Getting Data from Original Sources
For this assignment you have to find data from the original source. Many of the Reports and Statistics sections of this guide cite data, but they may be using other organization's data, and not be the original source of the data. Below are some government agencies that are the sources of original data. You will note that there are several "on ramps" for some of these data sources.
Government Data Sources
- Census dataThere are two places to get census data: the Census Bureau, and Social Explorer. Video tutorials on how to use this site: https://www.census.gov/data/academy/data-gems.html.
The Census is done every 10 years and is a short questionnaire that everyone should fill out. The American Community Survey is done every 2 years, and is much more deCreating youtailed. It only goes out to a small percentage of the population.
If you are curious what questions were on the 2000 Census, click here: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2000/technical-documentation/questionnaires/united-states/d02p.pdf.
Creating your bibliography: Keep track of what Table Numbers you are using: you will need them for your bibliography. Here is an example of how to cite data:
American Community Survey (2014). Table B200171. Median earning in the past 12 months (in 2013 inflation-adjusted dollars) by sex by work experience in the past 12 months for the population 16 years and over with earnings (Hispanic of Latino). US Census Bureau. Retrieved 1/17/20 from https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/guided_search.xhtml. - US Census - Household Pulse SurveyThe Household Pulse Survey is a 20-minute online survey studying how the coronavirus pandemic and other emergent issues are impacting households across the country from a social and economic perspective.
Phase 3.7 includes new questions on the impact of living through natural disasters, and items focused on Medicaid coverage.
The HPS continues asking about core demographic household characteristics (including sexual orientation and gender identity), as well as asking questions about the following topics:
Access to infant formula
Childcare arrangements and cost
COVID-19 vaccinations and long COVID symptoms and impact
Education, specifically K-12 enrollment
Employment
Food sufficiency
Housing security
Household spending, including energy expenditures and consumption
Inflation concerns and changes in behavior due to increasing prices
Physical and mental health
Rental assistance from state and local governments
Transportation, including behavioral changes related to the cost of gas - Data.govHere you will find data, tools, and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications, design data visualizations, and more. Search over 236,000 datasets relating to climate, education, finance, health and more.
- Employment Security DepartmentMonthly employment reports, unemployment claims, labor force by county and more for Washington State.
- Office of Superintendent of Public InstructionData on school performance, graduation rates, disciplinary rates, % on free lunch, class sizes, and more for Washington State.
- Social Security Research and DataData on Disability, HIV and Cardiovascular subjects.
- Office of Minority HealthThe Office of Minority Health provides the most current quantitative information related to minority health. This includes sourcing and maintaining a body of expert knowledge on minority health status initiatives, and demographic statistics and analyses on minority populations, compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, the Census Bureau, private foundations, clinical practitioners, private data sources and public agencies
- Williams InstituteCensus and LGBT Data
Data Visualization
- Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Maps and tables from U.S. Census Bureau and other data sources, 1790 to present. Questions? Schedule an appointment with a librarian!
I find the Tables view in Social Explorer most helpful. For more tables go to Guided Search on the Census website: https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/guided_search.xhtml. Download the data into an Excel sheet (which can be copied and pasted into Google Sheets).
When it comes time to create charts, you can do so in Excel and Google Sheets.
In Excel - get your data in a clean table format (get rid of the percentage column, etc., only the data you want to graph), and then click on Insert/Charts and choose your chart type. To relabel the axis, etc., go to Add Chart Element.
In Google Sheets, click on the chart icon on the far right hand side of the toolbar.
