Home - Data and Statistics - Library Guides at Johns Hopkins University

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Looking for Business Data?

Please see the Business Research Guide for market research data, business financials and ratio information. This guide deals with data more broadly.

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Related Guides

Here are links to some additional resource guides about, or related to, data and statistics:

Business Research Guide
This is the Business Research Guide maintained by Heather Tapager and Alan Zuckerman, our Business Research Services Librarians. See this site to find out competitive intelligence resources and industry statistics.
GIS and Maps Research Guide
Visit this page to find out how to obtain ArcGIS software, receive ArcGIS training, and find geospatial data.
SAIS Statistics Sources Resource Guide
This guide from the JHU School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) provides links to both national and international statistical resources (heavier focus on international). If you want access to international financial statistics, START HERE.

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Overview

Datasets & Statistics - What's the Difference?

The difference is that datasets are presented to you in full - all available variables - for you to manipulate and aggregate as needed. Statistics are typically presented in aggregate form already as a table, chart or graph.

When would you use one over the other?

When you want quick facts for a presentation or paper (typically used to strengthen a point), you would use prepared statistics. Just make sure you cite them properly. If you're planning to test a hypothesis, develop a comprehensive marketing strategy, assess the effect of a particular treatment - essentially anything that would require in-depth analyses - then you need a dataset.

Primary versus Secondary Data

When you collect data for your own research, this is considered primary data collection. When you use a dataset that has been collected by somone else, you are using what is considered secondary data.

Responsible Conduct of Research W/R/T Data Collection and Use

When you are collecting your own data, you must follow the responsible research guidelines and regulations established by the federal government and Johns Hopkins. For public-use secondary data (i.e. Census data, most of the datasets you can access in ICPSR), you still should practice being a responsible researcher, but formal review is not necessary. For restricted-use secondary data (datasets you request and must a contract or license to use) you may need to have proof of IRB review before getting access to the data. If you are concerned about whether or not your project with secondary data must be reviewed, please feel free to contact Jen Darragh for assistance.

Core Resources

Social Explorer
Create custom tables and maps from the first Census to the latest Census, the American Community Survey, and the Religious Congregations and Membership Study. Social Explorer is THE "go to" source for access to Census data due to it's easy-to-use interface and download capabilities for more sophisticated analysis.
SimplyMap
Designed to be mastered in minutes, SimplyMap is true GIS made accessible to everyone. You can create professional-quality thematic maps and reports using extensive demographic, business, and marketing data.
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
ICPSR has one of the largest archives of secondary research datasets in the world. Johns Hopkins is a member of ICPSR, and the archive's contents are searchable and accessbile to the Hopkins community online.
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
Perhaps the best source for public opinion data, our membership with the Roper Center allows you to search for and download full datasets and access to the iPOLL database, where you can search for individual questions from opinion polls.
ProQuest Statistical Datasets
Create customized tables and graphs using numeric data from a multitude of sources such as the Census Bureau, the Department of the Treasury, FDIC, the World Bank and China Data Center Online.
State Stats
Comprehensive data coverage of each state including health care, crime, education and more. You'll find reliable, easy-to-use data from more than 80 different sources covering more than 15 years. When you find data you're interested in explore it using the mapping and graphing tools, compare it with other data sets, or export it to Excel.

Data Management Consulting

JHU Data Management Services (DMS) can guide you in preparing NSF data management plans tailored for the standards of your field and NSF Directorate. They can also archive your research data so that it can be shared and preserved through our state-of-the-art repository, the JHU Data Archive. Contact a JHU DMS consultant or visit their website at http://dmp.data.jhu.edu/.

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