Using Secondary Data
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Secondary data refers to data collected by government agencies and other organizations that can be analyzed for research purposes. This data covers a wide variety of topics and levels of education. It provides benefits like saving time and resources while allowing for larger sample sizes and longitudinal analysis. Researchers should consider the methodology, limitations, intended purpose and audience, documentation, and ethics of modifying pre-existing data. Good sources for secondary data include government agencies like the U.S. Census Bureau, NCES, and BLS, as well as databases like Data.gov and websites providing international statistics. Librarians can help locate and access appropriate secondary data sources.
Using Secondary Data
- 1. Secondary Data: How to Find it, How to Use it, & Why It’s Important Starr Hoffman Head, Government Documents UNT Libraries
- 2. Introduction secondary data: data gathered by government agencies & other organizations variety of topics all educational levels much is accessible online PDF, CSV, XLS, DOC, etc.
- 3. Benefits of Secondary Data Analysis save time, expense larger databases longitudinal data produces relevant, practical research useful for practitioners, policy-makers replication
- 4. Things to Think About… methodology limitations purpose audience documentation data modification accessibility
- 5. How to Use Secondary Data class assignments practice statistical analyses replicate research studies (publication) longitudinal studies
- 6. Sources for Secondary Data: Where to Start? use the “Agency Approach” what government agencies or private organizations would use this data? good places to start looking… U.S. Statistical Abstract UNT Libraries guide to statistical sources Lexis Nexis Statistical Insight Database Data.gov
- 8. UNT Libraries’ Statistical Resources Guide http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/browse-topics/statistics
- 9. Lexis-Nexis Statistical Insight Database http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/faq/may-i-use-lexisnexis-how-do-i-access-it
- 10. Data.gov http://www.data.gov/catalog/raw raw data catalog searchable by topic or agency
- 11. More Sources for Secondary Data websites, government agencies, and organizations
- 12. Census Bureau http://www.census.gov/ American FactFinder populations by educational attainment, etc. Economic Census Statistical Abstract Historical Census education covered since 1840
- 13. NCES Resources (National Center for Educational Statistics) http://nces.ed.gov/ The Condition of Education Digest of Educational Statistics Education Statistics Quarterly School District Demographics System IPEDS also library statistics most of these are available: online / free PDF download free print publications by mail http://www.edpubs.gov/
- 14. Kids Count Data Book & Data Center http://datacenter.kidscount.org/ school enrollment Head Start test scores special education graduation rates dropout rates
- 15. NSF (National Science Foundation) http://www.nsf.gov/statistics Science & Engineering Indicators Academic Institutional Profiles
- 16. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- 18. StateMaster.com combines data from variety of sources on all states educational spending educational attainment student/teacher ratios student grade levels degrees awarded public library statistics
- 19. Texas State Data Center
- 20. Window on State Government: Compendium of Texas Socioeconomic Data http://www.window.state.tx.us/ecodata/compendium/ community colleges other institutions of higher education
- 22. International Statistics Statistical Yearbook (United Nations) in print @ UNT Libraries HA12.5 .U65 Census Bureau: International Data Base (IDB) http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/ Foreign Statistical Agencies (by country) http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/browse- topics/statistics/foreign-statistical-agencies/ International Statistical Agencies http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/browse- topics/statistics/international-statistical-agencies/ Compendiums of International Statistics http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/browse- topics/statistics/foreign-and-international-statistics-general- compilations/
- 23. Need More Help? Ask us! Government Documents Department UNT Libraries govinfo@unt.edu 940.565.2870 Starr Hoffman, Dept. Head starr.hoffman@unt.edu 940.565.4150 this presentation available at: http://geekyartistlibrarian.wordpress.com/
Editor's Notes
- #3: depending on the file type offered, you may be able to manipulate the data easily, or you may have to re-enter it into a spreadsheet or statistical program
- #4: save research time, expense (not gathering original data) larger databases than those produced by individual researchers --- larger in number of subjects, geographic coverage, and in detail of information enables longitudinal studies produces relevant, practical research immediately implementable for decision-making by practitioners and policy-makers produces valuable contributions to the discipline of education replication (shared data is more likely to be used more than once; data gathered by organizations or agencies is likely to be used by multiple researchers) replication is important because it ensures that only rigorous, proven research is used to make build upon often has a pre-established degree of validity & reliability
- #5: how sound was the original research that produced the data? what methodology was used? did data collection methods change over time? were limitations adequately addressed? was the sample adequate for the population generalized to? what was the purpose of the original research? who was the original intended audience? is there adequate documentation? did the original researcher adequately define all terms, coding schemes, etc.? was data modified by the original researcher? is some of the data inaccessible because of confidentiality? appropriateness of the study's unit of analysis and sampling, the variables and their values, and levels of measurement
- #7: already have a specific topic in mind? just want to browse through some sources of data?
- #8: compendium of statistics from a wide variety of gov. agencies covers wide variety of topics includes only the top-level, most popular tables look at the SOURCE of the data to find more information like it great place to start when you have specific data in mind, but you’re not sure what agencies might gather it
- #9: This is a guide composed of many other guides…. organized by topic, geographic level, source type, etc. includes links to tutorials and other helpful info
- #10: UNT subscribes to the LN Stat Insight DB (if off-campus, requires remote log-in) keywords search abstracts, full text, tables, etc. can narrow by topic, geography, source, etc. includes government, commercial, and educationally gathered data not as easy to use as some of the other resources, but spans a wide variety of data sources
- #11: newest of the main tools (all info is gathered by the US gov.) more agencies and more data added regularly many files available for downloadable as manipulate-able raw data