1.1 Review of Existing Datasets

Get a head start on resource planning by reviewing existing databasets and potential challenges with the data that will be used for the project.

Will you be able to use an existing dataset or will you need to create a new one?

Keep in mind that some datasets can be considered new if they are derived from multiple data sources.

Are the existing datasets well documented, accessible and accurate?
Do you need to organize your data in a way to be able to incorporate other datasets?

Where to look for existing datasets?

Many researchers have not deposited data into a repository, so a literature review might also turn up potential datasets.
Social science data archives and more specific, disciplinary data archives are a good place to start in the United States. In other European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand, there are national social science data archives that hold a large amount of data from each country. Here are a few links to various social science data archives,

Maintained by: Erin O'Meara, erino@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 11/10/2007