Displaying data on a map can provide insight into the patterns, distributions, and relationships inherent in the data. However, many patterns and relationships aren't obvious by looking at a map. Often, there's too much data to go through and present coherently as raw data. The way you display data on a map can change the patterns you see. Analysis allows you to quantify patterns and relationships in the data and display the results as maps, tables, and charts. Analysis also allows you to answer questions and make decisions using more than a visual analysis.
Action button
The spatial and nonspatial analysis capabilities in Insights are available in the Analytics pane, which is accessed using the Action button 
on a map, chart, or table card.
The Action button on a map card opens the Analytics pane on the Spatial analysis tab, where the spatial analysis capabilities are accessible. Spatial and nonspatial analysis capabilities grouped by common questions are available on the Find answers tab. The Action button on a chart or table card opens the Analytics pane to the analysis questions from the Find answers tab.
If the Action button is not available, click a card on a page to activate it. The card toolbar and the Action button appear.
Spatial analysis tab
The Spatial analysis tab is available only from a map card and provides access to the Buffer/Drive Times, Spatial Aggregation, Spatial Filter, Enrich Data, Calculate Density, Find Nearest, Calculate Density Ratio, Find K-Means Clusters, and Find Spatial Mean capabilities.
For more information about spatial analysis, including required privileges and overviews of the analysis capabilities, see Spatial analysis.
Find answers tab
The Find answers tab organizes your analytical activity based on questions that involve mapping, spatial analysis, and other visualizations.
The following table summarizes the capabilities as they are organized on the Find answers tab:
| Question | Sample questions | Analysis capability |
|---|---|---|
How is it distributed? | Where are the largest camps of internally displaced people? | |
Where are asthma hospitalizations most concentrated in the city? | ||
Do obesity rates among adolescents show a normal distribution? | ||
How should graduated symbols or choropleth map features be distributed on the map? | ||
Which crime types and police districts have the highest crime frequency? | ||
How is the cost of car insurance distributed in each city? | ||
How does the crime rate in a certain district compare to the mean? | ||
Where are the clusters of caribou habitat? | ||
How is it related? | What are the habits and lifestyles of people who live in this area? | |
What is the relationship between the sales of men's apparel and the total sales for the year? | ||
How do obesity rates differ between urban and rural residents? | ||
How does the number of migrants to each state compare to the number of migrants from each state? | ||
What is the rate of migration between countries? | ||
Which variables have the most effect on the total sales at each store location? | ||
What are the expected future levels of carbon emissions based on trends in vehicle usage, renewable energy uptake, and economic growth? | ||
Do certain neighborhoods have a higher occurrence of cancer than others, relative to their population? | ||
What's nearby? | Which rivers are within 10 miles of a pipeline? | |
What is the median household income for neighborhood residents over the age of 65? | ||
Which lakes in the region have the highest fish counts? | ||
What is the proximity of drug crimes to elementary and high schools? | ||
How has it changed? | Does the number of traffic accidents increase or decrease over time? | |
What is the percentage of losses or gains for each commodity? | ||
What is the number of sales for each month and year? | ||
How does seasonality affect air quality? | ||
What are the predicted air quality values for the next two years? |
Temporal analysis
The Temporal analysis tab is available only from a time series graph and provides access to the Moving Average, Temporal Decomposition, and Forecast capabilities.
For more information about temporal analysis, including required privileges and overviews of the analysis capabilities, see Temporal analysis.
Additional resources
Use the following resources to learn more: