Data Sets & Statistics

1. Define your topic or research question.
   • Be specific.
2. Determine your unit of analysis.
   • Consider who or what you want to study, as well as when and where.
3. Search strategies to identify a data set:
   • Literature search: search a database relevant to your subject area for articles that have conducted related analysis and identify the datasets they used.
   • Going straight to a likely source: check to see if there is a particular organization or government agency that collects the type of data that you need. Try searching their website or publications.
   • Data archive search: Try searching through a large data archive, such as ICPSR.

Librarians can help with finding data and analysis!

• Research Consultations: Individual and group consultations are available by request.  Please request a research consultation to schedule an appointment with a librarian.  
• Instructional Support: Librarians can provide in-class instructional sessions or course-specific research guides on data resources. Please submit an instruction request for in-class instruction.