

Usually when you are asked to locate statistics on a topic you are using secondary data. Secondary Data are data from a research study conducted by someone else. Primary Data are data collected through your own research study directly through instruments such as surveys, observations, etc. Census Bureau's Public-Use Microdata Samples (PUMS files) is a data set of individual housing unit responses to census questions. Microdata are data on the lowest level of observation such as individual answers to questions. Some examples are ICPSR, CPANDA, and CIESIN.

Spss statistics help archive#
Spatial Data are geographic information that is used for analysis with GIS software like ArcGIS.Ĭodebook provides information on the structure, content, and layout of a data file as well as methodology, questionnaire(s) and any other relevant information about the data set.ĭata Archive preserves and makes accessible research data. Examples of qualitative data are interview responses, observation notes for a case study or ethnography, comments collected on a questionnaire, text or images for content analysis, etc. Qualitative Data are data that describe a property or attribute. Numeric Data are processed using statistical software like SPSS, Stata, or SAS. The difference between data and statistics can be confusing because in everyday language, the terms statistics and data are often used interchangeably. Data can be quantitative, qualitative, spatial, etc. If you're looking for a quick number, it's best to start with statistics.ĭata are typically raw data that need to be manipulated using software. An example of this is Statistical Abstract of the United States. Statistics are in a format where the data have already been analyzed and processed to produce information in an easy to read format such as charts, tables, and graphs. Understanding some basic terminology will help you to determine whether or not you need statistics, data or both.
