Census 2011 - Output Area Centroids
Output Area (OA) centroids are point features that are used to link Output Areas to other ‘higher’ geographies via a ‘best-fit- match.
Each OA is assigned to an area in a higher geography by first selecting one of the postcodes in the OA as a ‘master’ postcode. The OA inherits all of the characteristics of the master postcode including its assignments to higher areas and its grid reference. The master postcode was selected using an algorithm which calculates the postcode centroid within an OA which has grid references closest to the population-weighted centre of the OA.
Default
Identification info
- Metadata Language
- English
- Character set
- UTF8
- Dataset Reference Date (Creation)
- 2013-08-15
- Dataset Reference Date (Revision)
- 2013-09-13
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2013-09-13
- Identifier
- www.nrscotland.gov.uk / OutputArea2011_PWC
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
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GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
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Statistical units
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GEMET - Concepts, version 2.4
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census survey
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statistical data
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IPSV Subjects List
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Censuses
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Boundaries
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- Limitations on Public Access
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- No limits to public access
- Use constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence
- Other constraints
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The following statements must be used when reproducing or using this material: Copyright National Records of Scotland, contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right (insert year).
- Spatial representation type
- Vector
- Denominator
- 10000
- Topic category
-
- Boundaries
- Code
- S92000003
Temporal reference
Temporal extent
- Begin
- 2011
- End
- 2011
Temporal extent
- Code
- EPSG:4258
- Code
- EPSG:27700
Distribution Information
Data format
- Data format
-
Name Version WMS
1.3.0
WFS
2.0.0
ESRI Shapefile
1.0
Transfer options
- Resource Locator
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Protocol Resource Locator Name OGC:WMS
https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/NRS/Census2011/MapServer/WMSServer? OutputAreaCent2011
OGC:WFS
https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/NRS/Census2011/MapServer/WFSServer? CEN2011:OutputAreaCent2011
WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/geography/our-products/census-datasets/2011-census/2011-boundaries National Records of Scotland website
Data quality info
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Statement
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This dataset shows the 2011 Census Output Areas (OAs) Population Weighted Centroids.
An individual Output Area generally covers a sufficiently small area (subject to meeting minimum population / household counts) so that user defined or ad-hoc areas can be created while maintaining a sufficient level of quality. National Records of Scotland (NRS) produces only one set of OAs and creates all other output geographies using the OA as the building brick. Each OA is assigned to an area in a higher geography by first selecting one of the postcodes in the OA as a ‘master’ postcode. The OA inherits all of the characteristics of the master postcode including its assignments to higher areas and its grid reference.
This dataset shows the 2011 Census Output Areas (OAs) Population Weighted Centroids.
An individual Output Area generally covers a sufficiently small area (subject to meeting minimum population / household counts) so that user defined or ad-hoc areas can be created while maintaining a sufficient level of quality. National Records of Scotland (NRS) produces only one set of OAs and creates all other output geographies using the OA as the building brick. Each OA is assigned to an area in a higher geography by first selecting one of the postcodes in the OA as a ‘master’ postcode. The OA inherits all of the characteristics of the master postcode including its assignments to higher areas and its grid reference.
The master postcode was selected using an algorithm which calculates the postcode centroid within an OA which has grid references closest to the population-weighted centre of the OA. This is different from the methodology employed in 2001 where the weighting was based on household count alone. In some instances, it was necessary to assign master postcodes manually or deviate from the standard algorithm, for example, if two postcode centroids were equidistant from the population-weighted centre of the OA.
Revised 2011 Output Area codes
An anomaly was discovered in the 2011 Census Output Area (OA) codes which were published on 15 August 2013. The anomaly meant that, whilst all the current 2011 Census OA codes were unique, they did not always run in sequential order by council area. We understood that this was creating additional work for some users so we decided to replace the current 2011 OA codes with new ones that run sequentially within each council area. The new codes start at S00088956 and end with S00135306.
The 2011 Census geography datasets published on 15 August 2013 were removed temporarily from the NRS website while this work was going on. No shape boundaries, population or household estimates for OAs changed as a result of this work, only the 9-character S-code they were assigned.
A lookup file linking the archived 2011 OA code to the new 2011 OA code has also been published to help users who have already started work using the archived set of OA codes. The archived set of codes range from S00042605 to S00088955.
Metadata
- File identifier
- 9d977a73-7884-4870-ae76-afccf8e6fae8 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2023-06-14T11:39:41
- Metadata standard name
- UK GEMINI
- Metadata standard version
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2.3
Point of contact
- Organisation name
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National Records of Scotland
- Position name
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Geography
- Delivery point
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General Register House, 2 Princes Street
- City
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Edinburgh
- Administrative area
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Scotland
- Postal code
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EH1 3YY
- Country
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United Kingdom
- Electronic mail address
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geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov geographycustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk
- Role
- Point of contact