HOW TO USE ASK
Ask is a reference desk for Data You Can Use's data. It looks things up and points you to the exact table or report passage. Every figure comes from the data, never from the AI's own words.
READING AN ANSWER
How many kids under 5 live in poverty in Harambee?
the number comes from this card; its link opens the full table
Here is what the data shows.
Harambee as DYCU defines it: census tracts 44, 45, 67, 69, 70, 81, 106, 1856, 1857 and 1860
| Row | Estimate | ± Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Income in the past 12 months below poverty level | 6,520 | ±790 |
| Under 5 years | 608 | ±252 |
| 5 years | 206 | ±122 |
Census table B17001
Open the full table →a figure in the AI's own words gets marked like this
Example of the mark, with a made-up figure: about 1,234unverified homes.
WHAT TO ASK
Pick a question: it opens Ask with the question typed in. Nothing is sent until you press send. Buttons under Ask's answers work the same way: they fill the box with a next question.
A JOURNALIST
Figures with their margins, what a report says, the caveats to check before you publish, and story angles.
A NONPROFIT
Grant-ready figures for a neighborhood, what a table covers, and a report's key takeaways.
A CITIZEN
How the air has been, what data exists on a topic, and how to read the tables.
WHAT ASK WON'T DO
- Guess or forecast a figure. If the data doesn't have it, Ask says so.
- Give opinions, or take a side on what the data means.
- Reach data outside Data You Can Use's catalog.
- Remember a conversation after you close the tab.
You need to sign in to ask. Each account gets 30 questions a day, or 200 with a newsroom email.