details of data available on the website. However, if you would like to see all of the little breakdowns and collection method notes about a data set, you can dig deeper by clicking into the topics and key measures. For instance, for those of you who want to see all of the detailed information, you can click on any topic header (e.g., "Education") and it will take you to that topic overview page to explore key measures (e.g., 3rd grade reading scores), breakdowns (e.g., 3rd grade students achieving reading standards by income), and the associated data, notes, and sources.

Q: What’s in the Geographic Profiles section?
The Geographic Profiles include an Overview page, which provides a quick summary of what Geographic Profiles are and the breakdown of levels of geography which are presented. Profiles are available for the state of North Dakota, the eight state planning regions, 53 counties, metropolitan and micropolitan areas, and the Native American Reservation areas.

Q: Where can I find Geographic Profiles on the website?

You can get to Geographic Profiles from any page on our website. In the upper right-hand corner of the webpage is "Profiles," scroll over “Profiles” and a drop-down menu will appear revealing “Geographic Profiles.” A click will take you to the “Overview” page. From this page you will be able to navigate a variety of profiles by levels of geography. Simply go to the left-side of the page and click on a desired geography and a drop down menu of the selected geography level’s profiles will appear for your selection. For instance, click on “County Profiles” and all 53 counties will appear in a drop down menu. From there, you will be able to click on any North Dakota county and see a compilation of that county’s social indicators (e.g., Dunn county).  

Q: How did you choose the particular measures?

For these profiles, we wanted to use indicators that were not only telling of major trends, but also were collected for the bulk of the locations in a set geography type. We also wanted to make sure we didn’t include so many data points that it became cluttered.

Some locations do list more indicators, because there is more information available. There is generally more information at the state or regional level rather than the city level. For instance, there’s more information available to us regarding the state of North Dakota than micropolitain area of Wahpeton. However, for the most part we tried to keep the profiles as constant as possible.

If there are data on our website that you think should be included in the Geographic Profiles, please feel free to contact us to let us know.

Q: How often will these data be updated?

At ND Compass, we are consistently updating data in order to provide the best and latest data available. We now have our Geographic Profiles set up to automatically update as we import new data. Even if the Geographic Profiles seem to be in a static period, chances are that we are updating other areas of the site. Therefore, be sure to regularly check the website to see new data, graphs, and figures.

A user’s perspective on how to utilize the Geographic Profiles

Website user, Gretchen Dobervich, the North Dakota director for the Alzheimer’s Association Minnesota-North Dakota chapter, is responsible for oversight of the Alzheimer Association program staff in ND, leading the advocacy policy for the association’s public policy work, and is one of the administrators of a large contract that the association has with the Department of Human Services. Below Gretchen discusses her use of ND Compass and her thoughts on the new Geography Profiles.

Q: What was your first reaction when you looked at the Geographic Profiles?

I was really excited about the ability and ease to compare counties to each other and regions to each other and the ability to contrast geographies from a macro sample. I was thrilled at the variety of information that I could get in one look. When I opened up Geographic Profiles, I was expecting to find out how many people lived in that county and their age break down. However, I was surprised when I saw the additional pieces of data that are available in the profiles, such as voter turnout, and data associated with economy, health, housing, and workforce.  This variety of data available on Geographic Profiles all contribute in some ways to shaping program development, even though we might not think about it. 

Furthermore, when exploring Geographic Profiles, I also really liked that you can still access the the 12 topics across the top of the website, where I can dig deeper into topics, such as the topic of Aging, and find out about related resources if needed. What I also liked about the Geographic Profiles is that, in addition to information about people living in different geographies, I can quickly get statewide information on the broad topics as well.  The ability to see the state profile allows me to almost a get a quick “state of the state.”  I appreciate that the Geographic Profiles has both of those features.

Q: How could you use the Geography Profiles in your role at the Alzheimer’s Association?

With Alzheimer’s disease being a major public health crisis, more and more emphasis is being placed on the outcomes related to our work. The Alzheimer’s Association has a long history of measuring the work that we do.  As funders, projects, and agencies that we collaborate with start to require measurements, it is nice to be able to be ahead of that game and have measurement policies and procedures in place already. Measurement data is one of the big areas where ND Compass is and has been helpful.

Today many funders are looking at different types of diversity (e.g., economic, racial) and ND Compass has some nice features for that as well.  Upon looking at the Geographic Profiles, I really like the Native American Reservation area profiles. The Alzheimer’s Association works on the reservations in North Dakota and through Compass and the Geographic Profiles is able to have access to quality statistics. For example, in terms of number of service, Region III, is always a little bit behind where the rest of the state is, but using the data available in the Native American Reservations Profiles and throughout ND Compass gives us a good perspective on the numbers associated with the age group that is really our primary constituents (i.e., older adults and caregivers). Using this same type of data is also helpful when we take a look at developing programming and providing services on the reservations to be able to take a look at what health care services are available in those regions.

Q: What geography breakdown did you find most useful for yourself?

I went to the county profiles first. I find myself using the counties more in terms of program development and determining where population centers are. The state profile was helpful in strategic planning. We are currently going through a strategic planning process and there was quite an amount of statistical information that I had to compile for the process and I found the vast majority of it on ND Compass.

Q: What are some other ways other organizations may find Geographic Profiles useful?

I was thinking other organizations may find Geographic Profiles useful when staffing programs. One of the challenges that we face is that we place our staff in regional offices so that they are serving large geographic areas. They are also placed in locations based in geographic centers that make the most sense and especially in Regions I, II,III  and VIII that makes a big difference. You want to be a good steward of the resources that you have available, therefore where you place your staff and offer the services is important. 

 Q: What are some of the other ways that you use ND Compass for in your role at the Alzheimer’s Association?

One of the ways I have used ND Compass in the past was by looking at the age breakdowns. For instance, we know that as we age, our chances at developing Alzheimer’s disease are much greater, and that about half of the people with the disease are not getting diagnosed. Being able to determine approximately how many people in ND, in each region, and in each county have the disease based on statistical data is very important.  And to find those statistics, such as those people 65 years old and older and 85 years old and older, I go into ND Compass instead of trying to decipher the US Census Report, because ND Compass is much more user friendly.

ND Compass has also been very helpful is determining needs for programs. For instance, by being able to determine an area’s aging population, I am able to figure out how many people statistically have Alzheimer’s disease, and therefore how many people we have to reach and what resources we may need in that area. Likewise, ND Compass has been very valuable for program planning and budgeting and developing goals. When we measure where we are at as an organization, we compare to the available statistics and can utilize ND Compass for that a lot of times as well.

Another feature that I have really appreciated ND Compass for is that it has very credible data, so when I am creating programming, when I am listing my resources, in the research we are working on, talks that we are giving, it’s a credible source. That is very helpful to have NDSU name behind the ND Compass. This was another way that has been very helpful.

As a multi-state chapter, MN and ND, the majority of our executives are in MN. These executives are not as familiar with ND. However, having an easy to use website, such as ND Compass, to be able to refer them to and that has solid statistical data provides them with a picture of what it’ s like in ND. ND Compass has been very helpful in that sense as well.

Ask a researcher archive

North Dakota Compass. North Dakota Compass Releases the 2024 Compass Points
March 2024

Nicholas Bauroth. City Governance: Commission or Council for Fargo, North Dakota?
February 2024

Ina Cernusca. 2024 Brings a NEW Visualization Tool and Data Updates to the North Dakota State Legislative District Profiles.
January 2024

Samuel Faraday Saidu and Chelsey Hukriede. Strapped for Safety: Exploring Insights into Car Seat Knowledge Among North Dakota Mothers.
December 2023

Debarati Kole and Kendra Erickson-Dockter. A Comprehensive Look at the Multifaceted Risk Factors of Postpartum Depression
October 2023

Valquiria F. Quirino and Avram Slone. COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota: Significance, progression, and government response.
September 2023

Karen Olson. The Lasting Impact of Maternal Childhood Trauma
August 2023

Avram Slone. The Social Variability of COVID-19 Mortality in North Dakota between March 11th, 2020 and February 13th, 2022
July 2023

Nancy Hodur and Dean Bangsund. Agriculture a Key Driver in the North Dakota economy
June 2023

Karen Olson. Health and Well-Being in North Dakota. Understanding how the five social determinants of health are impacting the ability of North Dakotans to thrive
May 2023

Kendra Erickson-Dockter. North Dakota Compass: 10 years of Measuring Progress and Inspiring Action.
April 2023

Hannah Hanson & Grace Njau. Every Dad Counts: North Dakota Fatherhood Experiences Survey
March 2023

Nancy Hodur. Housing Market Conditions and Declining Homeownership Rates
February 2023

North Dakota Compass. 2022 Recap: Data highlighted throughout the year
January 2023

Kendra Erickson-Dockter. A Look into a Chronic Condition and Pregnancy: Preexisting Diabetes PRAMS Points 2022
December 2022

Nancy Hodur and Karen Olson. Lower-income households and baby boomers, main drivers for North Dakota housing needs in the near term
November 2022

Avram Slone. The Impact of COVID-19 on Group Quarters in North Dakota
October 2022

Chelsey Hukriede. Safe Sleep PRAMS Points 
September 2022

Kendra Erickson-Dockter. Gestational Diabetes PRAMS Points – A NEW Dashboard Format!
August 2022

Aastha Bhandari, Debarati Kole, Dr. Nancy Hodur. Mission Of Mercy: Giving hope through a smile.
July 2022

Ina Cernusca.Households with children have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the first year of the pandemic.
May 2022

Andy Wiese and Karen Olson. One Health System’s Approach to Improving Community Health. Understanding what the 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment Conducted by Sanford Health means for population health
April 2022

Mariel Lopez-Valentin and Grace Njau. North Dakota Title X, Family Planning Needs Assessment
January 2022

Nancy Hodur and Dean Bangsund. North Dakota Lignite Energy Industry Workforce
December 2021

Ina Cernusca. Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy in North Dakota
October 2021

Nancy Hodur and Karen Olson. Rural Communities Will Benefit from a New Cooperative in Walsh County
September 2021

Matt Schmidt and Grace Njau. COVID-19 Trends Among North Dakota Children, March 2020 – March 2021
August 2021

Kendra Erickson-Dockter and Ina Cernusca. COVID Hardship on North Dakota Households: New study on the impacts on North Dakota households that lost employment income during the pandemic
July 2021

Chelsey Hukriede and Kendra Erickson-Dockter. NEW! PRAMS Points – A Brief Infographic using North Dakota PRAMS Survey Data
May 2021

North Dakota Compass: A look inside the 2021 Compass Points
April 2021

Ina Cernusca: Households with children are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
March 2021

Ina Cernusca: Differences in COVID-19 Risk Factors at District Level
February 2021

Kendra Erickson-Dockter, Chelsey Hukriede, and Grace Njau: An Introduction to the North Dakota Study of Associated Risks of Stillbirth (SOARS)
October 2020

Karen Ehrens: North Dakota Families are Facing Food and Other Hardships in the Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic, and Helpers Respond
September 2020

Ina Cernusca: Taking the pulse of North Dakota households during the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 2020

Nancy Hodur:Challenges of Grocery Stores in Rural North Dakota
May 2020

North Dakota Compass:2020 Compass Points: Measuring progress. Inspiring action.
March 2020

Amy Tichy:Student Veterans in the College Classroom.
February 2020

North Dakota Compass:North Dakota Compass launches the 2020 State Legislative District Profiles
January 2020

Grace Njau, Nancy Hodur:&Chelsey Hukriede: Risk Behaviors among Women with a Recent Live Birth in North Dakota: Findings from the 2017 North Dakota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
November 2019

Ina Cernusca:& Karen Olson: Behind the scenes – The story of the North Dakota State Legislative District Profiles
October 2019

Ina Cernusca: Key demographic trends in North Dakota.
August 2019

Karen Olson: The 30th edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT® Data Book finds that 175,772 children will shape the future of a more diverse North Dakota.
July 2019

Shweta Arpit Srivastava & Dr. Ann Burnett: “Giving rope and pulling it back”: Parental dilemmas to prevent adolescent substance use
June 2019

Ina Cernusca: 2019 Compass Points: Setting direction for improving the quality of life in North Dakota
May 2019

Joshua Marineau and Onnolee Nordstrom: Learning from Fargo -- An Exploration of the Fargo-Moorhead Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
March 2019

Nancy Hodur: Improving Oral Health for Older Adults in North Dakota
November 2018

Rachelle Vettern: Engaging Volunteers across Generations
October 2018

Karen Olson: The 2018 KIDS COUNT® Data Book reveals strengths and challenges for children in North Dakota – and emphasizes that an inaccurate census in 2020 threatens to worsen existing challenges for North Dakota youth
July 2018

Lori Capouch: Is food access a concern in rural North Dakota?
May 2018

Deb Nelson: Williston Basin 2016: Employment, Population, and Housing Forecasts – An Overview
January 2018

Karen Olson: North Dakota among Top 10 States in Country for Child Well-Being
July 2017

Nancy Hodur: SEAL!North Dakota: A School Dental Sealant Program
June 2017

Grace Njau: A Brief Introduction to the North Dakota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)
April 2017

Ina Cernusca: North Dakota’s Women study: A brief overview
March 2017

Dean Bangsund: Effects of Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion on Spring Planting for Producers
February 2017

Deb Nelson: Vision West: Leading, Educating, and Collaborating to Mobilize the 19 Western North Dakota Counties Towards Resilience and Prosperity
December 2016

Nancy Hodur: North Dakota Statewide Housing Needs Assessment: A Brief Overview of the Population and Housing Forecast component
November 2016

Social Isolation: Experiential Narratives of African Refugee Women in the Fargo-Moorhead Community
September 2016

Sean Brotherson: Father Involvement and the Future of Children and Families
July 2016

Carol Cwiak: Bakken Oil: What Have We Learned and What Will We Do Differently Next Time
June 2016

Jessica Creuzer: The Changing Face of Western North Dakota: What are the Effects of Increased Travel from Energy Development
April 2016

ND Compass: City Profiles
February 2016

ND Department of Health: Making Change Happen
January 2016

Jennifer Weber: A Bold New Direction for the North Dakota University System - The NDUS Edge Dashboards
December 2015

Wendy Troop-Gordon: What Has Science Taught Us About Bullying?
November 2015

ND Compass: A Look at the Youngest North Dakotans
October 2015

Kendra Erickson-Dockter: Growing Older in North Dakota
September 2015

Michael Ziesch: Data You Can Trust: The Labor Market Information Center
August 2015

Malini Srivastava and Troy Raisanen: efargo: City Scale Sustainability
July 2015

Kevin Iverson: The State Repository of Census Information- The North Dakota Census
June 2015

Wonwoo Byun: Reducing Sedentary Behavior is a Key for Obesity Prevention in Children
May 2015

Kathryn Gordon: The Science of Suicide Prevention
April 2015

ND Compass: Tell a Story with Data! The Importance of Crade-to-Career Success
March 2015

Abby Gold: Community Food Systems: Food Charters and More
February 2015

Heather Fuller-Iglesias: The Importance of Recognizing the Role of Social Support in Human Development Across the Lifespan
January 2015

Michael Carbone: Using Data to End Homelessness
December 2014

Randal Coon: Tribal Colleges Contribute to the State's Economy
November 2014

Deb White: Women's Representation in Elected Office
October 2014

Randal Coon: Pull Factors Measure Retail Trade Performance
September 2014

Karen Olson: North Dakota ranks Well Nationally with Regard to Overall Child Well-Being; However, Substantial Opportunities for Improvement Exist
August 2014

Julie Garden-Robinson: Guard Against Grilling Gaffes: Healthy Grilling and Food Safety Tips
July 2014

Michael Noone: Extreme Weather Patterns- North Dakota Has It All
June 2014

Kathleen Tweeten: Why All Community Development Decisions Should Use the Community Capitals Framework
May 2014

Clayton Hilmert: Stress effects on pregnancy: The impact of the 2009 Red River flood on birth weight
April 2014

Karen Ehrens: Food Deserts and how they impact North Dakota
March 2014

Gretchen Dobervich and Kendra Erickson-Dockter: New Geographic Profiles: How they can work for you
February 2014

Compass Staff: "New Compass Team Brings Changes in 2014"
January 2014

Donna Grandbois: "Fargo-Moorhead American Indian Community-Sponsored Health Needs Assessment"
November 2013

Karen Olson: "North Dakota KIDS COUNT - why it counts for you
October 2013

Nancy Hodur: "Western North Dakota School Administrators Face Challenges"
August 2013

Megan Chmielewski: "Annual population estimates tell interesting stories about North Dakota's growth patterns"
July 2013

Ramona Danielson: "Learn how to make the ND Compass website work for you"
May 2013

Karen Olson: "About the American Community Survey (ACS)"
February 2013

North Dakota Compass

Center for Social Research
North Dakota State University

Compass created by:
Wilder Research

© 2024. All rights reserved.