The Road to Research Success Graduate Student Workshop Data and Statistics Beth Kaylor Coordinator of Business, Entrepreneurship and Government Information Research

Introductions Please feel free to ask questions at any time. What brings you to this workshop? What are you hoping to learn? What we will do in this session. Please feel free to ask questions at any time.

What is the difference between data and statistics? In regular conversation the words are often used interchangeably. In libraries the two are different. Data – the raw information from which statistics are created Data sets Machine readable files Data files for a statistical program Statistics – an interpretation and summary of data Numeric facts and figures Statistical tables, charts and graphs Reported numbers and percentages What is the difference between data and statistics?

Getting Started Finding Datasets And Statistics Think about who might collect the data you need. Academic researchers? A government agency? Private business or industry group? A nonprofit or nongovernmental agency? Decide who might collect the data you need. This will give you clues where to start your search for the information.

Getting Started Finding Datasets And Statistics Look for scholarly publications or government reports that use the type of data you are searching for. You may find citations to the data set you need. You may get a hint for the next place to look. Once you know that the data you need is out there you can start trying to locate it. Is it freely available? Is it in one of the library’s subscription databases? Is it available from a government source? Can you ask the researcher directly for it?

Help is always available Randall Library Chat is 24/7 Research Help Desk Your liaison librarian Every database offers help. The link is usually in the upper right corner. Many databases provide help through short videos either on their home page or on YouTube. Please feel free to contact me for assistance – Beth Kaylor. You can also find your liaison librarian!

Finding Sources for Data and Statistics through Randall Library Randall Library provides access to both free and subscription databases for locating data and statistics. Library home page – Databases – By Type – Data and Statistics You can also find sources of data and statistics through subject guides: Databases – By Subject

Library Subscription Databases

ICPSR Inter University Consortium for Political and Social Research – is an international consortium of about 700 academic institutions and research organizations. ICPSR maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction, including a data archive of more than 500,000 files of research in the social sciences. It hosts 16 specialized collections of data in education, aging, criminology, criminal justice, social work, sociology, substance abuse, terrorism, and other fields. Create Account/Sign In – you will need to create an account. You do not need to be on campus to create your account but you will need to sign in from a UNCW- owned computer at least once.

iPoll – Roper Center Public opinion The largest collection of poll data anywhere— 1935 to present, all US polling firms, broad topical coverage of opinions and behavior on social issues, politics, pop culture, international affairs, and more. International and US datasets available for immediate download iPoll – searches over 700,000 public opinion survey questions Datasets – searches more than 12,000 US and 8,000 international dataset abstracts

Statista Library subscription database “Immediate access to over one million statistics and facts.” Aggregates statistical information on over 60,000 topics from more than 18,000 sources, including market research institutes, trade organizations, scientific journals, government databases, and many other private and public resources. Everything from quick graphs and charts to market studies and industry reports.

Free Sources of Data and Statistics

World Development Indicators Online The World Bank The World Development Indicators (WDI) is the World Bank’s premier compilation of international statistics on global development. Drawing from officially recognized sources and including national, regional, and global estimates, the WDI provides access to almost 1,600 indicators for 217 economies, with some time series extending back more than 50 years. The database helps users—analysts, policymakers, academics, and all those curious about the state of the world—to find information related to all aspects of development, both current and historical.

Data.gov Free Data.gov is managed by the US General Services Administration. Datasets are collected under the 2013 Federal Open Data Policy.

State Data Center (North Carolina) The State Data Center is a consortium of agencies cooperating with the US Bureau of the Census to provide the public with data about the state and its component geographic areas. The SDC lead agency is located in the Technology and Data Services Section of OSBM, where it provides extensive resources for retrieving statistical information. Three state-level coordinating agencies work closely with the lead agency: State Library of North Carolina  - Answers data requests from State Data Center affiliates, state and local government agencies, and the public. Provides training for LINC and other data retrieval tools. Odum Institute for Research in Social Science  - Serves the research needs of the academic community for large datasets Center for Geographic Information and Analysis  - Provides custom services using geospatial data Locally, the NHCPL is the local affiliate of the SDC.

LINC – Log Into North Carolina Simple and easy to use Log Into North Carolina (LINC) is an interactive data retrieval service containing historical information for over 900 data items and a variety of geographic areas within the state.  Topics include population, labor force, education, transportation, revenue, agriculture, vital statistics, energy and utilities, and other topics for a variety of geographic areas within the state. Most data are available for the state and all 100 counties. Some items are available for municipalities. Others, especially census data, may be retrieved for tracts and townships. Choose data and click continue.

A quick note about demographics… United States Census Every 10 years Counts each and every person American Community Survey Each year Counts a sample of the population The ACS allows for more current data about populations but it is estimated data instead of an actual count. A quick note about demographics…

American FactFinder United States Census Bureau Many ways to search Includes: American Community Survey American Housing Survey Annual Economic Surveys Annual Surveys of Governments Census of Governments Decennial Census Economic Census …more

USA.gov – Data and Statistics about the U.S. Many access points for Census data Quick links to government agencies that provide data and statistics Bureau of Economic Analysis National Agricultural Statistical Service Bureau of Justice Statistics National Center for Education Statistics Bureau of Labor Statistics National Center for Health Statistics Bureau of Transportation Statistics Office of Personnel Management Economic Research Service Office of Research Evaluation and Statistics Energy Information Administration Statistics of Income National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics

Questions?

Help is always available Randall Library Chat is 24/7 Research Help Desk Your liaison librarian Every database offers help. The link is usually in the upper right corner. Many databases provide help through short videos on YouTube. Please feel free to contact me for assistance – Beth Kaylor. You can also find your liaison librarian!

Thank you! Contact me: Beth Kaylor, Coordinator of Business, Entrepreneurship and Government Information Research kaylorj@uncw.edu 962-4232 RL 2062A