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FYS: Wealth - Defined, Explained, and How You Can Build It

This research guide supports students in Prof. Johnson's FYS 100: Wealth - Defined, Explained, and How Your Can Build It

Finding Data & Statistics - A 3 Step Process

Is there a difference between data and statistics? 

The short answer is YES!

Think of data as the components of a sandwich. In their raw form, some tomato, lettuce, cheese, and bread could go on to become many different things (ex: spaghetti sauce, a salad, the beginning of a pizza) but when analyzed by you, the researcher, you present a sandwich, in this case, a statistical sandwich!

If the sandwich metaphor isn't working for you- data are the raw bits of information that when interpreted and presented through the process of data analysis create statistics. 

Data is often represented as numbers but can also be visual, textual, even auditory. Datasets are made up of the raw data files (plus other related files) that can be digitally processed through specialized software such as Excel or R. Statistics, which are often represented in tables, are products of data analysis- essentially organized and interpreted by a researcher so they can be understood by a wider audience. 

So when it comes to figuring out if you need data or statistics it can be helpful to ask yourself - am I wanting to do my own analysis (data) or do I need data that has already been analyzed to include in my research (statistics)

Before we can actually begin finding the data or statistics we have to have a good understanding of what we are looking for. Grab a piece of paper or open a new text document and define the following: 

  1. What are the variables I am looking for? 

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics a variable is "any characteristic, number, or quantity that can be measured or counted". In other words, it is the keyword you would use to describe the piece of information (or data) you are looking for. An example might be age, or gender, flavor, or vehicle type. 

  1. What are other terms I could use to describe my variable

Language is a powerful, complicated thing. While you may describe your variable with the term "car" the dataset your looking for may use the term "vehicle" and that could make all the difference when searching for data or statistics. Make a list of all the potential terms and phrases that could possibly relate to your variable. Keep in mind, the list will grow as your research progresses and you learn more about what you are looking for. 

  1. How is my variable measured

Are you looking for a temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit? Specific colors? A dollar amount? A median? An average? A range? How would your variable be measured by whomever collected the data? 

  1. Who cares?

Speaking of whose collecting the data and creating the statistics... who cares enough about your variable(s) to spend time, money, and resources on designing an instrument to collect, gather, store, and make the data available? Governmental agencies (remember the Australian Bureau of Statistics mentioned above?) are a good first bet but what about companies, nonprofits, or associations? If you are looking for data or statistics about a variable located in the United States, this list of US Federal Agencies is a useful tool for thinking about who might collect such information. 

  1. Do I need to worry about geography?

If where your variable is physically located is important, how specific does the location need to be? Are you looking at a national level? State level? Census tractThis is a useful chart for understanding the location possibilities of data coming out of the United States. 

  1. Is time a factor? 

Does it matter when your data was collected? Do you need a specific time range of data? Something historical? 

There are three ways we can categorize where to look for data:

  1. Mine the Bibliography 

Literature reviews aren't just some tortuous exercise your professors make you do for nothing - they are an incredibly important part of the research process including identifying where you may want to begin your search for the data or statistics you are looking for. Does a researcher mention a specific study created by or data collected by someone else or a specific institution? Is there a hyperlink you can click or a name of a study, organization, or individual mentioned in the citations you can search? If the data and/or statistics discussed are original to the research - does the researcher provide a link or reference a data repository (i.e. where the data is stored and accessible online) where the original information can be accessed? Is there an appendix present that details the data or a methods section that details the data collection process? If everything else fails - can you find the author's contact information? Don't hesitate to email to ask about accessing information mentioned in the study - after all scholarship is a conversation (and the worst someone can say is "no"). 

  1. Identify a Database 

As the name might imply, a database contains data - but remember, data is just information. So the trick here is to (a.) identify the right database for what you are looking for and (b.) make sure you have access to the database where the information is made available. This is where your library can be very helpful. While there are many freely available open access (OA) databases that you can find (more on that below) there are just as many, if not more, that require special permissions to access. Your affiliation with Wake Forest University provides you access to a number of great databases that can provide data and statistics on a wide range of topics. Check out recommended sources below or the data and statistics tag on ZSR's Find a Database page.

  1. Search Engines (ex: Google) and Online Data Repositories

There are a lot of data and statistics to be found on the open web - the trick, of course, are finding them! Below are a few tips and tricks for uncovering data and statistics using popular web-based search engines such as Google: 

  • Use quotation marks around keyword phrases that are very specific to your variables - especially technical or scientific terms
  • Add the word "data" to your search string 
  • Identify your search engines advanced search features (not always easy to find!). Any 'help" sections are a good place to start. 
  • If using Google, try some of the following "hacks" (bolded)
    • [Type of Data] + Data + site:.gov OR site:.org OR site:.[Country Domain]
    • [Type of Data] + Data + filetype:[source file needed - ex: .xls, .csv, etc.]
  • Try a data specific search engine such as Google's Dataset Search

 Alternatively or in addition to utilizing a search engine, identifying an online data repository where scholars, organizations, and other data creators can store and make their data available are great places to search for data. Many, but not all, data repositories offer free or low-cost access to the data contained within. Check out some of our suggested data repositories on the left. 

 

General Sources of Data & Statistics at ZSR

GIS Data - Mapping and Visualizing Data

Financial Statistics and Data