PLAN Workshop: An Introduction to Data Sources for Graduate Student Researchers

Description. Locating relevant and usable data for a dissertation, thesis, or other large-scale project can be a challenging endeavor, even for the most experienced researcher. How do you know where to locate specific data sources? How do you know who produces relevant datasets? This workshop will focus on identifying and accessing data on topics that are highly relevant to researchers in the Social Sciences. Attention will be given to searching and accessing data within the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) data archive to which the library subscribes. We will also broadly cover navigating and accessing data within free web resources provided by government agencies and various organizations. Participants will leave the session with a foundation for how to locate and access data for their research and will be provided with a web-based data sources library guide to refer to after the workshop.

Learning Outcomes. As a result of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Locate relevant data sources for their research using ICPSR and select sources from the free web;

2. Access and download relevant data sources using ICPSR;

3. Develop appropriate strategies for searching for data sources outside of the traditional database environment.

Presenter(s). Samantha McClellan is an Assistant Professor and Social Sciences Teaching & Faculty Outreach Librarian at Ekstrom Library. She teaches customized information literacy sessions with a focus on research methods courses in the Social Sciences, provides reference assistance to students and faculty, and serves as the collection specialist and library liaison for Sociology, Political Science, Justice Administration, and Psychological & Brain Sciences.

Please register for the event here.