GeoConvert: Creating that Spatial Relationship

GeoConvert is a web based service allowing the matching and conversion of geocoded data to other geographic area types, including those from different years. Geography area types abound - Counties, Postcodes, Output Areas, NUTS areas... and on and on and is ever changing, so every few years the boundaries get redrawn or someone creates a new type of geographical area. What is the social science researcher to do, at what level does he collect his data or do his analysis? Most people know their Postcode, but very few know what Census Output Area they live in. GeoConvert enables the user to convert their data to numerous other geocoded datasets, no matter what geographic level it has been collected at. UK Census geographies can be connected to European Union Eurostat data at NUTS level or Postcodes can be matched to Primary Care Trust health data. GeoConvert opens up social science dataset usage to new users such as Widening Participation and Further Education by making it easy to link datasets to Postcodes, a common easy to use geographical identifier. By reducing the technical barriers to geocoded data and allowing the ability to connect to historical geographies the re-use of pre-existing datasets is encouraged