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Syracuse University Libraries

Research Data Services: Data Collection

Custom Data Search

This Google Custom search engine performs a search on websites that have been evaluated for their usefulness in providing data and statistics. Results will open in a new window.

Online Research Tools

Researchers may find the following tools useful in their work. Emphasis is given to free (or at least having free components) and online tools or services.

Electronic Lab Notebooks:

 

  • ELN at Harvard Medical School - The Electronic Lab Notebook Matrix has been created to aid researchers in the process of identifying a usable Electronic Lab Notebook solutions to meet their specific research needs. Through this resource, researchers can compare and contrast the numerous solutions available today, and also explore individual options in-depth.
  • RSpace - An ELN for researchers to organize, manage and collaborate on their projects.
  • Docollab - Project management system, collaboration.
  • Benchling - Life Sciences focused experiment, lab and project management.

Data Analysis/Visualization:

  • TableauPublic - Free version of their desktop and online data visualization platform. All data uploaded to TableauPublic is available to everyone on the Internet. The paid versions allow restricted access.
  • StatCrunch - Simple online data analysis and survey package.
  • Dataviz - Data visualization for time, geographic and comparative data.
  • OpenRefine - Data cleaning and exploration tool.

Directories of Research Tools:

Data Collection

Research Data Services can assist you in collecting data for your research, whether you are collecting your own, primary data, using secondary data, or some combination of the two.  DSG can provide advice on research methods, study design, questionnaire construction, and strategies for data entry.


Research Data Services can provide guidance in collecting your own data.  We can help with study design, questionnaire/interview construction, administration data coding and data analysis. Those who will be collecting their own data, particularly for grant-funded research, are urged to set up an appointment for consultation as early in the process as possible.

Research Data Services also supports Qualtrics, an online survey platform, and REDCap, an online clinical/experimental data collection platform

Secondary Data Resources

Numeric Data Resources lists and describes many sources and resources for data and statistics on many topics. Some of the information you may find through this site is ready for use in a paper or report.  Other information may come in the form of electronic files that can or must be analyzed using a statistical software package such as SAS, Stata or SPSS.  The web sites listed here are only a small fraction of what is available and are presented as a starting point for your search. We highly recommend using the Google CSE to the left to find the most up-to-date information. If you cannot find what you need, please contact the Data Librarian for help.

Looking for GIS data?  Check out the Maps and GIS Resources page. 

Databases

Syracuse University Libraries subscribe to several databases that may be useful to your research. These databases cover many topics including demographic, economic, marketing, business, international trade and many others.  The full list is available on the Statistical and Numeric Databases page.  Some you may find particularly useful are:

  • Statista - Data from both public and private sources related to a wide range of subjects, including consumers, digital markets, and companies; also includes forecasts, analysis, reports, and more.
  • Data-Planet Statistical Datasets (formerly Proquest Statistical Datasets) - online service that enables researchers to build statistical tables and charts from multiple sources in a single interface. This online interactive statistical solution aggregates over 610 licensed and public domain datasets provided by over 55 sources.
  • Data Citation Index - The Data Citation Index from the Web of Science provides a single point of access to quality research data from repositories across disciplines and around the world. Discover research data, including data studies and data sets and connect them with the scientific literature to track data citations.
  • Social Explorer - Social Explorer provides easy access to census information about the United States from 1790 to the present. See our SocialExplorer tutorials.
  • TRF PolicyMap - Census and other social and economic data with mapping capability
  • SimplyAnalytics- allows users to map demographic, marketing, retail and consumer data. Data sets include EASI (Easy Analytic Software) life stage and Mediamark Research (MRI) consumer data.
  • ICPSR - The data archive includes a broad range of disciplines, including political science, sociology, demography, economics, history, education, gerontology, criminal justice, public health, foreign policy, and law.
  • World Development Indicators Online (WDI online)  - Contains statistical data for over 590 development indicators and time series data from 1960 for over 200 countries and 18 country groups. Data includes social, economic, financial, natural resources, and environmental indicators. Data selection screens are intuitive and easy to use. Results can be scaled, indexed against a particular year, viewed by percentage change, and charted. Data can also be exported in standard formats like Excel.

Data and Statistics on Syracuse and Onondaga County, NY

In addition to the online data listed below, we also have a page of links to various websites providing information about the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York.  Many of the links on this page can be used to find similar information for other places in the U.S. as well.

 

Data Libraries/Repositories

Many universities and other institutions maintain their own collections of data, some of which may be available to the general public, some by subscription, and some for their own use.  The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research(ICPSR) is the largest and most well-known of data repositories. All of the data at ICPSR is freely available to SU users. Please see our list of Data Libraries for more information.