# Welcome

## Getting started: Find and Use Local Data

Data Midsouth is a public data hub for Memphis and Shelby County. It’s built for community members—neighbors, advocates, students, parents, journalists, researchers, and anyone trying to understand what’s happening in our city.

This page explains how to use Data Midsouth to **find**, **understand**, and **use** **data**—even if you’ve never worked with “data” before.

{% hint style="info" %}
Use the **search bar at the top** of this page or the table of contents to your left to quickly find answers to your questions.
{% endhint %}

<table data-view="cards" data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="files"></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>What's Data Midsouth?</strong></td><td>New? Start here. </td><td><a href="https://1095412806-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fe1ApIrdBTGqD08Mi8Gpp%2Fuploads%2FJssrJ0k5DE2vJTSpt8yT%2Fopen-graph-p-1080.jpeg?alt=media&#x26;token=83e64293-aa6e-4e6e-b68c-21c1d6afc010">open-graph-p-1080.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="what-is-data-midsouth">what-is-data-midsouth</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tour the Interface</strong></td><td>Get acquainted with the features that make navigation easy.</td><td><a href="https://content.gitbook.com/content/e1ApIrdBTGqD08Mi8Gpp/blobs/eY7dDM4GT8LlssXWwThc/tour%20interface%20.jpg">tour interface .jpg</a></td><td><a href="tour-the-interface">tour-the-interface</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Access</strong></td><td>How to sign up and sign in (optional).</td><td><a href="https://content.gitbook.com/content/e1ApIrdBTGqD08Mi8Gpp/blobs/E4BYuleOM2sn59AjgEJS/felt%20mock%20up.jpg">felt mock up.jpg</a></td><td><a href="login-accounts-optional">login-accounts-optional</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Discover DMS

The Data Midsouth portal is organized around [four types of data assets](https://help.datamidsouth.org/data-midsouth-portal/features/data-asset-types).&#x20;

Here's a quick snapshot of what you'll find:&#x20;

* **Raw data** - Structured, clean datasets you can download and analyze in Excel, Google Sheets, QGIS, Python, or any other tool.&#x20;
* **Visualizations** - Interactive charts, maps, and dashboards you can explore directly in your browser.&#x20;
* **Mega Data** - Interactive visualizations and applications that cover an especially deep and/or wide range of topics
* **Reports** - PDFs and documents produced by local partners that detail research, analyses, and community assessments.&#x20;

For more information, visit [data-asset-types](https://help.datamidsouth.org/data-midsouth-portal/features/data-asset-types "mention").

<table data-column-title-hidden data-view="cards" data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-type="files"></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Data Asset Types</strong></td><td>Understand the different types of assets</td><td></td><td><a href="../features/data-asset-types">data-asset-types</a></td><td><a href="https://1095412806-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fe1ApIrdBTGqD08Mi8Gpp%2Fuploads%2FnDzvUa7un4gLE8ExChVY%2FThumbnail_Asset%20Types.png?alt=media&#x26;token=3d0d1ae8-b326-4ee0-982a-6d834a07dd72">Thumbnail_Asset Types.png</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Data Asset Page</strong></td><td>Review metadata and navigate to assets</td><td></td><td><a href="explore-the-catalog">explore-the-catalog</a></td><td><a href="https://1095412806-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fe1ApIrdBTGqD08Mi8Gpp%2Fuploads%2Fgal3FM7HmwZ7NSV60hFX%2Fmetadata%20-%20open%20in%20tool.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=deb253ef-88c8-4ab7-ba0e-1ad701931ad4">metadata - open in tool.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Filter &#x26; Search</strong></td><td>Search for a specific topic</td><td></td><td><a href="../features/search-and-filter">search-and-filter</a></td><td><a href="https://1095412806-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fe1ApIrdBTGqD08Mi8Gpp%2Fuploads%2FYYwe5SrSe7uluSNRXuy5%2FThumbnail_Search%20Filter.png?alt=media&#x26;token=648013cd-ecae-4157-b0fe-ad0db65464cf">Thumbnail_Search Filter.png</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Downloads &#x26; formats</strong></td><td>Download data for your own analysis</td><td></td><td><a href="../features/downloads-and-formats">downloads-and-formats</a></td><td><a href="https://1095412806-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fe1ApIrdBTGqD08Mi8Gpp%2Fuploads%2FjxHlFJLGSkY3RuykhSN8%2FThumbnail_Download.png?alt=media&#x26;token=11c10c31-64b6-41b5-8bc6-e1a815471410">Thumbnail_Download.png</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>API</strong></td><td>Connect to the data directly</td><td></td><td><a href="../advanced-features/api">api</a></td><td><a href="https://1095412806-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fe1ApIrdBTGqD08Mi8Gpp%2Fuploads%2FyJeAzdoCAfTBkzF3zGxY%2FThumbnail_API%20Console.png?alt=media&#x26;token=59e959ca-86f0-4bed-9071-005b01a66d22">Thumbnail_API Console.png</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Troubleshooting &#x26; FAQs</strong></td><td>Support where you need it. </td><td></td><td><a href="../support-and-administration/troubleshooting-and-faqs">troubleshooting-and-faqs</a></td><td><a href="https://1095412806-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fe1ApIrdBTGqD08Mi8Gpp%2Fuploads%2FBX0FNZlWaot0XwXaJMbT%2FThumbnail_Deeds%20Map.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d329fdf3-fbfc-4890-aaa3-a5ad233c117e">Thumbnail_Deeds Map.png</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://help.datamidsouth.org/data-midsouth-portal/getting-started/welcome.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.