Reference Documents:
- Summary Report: "Statistics, Strategies, and Guides for Action"
- Synopsis of Case Studies: "Case Studies in Economic Diversification in Appalachia"
- Technical Report: "A Statistical Portrait of Economic Diversity in Appalachia"
- Web Tool Guide: "A Practitioner's Guide for Planning and Analysis with the Appalachian Economic Diversity Web Tool" (PDF)
- Methodology: "Economic Diversity in Appalachia Web Tool: Data and Methods" (PDF)
Report: "Economic Diversity in Appalachia: Metrics, Tools, Strategies and Guides"
This web site is a companion to a study, commissioned by the Appalachian Regional Commission, which analyzes economic diversity trends in Appalachian counties and sub-regions using four indexes of diversity: industrial, functional, occupational, and knowledge. The study also summarizes diversity trends, economic development practices, and diversification strategies in ten Appalachian counties, and offers general lessons about what diversity means for economic development practice. An accompanying Web-based tool includes data and maps along with interactive features for exploring diversity trends in Appalachia and in the United States as a whole.
The study comprises four documents: Statistics, Strategies, and Guides for Action, which summarizes the findings, metrics, and methodology of the study; Case Studies in Economic Diversification in Appalachia, which provides extensive narratives of the research conducted in the ten case study counties; and Statistical Portrait of Economic Diversity in Appalachia, which provides additional details and analysis of the diversity metrics.
In addition to this report, the documents include a guide to the web tool (A Practitioner's Guide for Planning and Analysis with the Appalachian Economic Diversity Web Tool), and a technical report detailing methods, data, and additional findings found in the web tool (Economic Diversity in Appalachia Web Tool: Data and Methods).
