Data-Planet
- Data-Planet This link opens in a new windowRepository of standardized and structured statistical data
Public Opinion Data
- Roper iPOLL This link opens in a new windowProvided by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University, Roper iPoll is the largest collection of public opinion poll data with results from 1935 to the present. Roper iPoll contains nearly 800,000 questions and over 23,000 datasets from both U.S. and international polling firms. Surveys cover any number of topics including, social issues, politics, pop culture, international affairs, science, the environment, and much more. When available, results charts, demographic crosstabs and full datasets are provided for immediate download.
Introduction
When you click the box to the left that corresponds with the topic your group has been assigned, the first thing you will find is a list of articles. These articles have been selected because they are current, they come from scholarly (reliable) sources, and they each have data. You are not going to read the entire article. You are not interested in regression analyses, policy implications, etc. Focus only on the data! Skim through each and identify data sources the author(s) use. You are most likely to discover data sources in the introduction, methods, or findings/conclusion sections. Locate visuals (charts, graphs, etc.), and determine the source. This is usually noted below the visual (sometimes it's a footnote). Review the article's references to identify data sources. Then, locate the data the author(s) use. This is usually as simple as a Google search. Often the links to the data are provided in the article. The point is, there's no need to reinvent the wheel!
More than not wanting to reinvent the wheel, reviewing previous studies related to your topic provides an understanding of how data has been used by scholars. In turn, this should generate ideas for how you want to frame the data you'll work with.
And, REMEMBER...
