Nov 2022

PyData NYC 2022: Customizable probabilistic record linkage with Name Match

Melissa McNeill

Linking individuals across records or datasets is often a critical prerequisite for building useful data tools and answering interesting research or business questions. But doing it right is difficult and time-consuming, in part because current off-the-shelf tools do not provide a measure of linking accuracy and are too rigid to incorporate the user’s domain knowledge. In this talk, we’ll 1) define high-quality record linkage and discuss why it matters, 2) show how record linkage can be boiled down to a simple prediction problem, and 3) introduce Name Match, a new open source tool for customizable probabilistic record linkage.

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The Best Books of 2025
Media Mention
The New Yorker
Dec 2025

The Best Books of 2025

The New Yorker includes Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig’s book, “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence,” on its annual list of best books of the year.

The Urban Optimist’s Holiday Gift Guide
Media Mention
Vital City
Dec 2025

The Urban Optimist’s Holiday Gift Guide

Vital City included “Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence,” a book written by Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig, in its 2025 holiday gift guide.

Why Split-Second Thinking Fuels Violence
Podcast
Behavioral Grooves Podcast
Dec 2025

Why Split-Second Thinking Fuels Violence

Jens Ludwig, the Crime Lab’s Pritzker Director, joined the Behavioral Grooves Podcast to discuss his new book, “Unforgiving Places,” which challenges society’s most entrenched assumptions about crime and uncovers what behavioral science reveals about the real causes of violence.