Data Search Resources: Search Hints and Evaluations

Handout is at: http://docushare.lib.rochester.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-20516

WORLDCAT
URL: Go to: http://www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm?page=databases and type worldcat in the find box. About: A joint catalog of roughly 45,000 libraries in 84 countries (with a U.S. emphasis). Outgrowth of a consortium begun in 1967. Hints: Try adding keywords statistics or dataset or numeric data to your search. Then, look at the results under the tab internet or computer. In most instances, not recommended as a place to start looking for data. Example: statistics or statistical or dataset (as keyword) and aging or elderly (as keyword) not icpsr or census (as keyword) Advantages: A mature system with well-established standards and the ability to do sophisticated searching of the book holdings of an impressive number of institutions. Disadvantages: Created for books, not data. No systematic way to search for numeric data. Metadata (data about data, i.e. citation-like information) appropriate for book-like materials, not data.

ICPSR
URL: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/access/index.html About: Now contains over 5,000 study titles. In 1994, led the effort to create international social science codebook standards, resulting in the formation of the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) and, in 2000, release of version 1.0 of XML Document Type Definition (DTD) standards for codebooks. Hints: Take advantage of the variety of searching options, including: * Advanced Searching: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/access/search-advanced.html * Thematic Categories: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/access/subject.html * Subject Thesaurus: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/thesaurus/subject.html * Site for Instructional Materials and Information (SIMI): http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/SIMI/search.html Advanced Search Example: Must contain abortion (in any field) and must contain state (in universe) and must not contain united (in universe) Advantages: Most extensive data archive in U.S., efforts to create and use metadata standards for data, browse option, thesaurus. Disadvantages: Still clunky, unsophisticated search interface, no basic Boolean, aspects of the metadata standards are still being developed.

DATA ON THE NET

URL: http://odwin.ucsd.edu/idata/ About: By UC San Diego, database of 361 internet numeric data sites. Hints: Cant use AND, OR, NOT in search strings. Search only with a single word or phrase. Example: public opinion Advantages: In some instances, can find key data archives or datasets quickly and easily.
2003 handout, Ann Marshall, amarshall@library.rochester.edu, 585-273-3451, Rush Rhees Library, U. of Rochester

Disadvantages: Makes little or no use of standards or metadata, unsophisticated search options, small, less-collaborative, one-institution effort.

CESSDA INTEGRATED DATA CATALOGUE

URL: http://dasun3.essex.ac.uk/Cessda/IDC/ About: From the Council of European Social Science Data Archives. To see the complexity of their efforts, visit the CESSDA DDI Group at: http://www.sidos.ch/CDG Hints: Try doing sophisticated Boolean and truncation searching in the CONTENTS or TITLE field Example 1: In UK and DE archive, search in CONTENTS for: (war or conflict* or peace) and econom* and ("united kingdom" or britain or england) Example 2: In UK and DE archive, search in TITLE for: war or conflict* or peace* Advantages: Can search multiple data archives simultaneously, extensive metadata included, can do AND, OR Boolean searching. Disadvantages: Limited ability to make good use of subject headings and metadata for searching, no browse option, and difficult to get results from some archives. How much standardization is there across these archives?

VIRTUAL DATA CENTER

URL: http://vdc-prod.hmdc.harvard.edu/VDC/Federation/index.jsp?op_id=ou%3Dhmdc%2Co %3Dvdc About: Funded and hosted by Harvard plus $3.2 million in NSF funds. Project aims to create an open source digital library system for numeric data and more robust metadata. Example: In Entire Contents, do an Advanced Search, in All Fields, for ny Advantages: An impressive Open Source project, based on developing standards, to aid in study preparation, management and dissemination. Offers the potential to search across many localized data libraries. Disadvantages: Not yet fully functional, still in experimental stages. Does not yet include intuitive ways to effectively search across multiple collections with understandable results.

STATISTICAL UNIVERSE
URL: http://www.lexisnexis.com/statuniv About: Search for U.S. government and some international statistics covering three major indexes. Tips: Take advantage of the subject list in choosing search terms. Example: Click on the subject list link. Choose T and scroll down to trade and check box next to trade agreements. At top of screen click paste to search. Click search. Advantages: Fast way to locate some (especially recent) government statistics. Some recent tables available in excel. Disadvantages: Not comprehensive. Many tables available in tiff only.

MORE NUMERIC DATA RESOURCES

2003 handout, Ann Marshall, amarshall@library.rochester.edu, 585-273-3451, Rush Rhees Library, U. of Rochester

UR Library Guide to Data and Statistics: http://www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm? PAGE=129 UR Library Guide to Political Science Data: http://www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm? PAGE=612

2003 handout, Ann Marshall, amarshall@library.rochester.edu, 585-273-3451, Rush Rhees Library, U. of Rochester