MCIC: The Metro Chicago Information Center

Daniel K. Blewett

Librarians are frequently confronted with requests from patrons desiring statistical data on American society. Most of the time these questions can be answered by consulting federal, state, and local census publications. Occasionally the request is for public opinion surveys. Organizations and publications for the national level are relatively easy to find; the Roper and Galiup organizations are perhaps the most famous.¹ Sometimes such requests are for studies at the state level. However, things can become more difficult when patrons are searching for information on a smaller geographical area, such as a city or metropolitan region. This article will describe one such Illinois organization and its publications.²

The Metropolitan Chicago Information Center (MCIC) was founded in 1989 with a grant of $150,000 per year for three years from the McCormick Tribune Foundation. Other corporate sponsors include the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Chicago Community Trust. In 1994 MCIC received continuing grants from the MacArthur Foundation and the Chicago Community Trust. This nonprofit organization was established to provide data to social service agencies, government offices, academic institutions and private companies, with the aim supporting positive social change in the Chicago area.³ Formal advice is received from a planning and policy committee of approximately thirty community leaders, and there are user advisory groups involving over 300 local organizations and government agencies. While the Center collects data and produces analytical reports, it does not archive or make accessible raw data from other organizations or studies as does the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).⁴

In contrast to its better-known and larger survey research neighbor in the southern part of the city, the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), MCIC concentrates primarily on the greater Chicago metropolitan area. This includes the Illinois counties of Cook, Lake, Will, DuPage, Kane and McHenry. MCIC also operates independently, and is not affiliated with a governmental or educational institution.⁵

The founder and executive director of MCIC is Dr. D. Garth Taylor. While working on his Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Chicago he became aware that there was a need for quantifiable data beyond that available from the U.S. Census Bureau or state agencies. Data dealing with local perceptions, experiences, and household conditions was particularly lacking.⁶ There was no established public or private institution in the area regularly conducting such studies about Chicago which would provide researchers with years of comparable data; there were only intermittent academic projects. (Other survey institutes in the region include the Public Opinion Laboratory at Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University's Survey Laboratory, and the Survey Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago.)

Dr. Taylor decided to assemble a team of thirteen people to design and conduct a variety of public opinion surveys. The surveys are conducted both in person and by phone. Training sessions for librarians and researchers also are offered, sometimes in partnership with other interested organizations that focus on MCIC products, or on a particular topic area. For example, MCIC and the Chicago Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities together presented a session on housing issues in the Chicago area.

There are two products that represent the core of the output from the center, which will be of interest to librarians. The first is the Metro Survey Report, compiled annually since 1990. It surveys the opinions of a randomly selected group of 3,000 households of the greater Chicagoland area regarding quality of life factors. These categories include community finances, health care, housing, employment,

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education and job training. The results are compiled into 22 separate reports. The raw data of these annual surveys is available on floppy discs or diskettes, along with accompanying printed codebooks and questionnaires, so that scholars can conduct their own statistical analyses using the SPSS-PC or SAS statistical software packages.

The second major product is the annual DataNet: A Computerized Inventory of Public Data Sources/or the Chicago 6-County Metro Area, a good reference tool for libraries. This item has two main features. The first is a directory of organizations that are concerned with social, economic, and other public affairs of the Chicago area. Some of the categories covered include: federal offices (U.S. Census Bureau), state agencies (Illinois State Data Center), local government departments (City of Chicago Department of Planning), and private organizations (Data Chase, Inc.). The second feature of this product is a bibliography of thousands of printed sources of data that cover association, federal, state, county and municipal publications of directories or statistical information. This product can, of course, be supplemented by more specialized bibliographies and directories.⁷

This DataNet is available on floppy discs or diskettes so that one can use computers to conduct searches for information in a simple, user-friendly environment. DataNet uses "Foxpro" software, but it is not yet compatible with Apple computers. (In 1993 version 2.5 was released.) Searches can be conducted by subject, author, title, MCIC code number, the U.S. Census Bureau, or other issuing organization. The entries provide a bibliographic citation for the publication, a brief abstract, the price (if known), and the address and phone number for the issuing organization. The printed version of the MCIC DataNet is entitled Summary of Public Policy Data Sources for the Chicago 6-County Metro Area.

MCIC publishes a variety of other reports as well; several of these are listed in the Appendix. Some of these reports are derived from the annual Metro Survey data, while others have been specially commissioned by private companies, government agencies, or local associations. The growing power of personal computers and associated software enables the Center to undertake sophisticated manipulation and statistical analysis of the gathered data. MCIC will also organize and report on data collected by other institutions. Like other research organizations, the center has the capability to produce maps that reflect specific census or survey data, depending upon the desires of the client. This data can be broken out by Census blocks or tracts, police districts, Congressional districts, postal zip codes, political wards, or the 77 Chicago neighborhood communities. The data within these reports could be collated with other demographic and survey information to provide an outline of the composition and general opinions of a particular area.

Many times the summary data and conclusions these reports are covered by local newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune or the Chicago Sun-Time Therefore one can access abstracts in online databases such as National Newspaper Abstracts on DIALOG, or one can access the complete text of these articles in Lexis/Nexis or DataTimes. Because these printed reports are usually only of brochure or booklet length, librarians will want to provide them with some kind of protective covering, unless they are placed in a verticle file.

MCIC has been marketed to several types of organizations in the Chicago regional area: libraries, academic departments, government agencies, research institutions, companies, interest groups and associations. To become an institutional member of MCIC costs $250.00 per year for academic organizations and libraries (as of 1994), and $2500.00 for corporate memberships. With the membership one receives one free copy of most publications, with duplicate copies available at a reasonable price; non-members may obtain copies at a higher price.

After firmly establishing itself as a reliable research agency, MCIC plans to expand its focus to a regional and statewide scale in the near future. Among future publications to look forward to are a statewide survey on health insurance coverage, and a report on equity and access to the new information superhighway. In a few short years MCIC has produced many items concerning the Chicago metropolitan area that can be of use to library patrons. It is hoped that this organization will continue to expand its services and products, providing a useful source of valuable information to social scientists, government officials, community leaders, librarians, and the general public.

Appendix

For those thinking about establishing a similar survey organization. Dr. Taylor has this advice:

• Have a clear vision of the information needs of the community, and be relentless about pursuing and understanding the needs of the member organizations.

• Establish a strong base of support among community leaders.

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• Be independent from all other organizations (if possible).

• Have sufficient computer power available to the organizations, either in-house or nearby at a reasonable price.

• Have a sufficient number of people well-versed in survey research, computer programming, and statistical analysis.

• Advertise the organization's products and services heavily to public interest groups; public, academic, and special libraries; newspapers; private companies; local community groups; regional associations; and government offices at the federal, state, and local level. Academic departments at colleges or universities may not have the proper facilities, computer equipment, or sufficiently qualified faculty to undertake these kinds of surveys, so these institutions should be targeted as well.

• Always have enough capital on hand, not only for the myriad of start-up costs, but also to sustain the organization for the first few years. The organization will need a few years to become established, to make a respected name for itself, and to generate notable publications that will be purchased, so that others will want to hire the firm's services.

End Notes

1. For an account of the development of public opinion surveys, see Jean M. Converse, Survey Research in the United States: Roots and Emergence, 1890-1960 (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1987).

2. For a list of other sources with data on Chicago, see Mary Jane Hilburger, "Researching Chicago Neighborhoods," Illinois Libraries 76 (2) (Spring 1994): 104-108.

3. For a discussion of how policy makers use such data, see: Robert F. Rich, Social Science Information and Public Policy Making (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1981).

4. ICPSR is located at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The annual ICPSR catalog of holdings is entitled Guide to Resources and Services.

5. For example, NORC is located in the Social Science Research Building on the Hyde Park campus of the University of Chicago. It is one of the nation's largest university-affiliated research organizations. The annual General Social Survey is NORC's most important product.

6. Dr. Taylor's 1978 dissertation was titled "The Diffusion and Change of Public Attitudes Toward Some Social Issues in Recent American History."

7. Examples of these other reference tools would be: Thomas J. Cichonski, ed., Research Centers Directory, 1995, 19th ed., 2v. (Detroit: Gale, 1994); State Yellow Book: Who's Who in the Executive and Legislative Branches of the 50 State Governments (Washington, D.C.: Monitor Leadership Directories, 1994); Michael B. Huellmantel, ed., Encyclopedia of Associations: Regional, State, and Local Organizations: Great Lakes States, '94-'95 (Detroit: Gale, 1994); Statistics Sources, 2v. (Detroit: Gale, 1995); Barbara Fiske, ed., Key to Government in Chicago and Suburban Cook County (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1992); SRI: Statistical Reference Index (Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service, 1980-); and Sheila H. Nollen and Roberta Palen, Guide to Statistics in Illinois State Publications, 1985-1990 (Chicago: Illinois Library Association, Government Documents Forum, 1992).

A Bibliography of MCIC Publications (as of 1994)

104 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 300
Chicago, Illinois 60603-5903
Phone (312) 580-2878; FAX: (312) 580-2879

Most publications are free to MCIC members; non-members may purchase copies at higher prices.

Benchmarking Health Consumer Satisfaction (1994).

Beyond Chicago: Race and Poverty in the Metropolitan Area (1994).

The Chicago Area Polish Community (Clifford A. Grammich; 1992, 7 pp.).

CitySpace: Chicago Community Focus Group Report (1994).

Community Financial Needs in the Chicago Area: Survey Data on the Financial Needs of Residents of the 6-County Chicago Metropolitan Area (Dan Stoize; 1993, 124 pp.).

Community Indicies

Contact, Threat, Conspiracy: A Current Look at Racial Tensions in Chicago (Testimony presented to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights by D. Garth Taylor; 1992, 15 pp.).

DataNet: A Computerized Inventory of Public Policy Data Sources for the Chicago 6-County Area (annual, William Drew and Nick Rieser; version 2.5, 1993).

Employer Incentives and Individual Philanthropy (D. Garth Taylor; 1993, 21 pp.).

The Great Divide (Reprint of a series of articles from the Chicago Sun-Times, 1993, 29 pp.). Health in the Chicago Workplace (1994). Implementing Health Care Reform in Chicago (1994). Lessons on How People React to Crime in Their Neighborhood (1993, 15 pp.).

MCIC Metro Surveys, 1991-1993: Code Book (1993). MCIC Solution to Comparing 1980 and 1990 Census Tract Data (1993, 11 pp.).

Metro Chicago Political Atlas, 1994 (3rd ed., with the Chicago Urban League and Northern Illinois University; 1992, $20.00, ISBN 0-938943-07-3).

Metro Health Inventory (1993, 19 pp.; with the City of Chicago Department of Health).

Metro Survey Codebook, 1991-1994 (annual, 1991-). Metro Survey Data Set, 1991-1994 (either in SPSS-PC or SAS format; annual, 1991-). Metro Survey Questionnaire, 1993 (1993). Metro Survey Report (annual, 1991-).

Research as a Bridge Between Cultural Institutions and Their Community (D. Garth Taylor; 1993, 28 pp.).

Seminar: A Profile of the Chicago-Area Disabled Community (Dan Stoize; 1993, 38 pp.; sponsored by the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services).

Seminar: Culture and Arts in the Chicago Area: A Profile of Attendance, Volunteerism, and Giving (D. Garth Taylor; 1992, 23 pp.; sponsored by the John D. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation).

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Seminar: Housing, Diversity and Integration (1993, 35 pp.).

Seminar: Issues on Aging: A Profile of the Elderly in the Chicago Area (D. Garth Taylor; 1992, 23 pp.; sponsored by the Illinois Alliance on Aging).

Seminar: Neighborhoods and Crime (Dan Stoize and Kathy Thorne; 1992, 27 pp.; sponsored by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority).

Seminar on Housing, Diversity and Integration (Dan Stoize and Kathy Thorne; 1992, 24 pp.; sponsored by the Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance).

Seminar on Open Lands Use in the Chicago Region: Survey Data (Dan Stoize; 1993, 30 pp.; sponsored by the Open Lands Project). Seminar: Research Data on Crime in Chicago: Patterns of Crime in the 6-County Area (1993, 38 pp.).

The Social and Economic Status of Young Minority Males in Metro Chicago: A Comparative Analysis (Clifford A. Grammich; 1992, 11 PP.).

Southeast Chicago Profile: Metro Survey Special Report (D. Garth Taylor; 1990, 1991). The State of the City; Metro Survey Special Report (D. Garth Taylor; 1990, 1991).

The State of the Suburbs: Metro Survey Special Report (D. Garth Taylor; 1990, 1991, 41 pp.).

Suburban County Profiles: Metro Survey Special Report (D. Garth Taylor; 1990, 1991, 42 pp.).

Suburban Public Transit Markets in the Year 2000 (D. Garth Taylor; 1991, 14 pp.).

Summary of Public Policy Data Sources for the Chicago 6-County Area (William Drew, Brian Kinne, and Nick Rieser; 1991).

Time and Money: Charitable Giving in Metro Chicago (D. Garth Taylor; 1992, 18 pp.).

Transit Service Evaluations: How Service Provider, Place and Question Wording Affect Evaluations of Public Transportation (D. Garth Taylor; 1992; 11 pp.).

When Worlds Collide; Culture, Conflict and Reported Hate Crimes in Chicago (D. Garth Taylor; 1992, 36 pp.).

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the Loyola University Library Administration and the staff of the Reference Department of the Cudahy Library for their support, and Lorna Newman of the Interlibrary Loan Department for her fast and efficient service in acquiring the requested research materials.

*Daniel K. Blewett, Government Documents Librarian and Bibliographer for History and Political Science, The Elizabeth M. Cudahy Memorial Library, Loyola University of Chicago.

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