Purpose of Comparison Boundaries
This page defines the methodological boundaries that govern intra-city comparison within Kampala when using listing-based residential data. Its purpose is to explain what forms of comparison are structurally constrained by the dataset and why those constraints must be maintained. The focus is on preventing interpretive overreach rather than enabling analytical differentiation.
Comparisons are addressed only as a matter of representation and visibility, not as an assessment of residential conditions or outcomes.
Nature of Listing-Derived Comparability
Listing-based data enables limited forms of comparison related to how residential properties are labeled, categorized, and surfaced across different parts of the city. These comparisons are inherently mediated by platform structures, publisher behavior, and disclosure practices.
As such, comparability exists only at the level of visibility mechanics. It does not extend to housing stock, residential composition, or lived conditions.
Structural Asymmetries Across the City
Different areas within Kampala are subject to varying degrees of listing activity, disclosure completeness, and platform engagement. These asymmetries are not normalized within the dataset and cannot be adjusted for through comparison.
Consequently, apparent differences between areas may reflect publication and mediation effects rather than substantive residential variation.
Exclusions and Non-Comparable Elements
The dataset excludes unlisted properties, informal housing arrangements, and privately mediated residential transactions. These exclusions apply unevenly across the city and further constrain comparability.
Additionally, temporal limitations inherent in snapshot-based data prevent consistent comparison across time or between areas with differing listing turnover.
Methodological Implications
Intra-city comparisons must therefore remain descriptive and non-inferential. They may explain how visibility differs between administrative labels or areas, but they cannot support conclusions about residential structure or conditions.
This boundary applies uniformly across all comparative pages within the Kampala market module.