{"id":595,"date":"2020-02-19T14:03:09","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T19:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/jibcresearchmethods\/?post_type=chapter&p=595"},"modified":"2024-08-02T09:52:13","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T13:52:13","slug":"13-4-analyzing-others-data","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/jibcresearchmethods\/chapter\/13-4-analyzing-others-data\/","title":{"raw":"13.4 Analyzing Others\u2019 Data","rendered":"13.4 Analyzing Others\u2019 Data"},"content":{"raw":"One advantage (or disadvantage, depending on which parts of the research process you most enjoy) of unobtrusive research is that you may be able to skip the data collection phase altogether. Whether you wish to analyze qualitative or quantitative data sources, there are a number of free data sets available to social researchers. This section introduces you to several of those sources.\r\n\r\nMany sources of quantitative data are publicly available in Canada from Statistics Canada (Stats Can)<\/a> . For example, the General Social Survey (GSS<\/a>) covers a broad range of topics. Stats Can also provides workshops, training, webinars, and conferences across Canada, that are available to interested Canadians for a fee.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately for qualitative researchers, far fewer sources of free, publicly available qualitative data exist. This is slowly changing, however, as technical sophistication grows and it becomes easier to digitize and share qualitative data. Despite comparatively fewer sources than for quantitative data, there are still a number of data sources available to qualitative researchers whose interests or resources limit their ability to collect data on their own.\r\n\r\nThe Murray Research Archive Harvard<\/a>, housed at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University, offers case histories and qualitative interview data.\u00a0The Global Feminisms Project<\/a> at the University of Michigan offers interview transcripts and videotaped oral histories focused on feminist activism; women\u2019s movements; and academic women\u2019s studies in Brazil, China, India, Nicaragua, Poland, Russia and the United States.\r\n\r\nKeep in mind that the resources mentioned here represent just a snapshot of the many sources of publicly available data that can be accessed easily via the web. Table 13.1 \u201cSources of Publicly Available Data\u201d summarizes the data sources discussed in this section.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Table 13.1. Sources of publicly available data<\/caption>\r\n
Organization<\/strong><\/td>\r\nFocus\/topic<\/strong><\/td>\r\nData type<\/strong><\/td>\r\nWeb address<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
Statistics Canada<\/td>\r\nNational Household Survey complements census data and provides information on Canadian demographics, including social & economic characteristics and household unit information.<\/td>\r\nQuantitative<\/td>\r\nhttp:\/\/www23.statcan.gc.ca\/imdb\/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=5178<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
National Opinion Research Center<\/td>\r\nGeneral Social Survey; demographic, behavioural, attitudinal, and special interest questions; national sample.<\/td>\r\nQuantitative<\/td>\r\nhttp:\/\/www.norc.org\/About\/Pages\/default.aspx<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Add Health<\/td>\r\nLongitudinal social, economic, psychological, and physical well-being of cohort in grades 7\u201312 in 1994, next data collection to occur in 2010.<\/td>\r\nQuantitative<\/td>\r\nhttp:\/\/www.cpc.unc.edu\/projects\/addhealth<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Center for Demography of Health and Aging<\/td>\r\nWisconsin Longitudinal Study; life course study of cohorts who graduated from high school in 1957.<\/td>\r\nQuantitative<\/td>\r\nhttp:\/\/www.ssc.wisc.edu\/wlsresearch\/<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Institute for Social & Economic Research<\/td>\r\nBritish Household Panel Survey; longitudinal study of British lives and well-being.<\/td>\r\nQuantitative<\/td>\r\nhttps:\/\/www.iser.essex.ac.uk\/bhps<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
International Social Survey Program<\/td>\r\nInternational data similar to GSS.<\/td>\r\nQuantitative<\/td>\r\nhttp:\/\/www.issp.org\/<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
The Institute for \u00a0Quantitative Social Science a Harvard<\/td>\r\nLarge archive of written data, audio, and video focused on.<\/td>\r\nQuantitative and Qualitative<\/td>\r\nhttp:\/\/dvn.iq.harvard.edu\/dvn\/dv\/mra<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n ","rendered":"

One advantage (or disadvantage, depending on which parts of the research process you most enjoy) of unobtrusive research is that you may be able to skip the data collection phase altogether. Whether you wish to analyze qualitative or quantitative data sources, there are a number of free data sets available to social researchers. This section introduces you to several of those sources.<\/p>\n

Many sources of quantitative data are publicly available in Canada from Statistics Canada (Stats Can)<\/a> . For example, the General Social Survey (GSS<\/a>) covers a broad range of topics. Stats Can also provides workshops, training, webinars, and conferences across Canada, that are available to interested Canadians for a fee.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately for qualitative researchers, far fewer sources of free, publicly available qualitative data exist. This is slowly changing, however, as technical sophistication grows and it becomes easier to digitize and share qualitative data. Despite comparatively fewer sources than for quantitative data, there are still a number of data sources available to qualitative researchers whose interests or resources limit their ability to collect data on their own.<\/p>\n

The Murray Research Archive Harvard<\/a>, housed at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University, offers case histories and qualitative interview data.\u00a0The Global Feminisms Project<\/a> at the University of Michigan offers interview transcripts and videotaped oral histories focused on feminist activism; women\u2019s movements; and academic women\u2019s studies in Brazil, China, India, Nicaragua, Poland, Russia and the United States.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that the resources mentioned here represent just a snapshot of the many sources of publicly available data that can be accessed easily via the web. Table 13.1 \u201cSources of Publicly Available Data\u201d summarizes the data sources discussed in this section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Table 13.1. Sources of publicly available data<\/caption>\n
Organization<\/strong><\/td>\nFocus\/topic<\/strong><\/td>\nData type<\/strong><\/td>\nWeb address<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Statistics Canada<\/td>\nNational Household Survey complements census data and provides information on Canadian demographics, including social & economic characteristics and household unit information.<\/td>\nQuantitative<\/td>\nhttp:\/\/www23.statcan.gc.ca\/imdb\/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=5178<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
National Opinion Research Center<\/td>\nGeneral Social Survey; demographic, behavioural, attitudinal, and special interest questions; national sample.<\/td>\nQuantitative<\/td>\nhttp:\/\/www.norc.org\/About\/Pages\/default.aspx<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Add Health<\/td>\nLongitudinal social, economic, psychological, and physical well-being of cohort in grades 7\u201312 in 1994, next data collection to occur in 2010.<\/td>\nQuantitative<\/td>\nhttp:\/\/www.cpc.unc.edu\/projects\/addhealth<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Center for Demography of Health and Aging<\/td>\nWisconsin Longitudinal Study; life course study of cohorts who graduated from high school in 1957.<\/td>\nQuantitative<\/td>\nhttp:\/\/www.ssc.wisc.edu\/wlsresearch\/<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Institute for Social & Economic Research<\/td>\nBritish Household Panel Survey; longitudinal study of British lives and well-being.<\/td>\nQuantitative<\/td>\nhttps:\/\/www.iser.essex.ac.uk\/bhps<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
International Social Survey Program<\/td>\nInternational data similar to GSS.<\/td>\nQuantitative<\/td>\nhttp:\/\/www.issp.org\/<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Institute for \u00a0Quantitative Social Science a Harvard<\/td>\nLarge archive of written data, audio, and video focused on.<\/td>\nQuantitative and Qualitative<\/td>\nhttp:\/\/dvn.iq.harvard.edu\/dvn\/dv\/mra<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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