Methodology
TalkPlace’s methodology sets out how we collect, separate, verify, and publish information about cities, districts, streets, and specific points.
1. Levels of research
Information may refer to a city, district, street, section of a street, or a specific observation point. Data about a wider area must not automatically be presented as the characteristics of a particular building.
2. Types of information
Official data is information published by state, regional, and municipal sources.
Field observations are what the editorial team records directly at a place on a specific date and time.
Our own measurements are measurement results obtained with TalkPlace instruments in accordance with a described methodology. They characterise specific conditions and are not official measurements by public authorities or an accredited laboratory.
Calculated indicators are values obtained from source data using published rules.
User opinions are the subjective experiences of their authors, kept separate from official data, measurements, and editorial conclusions.
3. The “insufficient data” principle
A lack of sufficient information is indicated as “Insufficient data”. The absence of data does not mean that a risk, problem, or advantage does not exist, and must not automatically produce a zero or positive score.
4. Time and seasonality
Conditions may vary in the morning and evening, between working days and weekends, in winter and summer, during and outside the tourist season. When seasonality is relevant, the observation date and period form part of the result.
5. Noise
For our own measurements, the available parameters of the instrument and measurement are stated: model, class, calibration date where available, indicator, averaging period, place, time, and relevant environmental conditions. A TalkPlace measurement is not an official measurement and is not intended to demonstrate non-compliance with regulatory limits.
6. Terrain and walkability
Slope, elevation change, pavement quality, steps, obstacles, and the real convenience of a route may be taken into account. Calculated geometry and field observation are stated separately.
7. Vegetation and allergens
A photograph or field observation may record the presence or probable species of a plant. This does not show the concentration of pollen in the air and is not medical advice. Aerobiological sources are used to assess pollen when data is available.
8. Flooding and natural risks
Conclusions about risk zones are based primarily on published official maps and plans. Visual indications alone are not used as evidence of the official level of risk.
9. Safety
TalkPlace does not state or assume that a particular property is illegally occupied, that a particular resident has committed an offence, or that a particular home is “criminal”. Information about crime is published only in an admissible aggregated form, on the basis of published official statistics, and is not automatically attributed to a specific address.
10. Photographs
Field photographs document the visible condition of public space at the time they are taken. When publishing them, measures are taken to minimise unnecessary identification of people and vehicles. Photographs are not used to make assumptions about the identity, legal status, health, origin, income, or behaviour of a particular person.
11. Confidence and completeness
If an indicator is based on incomplete, indirect, old, or time-limited data, this is reflected in the confidence level. Data completeness and the final assessment are different indicators.
12. Updates
Materials may be reviewed when new official data is obtained, new field research is carried out, an error is identified, or the methodology changes.
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Data sources
TalkPlace uses several categories of sources. The specific set depends on the territory and the indicator being researched.
1. Official sources
The Electronic Cadastre Office, IGN/CNIG and PNOA, SNCZI, PATRICOVA, IGME, statistical resources of the Ministry of the Interior, INE, AEMET, municipal noise maps, transport data, and other officially published state, regional, and municipal datasets may be used.
2. Map data
Open or licensed map data is used. Commercial map data is not transferred to our own databases or derivative products when the provider’s terms do not allow this.
3. Our own field data
TalkPlace may collect photographs, GPS coordinates, observation time, measurement results, and editorial notes. A field observation describes a particular place and moment and does not replace official information.
4. User content
User opinions and communications constitute an independent category. TalkPlace does not guarantee that the author really lived, worked, or was present at the indicated place unless this has been expressly verified. User opinions are not presented as official or measured data.
5. Currency and scale
Whenever possible, the date of verification or the period covered by the data is indicated. Municipal, district, statistical-section, or station-level data must not be presented as an exact description of a particular home if the source does not support that level of detail.
How assessments are calculated
The TalkPlace assessment is an auxiliary comparative indicator, not a property valuation or a guarantee of quality of life.
1. Assessment composition
Depending on the territory, accessibility, terrain, transport, parking, noise, traffic, pedestrian infrastructure, green areas and shade, infrastructure, natural risks, and other published categories may be taken into account.
2. Origin of the data
An official indicator, an own measurement, a field observation, and a user opinion have different natures and must not be mixed in a way that prevents the user from understanding the origin of the result.
3. Data completeness
If some categories have not been researched, this is shown separately. An unknown category does not automatically receive a zero score.
4. Confidence
Confidence depends on the quality, currency, level of detail, and number of applicable sources, as well as the repeatability of observations.
5. Seasonality
An indicator sensitive to the season or time of day may change after new research.
6. STOP factors
A confirmed critical risk factor may be shown separately and must not be hidden by a high average score in other categories.
7. Changes to the assessment
The assessment may change after official data is updated, a new visit is carried out, an error is corrected, or the published methodology is changed.
8. Limitation
The assessment is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or rent a particular property, a legal opinion, an official safety assessment, a medical conclusion, or a guarantee of future conditions.