Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


What is the Hull Data Observatory?

The Hull Data Observatory is a free and open online resource. It provides a “one-stop” source of interactive intelligence for anyone with an interest in Kingston upon Hull and its local communities.

You can access the latest national and local data, quickly and easily, by viewing  one of our themed profiles.

Alternatively, if you are a more confident data user, you can access raw information in the format of  tables, charts, infographics and maps which can be customised to your own needs.

The system also stores useful resources such as documents, strategic assessments, plans and policies.

By having a centralised place to store, analyse and publish local data,  the Hull Data Observatory aims to create a clearer and more joined up understanding of the city and it’s residents.

How do I use the Hull Data Observatory?

For step by step guides for using the Hull Data Observatory:

Visit our User Guides section

Who can use the Hull Data Observatory?

The Hull Data Observatory is an open-access website that can be used by anyone. We hope that it is useful to local government, community groups, voluntary sector organisations, partnership members, businesses, students and the public.

It can help provide the evidence-base for strategic planning, prepare funding applications, support academic research and enable residents to find out more about their local area.

Where is the data from?

The Hull Data Observatory hosts thousands of indicators from many publishers and sources.

e.g. data.police.uk, Office for National Statistics, Public Health England etc.

Where you find the icon, you can use this to view the metadata associated with the data. This includes the:

  • publisher
  • publication date
  • copyright note to use when acknowledging the data source

How often is the data updated?

The Hull Data Observatory is set up to provide the latest available data – an update to the source data triggers an update to the website.

The currency of the data depends on the source – use the   icon to look at the metadata and check the date of issue/publication.

Can I download / export the information?

Yes, you can copy and paste the charts and information from profiles and reports, download data tables and export entire reports and maps.

For support doing this:

Visit our User Guides section

Can I use and share the data?

Yes, we encourage you to share and reuse the data which is available under the Open Government Licence freely and flexibly, with only a few conditions.

Please ensure you acknowledge the data sources you use – ‘Rights’ can be found for each data source in the metadata (see the  icon).

For maps, please also use the following copyright statements to acknowledge the source of the boundary information:

Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2021

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2021

What geographies are available?

Currently the Hull Data Observatory provides data, where available, at the following levels:

Local Authority (LA) 

The City of Kingston upon Hull is a Unitary Authority, meaning that there is a single level to local government. As such, the city boundary also represents the local authority boundary, inside of which the city council has responsibility for providing services.

Ward

There are 21 wards in Hull. These Electoral Wards are the spatial units used to elect Councillors and as such, all wards nestle within the city boundary exactly.

To view Hull’s ward boundaries Open the Hull Ward Map

NB: In May 2018 Hull underwent a ward boundary review and as a result both the number and geographical coverage of wards in the city changed. Many statistics are not currently available by these new ward boundaries. Wherever possible, where new ward level data is not available, figures have been aggregated up from LSOA level data using a best fit methodology. However, if LSOA level data is not available then this ward data may be missing from the Hull Data Observatory.

Lower Super Output Areas (LSOA)

Lower Super Output Areas were designed following the last Census. Their aim is to improve the reporting of small area statistics.

Geography Minimum Population Maximum Population Minimum Number of Households Maximum Number of Households
LSOA 1,000 3,000 400 1,200

There are currently 166 LSOA in Hull.

To view Hull’s LSOA boundaries Open the Hull LSOA Map

Where can I go for more information?

If you can’t find the data you’re looking for:

Visit our Useful Links section

for additional sources of local information.

How do I contact you / make a suggestion?

We are always happy to receive feedback on the Hull Data Observatory.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions:

Visit our Contact Us section