Feds in Space
JsM session highlights
government survey
research in cyberspace
and outer space
Janice Lent, Energy Information Administration
F
or statisticians seeking a career path, salary is and testing
not the main issue. Had money been our top of the system
goal (had we been … well … ‘pigs’), we would present huge chal-
have sought careers in commerce, law, or invest- lenges. But O’Neill
ment banking. Let’s face it: We just don’t like the knows her work will aid
daily grind of repetitive, routine work. We want the nation’s understanding of
challenging abstract problems, opportunities to its energy situation for decades to come.
stretch our minds, and a chance to leave our mark Darcy Anne Miller of the National Agricultural
on the world. Statistics Service (NASS) will discuss the “Census by
Hot Research Projects: A Taste of the Future Satellite” methods NASS uses to collect data about
for Future Government Statisticians, a topic- American farms. NASS employs satellite imagery to
contributed session at JSM 2009, will feature four create a cropland data layer for use in geographi-
young statisticians who discovered the research cal information systems. Miller is also involved in
projects they could tackle in federal statistical agen- exploring new uses of data-mining techniques to
cies offered great outlets for their creative ener- refine remotely collected data and improve data
gies. Organized by members of the Innovation quality. The innovations she will discuss aid in data
Workgroup, which functions under the auspices of dissemination, allowing complex agricultural sta-
the Interagency Council for Statistical Policy, the tistics to be displayed in easily understood formats.
session will focus on hot research projects under way All in all, the new methods NASS is developing are
in the federal statistical system. quickly putting the old, busy-looking data tables in
These talks will show that data collection—and the “horse-and-plow” category.
even analysis—is not just for humans anymore. Yes, Have you ever wondered what the IRS does with
the U.S. Census Bureau has had to hire squadrons all that data you have to fill in on your tax forms?
of enumerators to canvass the tough spots on the Believe it or not, you’re not wasting your time.
decennial map, but many federal surveys can now Though your individual information is kept con-
be administered online by computer—or even from fidential, some of it is aggregated with other data
space by satellite. and used for statistical purposes. Ronald Walsh of
Energy data is a case and point. As America’s the IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) Division will talk
energy picture evolves, the Energy Information about how statisticians at the IRS are putting that
Administration (EIA) is tooling up to collect more vast reservoir of tax data to good use for researchers
data on the new energy sources and alternative fuels and the American people. Walsh will discuss several
slowly gaining market share. To support the effort, innovative projects that the SOI Statistical Support
Grace O’Neill, who recently joined EIA, is involved Section is currently spearheading.
in developing a standardized Internet-based data Of course, the U.S. Census Bureau is the agen-
collection system for the agency. cy that originally put government statistics “on
Working with interdisciplinary teams—includ- the map,” so to speak. You may be interested to
ing energy technology experts, IT specialists, and know that young statisticians there are still at
economists—O’Neill finds herself consistently it—developing high-tech tools for integrating
learning something new. The final system will sup- and visualizing geographically detailed data.
port all phases of data collection, from questionnaire Matthew Graham will discuss and demonstrate
design to data quality checks. Given the diversity OnTheMap, a dynamic new online mapping and data
of users and types of data collected, development reporting software.
20 AmstAt News JUNE 2009
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