Purpose of Defining Data Scope
Defining the scope of residential data is a prerequisite for any structured interpretation. In the context of Accra, this methodology establishes what the residential dataset is designed to capture and, equally important, what it does not represent. Scope definition prevents implicit assumptions about completeness, coverage, or representativeness.
This page frames the dataset as an observational surface rather than as a comprehensive record of residential housing.
What the Dataset Includes
The residential dataset for Accra is listing-based. It includes residential properties that are actively published through formal listing channels during observable periods. Inclusion is driven by publication, categorization, and rotation within those channels.
Only properties that enter these publication systems are recorded. Visibility is therefore contingent on marketing behavior, not on residential existence or use.
What the Dataset Excludes
The dataset structurally excludes residential arrangements that do not pass through formal listing mechanisms. This includes long-term occupancy, privately negotiated housing, informal arrangements, and properties that are never advertised.
Exclusion does not imply insignificance or absence. It reflects the boundaries of what listing-based observation can capture.
Scope Boundaries and Interpretive Limits
The defined scope establishes clear interpretive limits. The dataset cannot be used to infer total housing stock, occupancy levels, or residential distribution beyond visible listings. Any reading must remain within the boundaries of publication-driven visibility.
By making scope explicit, this methodology ensures that residential data is interpreted as a constrained descriptive layer rather than as an exhaustive residential map.