National Ward Level Classification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

National Ward Level Classification - Essay Example Population census is a tool for the government and other authorities to get the knowledge of the people residing in the country and their whereabouts. The chosen census variables were selected on the basis of the requirement of the modern age and are regarded as the most reliable document by many writers. Population census is done after every ten years in UK. People are distributed in it with the help of different classification. Classification is to distribute the population on the basis of their locality etc. population is calculated by the government by dividing it into different clusters. With the help of clustering people, it gets easy for the government to keep the record of people, their occupation, age, job and other characteristics. This helps them in getting different benefits for their people. Data records are important nowadays for security reasons as well. Questionnaires were distributed among the citizens for the population census. People had to answer different questio ns which were comprised on four pages. The security of personal information was made sure by the government. The method of gaining the results of the questionnaire was digitalized. The forms were passed through machines which detected answers and kept a record of them. The paper was recycled later. Ward level classification was developed by the available for the office of national statistics. With the help of different formulas the population census is calculated and stored in databases. Details of the methodology of the national ward level classification and how the clusters were labeled. The chosen census variables were selected, the purpose of the multivariate statistical analysis techniques used and how labels (names) were decided for the final set of clusters at the different levels in the hierarchy.   2.1 Census The census is the count of people and households and is the most reliable source of information (ONS, 2011). According to the Office for National Statistics (2011), it is made sure that every individual is included in the survey. The UK census provides a comprehensive picture of the entire population residing there. The population census in the United Kingdom is carried out after every ten years. In UK, the population census is carried out regularly after every decade with the exception of the year 1941 due to war (Barrow, 2012). 2.2 Classification It is the distribution of population on the basis of similar features or attributes that come together in groups or patches. The classification area, ‘geo-demographics’ is used for the purpose of understanding the classification for population census. According to Harris, Sleight and Webber (2005, pp.2), geo-demographics is the segmentation of people by getting the knowledge of the fact that where they reside. 2.3 Cluster Analysis and details of methodology of classification The segmentation of people on the basis of where they reside etc is making clusters of people into groups whose in formation is easy to analyze. The cluster analysis is however a complex process. In the cluster analysis none of the information is wrong but things differ place to place and person to person. Arabie, Hubert and Soete (1996, pp. 341) discuss that Milligan proposed a seven step process for the cluster analysis. The difference between clustering and cluster analysis lies in the means by which clusters are formed and steps in the analysis. Milligan seven steps are clustering variables, clustering elements, variable standardization, and measure of association, clustering methods, number of clusters and interpretation and testing (Arabie, Hubert and Soete, 1996, pp. 341-343). 2.4. 2001 population census UK and ward level classification There were different variables selected in the 2001 population c