Request for Input on ACS Data Query System

Here's a question and an update from the American Community Survey I thought you might want to respond to: 

Request for Input and Feedback on Advanced Query (AQ) System for ACS Data

The Census Bureau seeks your input and feedback on whether it would be useful to have an Advanced Query (AQ) system for the tabulation of data from the ACS and the Census 2010 short form.

As part of Census 2000 data dissemination, the Census Bureau developed an AQ system that allowed for no-cost, user-specified tabulations from the full microdata file for a limited number of users (because of its experimental nature, the AQ system had restricted access.) It included safeguards against disclosure of identifying information about individuals and housing units.

The AQ system was discontinued in November 2008 due to concerns with emerging IT security risk trends, information on newly discovered vulnerabilities in the legacy AQ system, and the obsolescence of the hardware.  Since then, the Census Bureau has been discussing the possibility of developing a new AQ system for the tabulation of ACS and 2010 Census data.

If you think you would be able to make productive use of such a system, please respond to michelle.e.jiles by May 1, 2009, with examples of the kinds of analyses you would perform with those data. 

If you have questions or comments about the American Community Survey, please call (800) 923-8282 or e-mail cmo.acs.