Aaron Albertson Research & Instruction Librarian, Social Sciences (651) 696-6530 albertson@macalester.edu |
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Beth Hillemann Research & Instruction Librarian, Social Sciences (651) 696-6704 hillemann@macalester.edu |
Congratulations! You've completed the module Finding & Collecting Data for Your Research. Take a few minutes to check your understanding of the information covered by answering the following questions. Click on the "CHECK YOUR ANSWER" link to see how you did.
1. In this module, we identified three broad strategies for obtaining research data. What are these three strategies? a - Getting it from government web sites, looking at what other researchers have collected, or searching the web using a search engine. b - Collecting the data yourself, gathering data collected by someone else, or combining these strategies together. c - Using an open-ended survey, using observation to gather data about your subject matter, conducting personal or group interviews. d - Using the wide range of data available through the U.S. Census, harvesting data available through data repositories, finding data available through public polling sites. What do you think? B is the correct answer. While there may be variations in the specifics methodologies among various disciplines, the three broad strategies generally used for obtaining data are collecting the data yourself, gathering data collected by someone else, or combining these strategies together.
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2. Using existing data collected by someone else is a common practice among student researchers. Which of the following are advantages to using existing data? (select all that apply) a - It is often more cost effective. b - A wide variety of data are available online. c - It saves you time. d - It is likely you will find the perfect data for your research project. What do you think? A, B, and C are all advantages to using existing data. Collection your own data may be costly and time consuming. Using existing data, even if it was originally collected for a different purpose, can be an efficient way of getting the data you need. But beware, you may not always find the perfect data for your research and may need to change your research parameters or research question.
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a - Government agency web sites. b - Data repositories. A wide variety of both general and discipline-specific repositories where data are preserved and made available for sharing exist. c - Organizations with an interest in your research topic, such as non-profit research centers, foundations, trade associations, etc. d - All of the above. What do you think? D is the correct answer. All of the resources mentioned are great potential sources for research data. Remember to check research articles on your topic to discover potential data sources. Also, web searching can be an effective way to identify research data. Librarians can be a great resource if you need help identifying and locating quality research data.
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4. Collecting original data has many advantages. Which of the following are among these advantages? a - You have complete control over the variables included in data collection. b - You have greater understanding of the data collection process that was used allowing you to ensure the accuracy and integrity of data collected. c - You are able to collect data that no one has before. d - All of the above. What do you think? D is the correct answer. There are many good reasons taking the time and effort to collect your own data.
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