What is it?
The NAACCR Shortest Path Finder Tool is a web-based software application for the processing of research data sets to allow time and distance comparisons of routes utilizing road networks.
What does it do?
The tool takes user input (normally in the form of a database or spreadsheet) with start and end coordinates and generates the time and distance to travel from start to finish using the United States or Canadian road network. In this way, it is similar to generating driving directions using Google Maps® or MapQuest® with the following exceptions:
- The only data returned are the time, distance, and optional KML output.
- The input data must contain geographic coordinates as opposed to (or in addition to) street addresses.
What does it not do?
The tool does not:
- Display the results of a road network path in any visual format, although the optional KML output can be used in Google Earth® to display the generated route on a map.
- Use addresses for start and end points or translate addresses into geographic coordinates. The input data must contain fully geocoded data (coordinates) to run.
How it can be used?
The NAACCR Shortest Path Finder Tool can be used to analyze geographic data sets for patterns in travel time and/or distance. One such paper has already been released by the Geographic Information Systems Committee of NAACCR and several more are in the works.
Who will use it?
Anyone can use the NAACCR Shortest Path Finder Tool. All you need to start use the application is a MyNAACCR username and processing credits. If you do not have a MyNAACCR account, click here to sign up. See below on the cost of processing credits for the tool.
What does it cost?
For NAACCR Full Member Registries: the tool is free to use up to 1,000,000 records. After that, you must submit justification to NAACCR to have further credits applied to your account. For Other NAACCR Membership Types: you must either pay for credits or submit justification for NAACCR to apply credits to your account. For Non-Members: you must pay for credits to use the service. The credits can be purchased at the following rates (all prices in USD):
| Transaction Count | Cost Per Transaction | Transactions Per Cent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 10,000 | $0.002 | 5 |
| 10,001 – 100,000 | ~$0.0018 | 5.56 |
| 100,001 – 1,000,000 | $0.0016 | 6.25 |
| 1,000,001 – 10,000,000 | ~$0.0014 | 7.14 |
Where do I start?
First, you’ll need a MyNAACCR account. If you do not have a MyNAACCR account, you can click here to sign up. If you already have a MyNAACCR account, just log into MyNAACCR. In the menu on the left, click the “Shortest Path Finder” tab to be redirected to the application. Once there, click the “Start Processing Records” button on the right-hand side. If you have any questions, there is lots of helpful information on the FAQ page under the Support menu. If you have further questions, go to Contact Us under the Support menu and we will respond to your inquiry as quickly as possible.
