title: Improving geocoding practices: evaluation of geocoding tools.
abstract: This study examined the sources of error involved in geocoding, by systematically evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of three widely used tools for geocoding. We tested them against a random sample of addresses from a state administrative address master file and found considerable variation in identification of census block geocodes of addresses. This high variation was mainly attributable to differences in preprocessing of addresses before geocoding and the reference street data used for geocoding. Preprocessing includes not only parsing and standardizing, but also correcting addresses against the US Postal Service Zip+4 Database, the master mailing address database maintained and updated regularly by USPS.
authors.affiliation: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. duckhye@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Duck-Hye
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Lucy Mackey
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Bilaver
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goerge
mesh_terms: D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D040362:Geographic Information Systems / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011177:Postal Service; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012984:Software; D014481:United States