Stories worth investigating
Attributed NPR headlines help us find questions across regions. Article bodies are not reproduced; a headline does not verify an answer.
View the source-backed research poolResearch in progress
Every place has a story. Start with a question.
We connect public evidence to decisions about everyday life. These are research leads and source candidates, not completed findings or products for sale.
Civic life and voting
Public aggregate registration, turnout, access and historical context. Certification, boundaries and denominators matter.
View the source-backed research poolThe human experience
Housing, jobs, care, parks, music, utilities, food and community life. Local facts need compatible geography and dates.
View the source-backed research poolWhat people are trying to do
200 unique websites drawn from 18 visit-ranked category and overall lists. A diverse reference set, not the global overall top 200 or private search histories.
View the source-backed research poolBetter ways to deliver context
Inspectable evidence, versioned files, one catalog for human and agent buyers, and clearly labeled future ideas.
View the source-backed research poolFrom story to evidence to action
- Name the question and who needs the answer.
- Find the original public data and check reuse rights.
- Align dates, places, populations and definitions.
- Calculate, retain uncertainty and test the result.
- Explain what it supports, what it cannot establish, and the next useful local check.
Public search-interest signals are not individual search histories. A ranking, association or nearby business does not explain the behavior or beliefs of a person.
Browse the first city and ZIP-area comparisons | Browse available county kits