Quantitative data sources

Quantitative research

Empirical, evidence-based research

Statistical analysis of survey and microdata, eg: Official data Health surveys Election studies

Secondary analysis Use of existing data to test new ideas Verification of existing research sysuse nlsw88

Example

Attitudes to migration

Run your own detailed survey (primary research) European Social Survey c. 1,200 respondents c. €300,000

Use pre-existing survey (secondary analysis) ESS Round 1 (http://ess.nsd.uib.no/) Data (available in Stata format) Bibliography of research using the data

Advantages

Efficient use of resources

Ready availability of high-quality data, adhering to professional standards

Data collected for one purpose can, within reason, be reanalysed across a range of other subject areas

Ability to study trends over time

Limitations

Data not always available

Danger of mismatch between primary and secondary uses of data

Availability of documentation

Danger of errors slipping in unnoticed during data collection and processing

Availability of data

Data archives ISSDA: http://www.ucd.ie/issda ICPSR:

http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ CESSDA: http://www.cessda.org

Data producers CSO (2011 Census):

http://www.cso.ie WHO: http://www.who.int/en/

Data project websites ESS:

http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org

SHARE: http://www.share-project.org/

ISSDA

Irish Social Science Data Archive Founded in 2000 as a joint initiative of UCD and

the ESRI, with the support of the CSO Based at Geary Institute until July 2012 Now part of the UCD Library Makes quantitative data available to academic

and non-profit research sectors Aim: To facilitate secondary analysis of key

quantitative datasets

How it works

DATA SUPPLIERS (CSO, ESRI, etc)

DATA USERS (Students, Researchers, Policymakers … )

ISSDA

Target audience

Initial target: Academic researchers and third level

students in social sciences in Ireland

Actually: Researchers working on academic, non-profit,

and consultancy projects Students:

Some secondary school requests At all undergraduate and postgraduate

levels Government departments/agencies

Across a wide range of subject disciplines Social sciences, business/commerce,

psychology, public health, engineering, agriculture, etc.

International demand for Irish data – UK, USA, other EU countries

Irish Datasets

Official statistics data: Census Quarterly National Household

Survey/Labour Force Survey EU-SILC Household Budget Survey

Data from major government funded research projects: Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) Survey on Lifestyle And Nutrition

(SLAN) The Irish Longitudinal Study on

Aging (TILDA) Adapting to Diversity Living In Ireland

Irish social science and public health research projects: Irish Social and Political Attitudes

Survey Irish Survey of Contraception and

Crisis Pregnancy  All Ireland Traveller Health Study HRB National Psychological

Wellbeing and Distress Survey, 2006

Commission for Energy regulation Smart Metering Project data

http://www.issda.ie issda@ucd.ie Twitter: @issda

Comparative Datasets

Eurobarometer http://www.gesis.org/en/eurobaro

meter/

http://zacat.gesis.org/webview/

ISSP http://www.issp.org http://zacat.gesis.org/webview/

European Values Survey http://www.europeanvaluesstudy.e

u/ http://zacat.gesis.org/

European Social Survey http://www.europeansocialsurvey.o

rg http://nesstar.ess.nsd.uib.no/webvi

ew/

CESSDA member catalogues http://www.cessda.org

ICPSR – http://www.icpsr.umich.edu

ICPSR

Accessing data

ISSDA Large scale datasets currently shipped on CD-ROM Some data available online via Nesstar http://nesstar.ucd.ie/webview– requires

password Documentation available in Acrobat format via the web http://www.issda.ie

ICPSR go to http://www.icpsr.umich.edu from a campus PC to set up an account and

download data

ESS Go to http://nesstar.ess.nsd.uib.no/webview/ - requires registration

EB/EVS/ISSP Go to http://zacat.gesis.org/webview/ - requires registration

Selection of MA projects (i)

Charitable giving/ volunteering in Ireland

Child poverty in Ireland

Social structures vs. individual attitudes and how they affect labour market outcomes of Irish women

Analysis of the status and situation of the Irish Language

Dietary Habits, Physical Activity Participation levels and body mass index measurements among leaving cert students.

Selection of MA projects (ii)

Carbon tax policies as a method of reducing energy usage for Transport

Analysing differentials of immigrants in Ireland and across other EU countries

Effects of declining enrolment on secondary schools

Ethnicity and early school leaving

PhD requests (i)

Profile of mental health and well being in young people

‘Middling’ migration in a globalising city: a study of Polish migrants in Dublin

Analysis on the well-being of children and the factors affecting well-being at school

Language change in Co. Donegal

PhD requests(ii)

An analysis of the evolution of the black economy in Ireland over the last 20 years, using consumer demands approaches

Examination of income equalities in the utilisation of preventive screening services under the broad umbrella of preventive health behaviour

Higher education participation in the Republic of Ireland

Analysis of low-income households

Qualitative research

Irish Qualitative Data Archive, NUIM http://www.iqda.ie