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Statistics & Data Sets: Home

The Role of Statistics

"The ideal role of statistics is to be an integral part of the investigative process, to advise, assess, and warn of remaining uncertainties."

-VALERIE MIKÉ

Mike, Valerie. "Statistics: History, Interpretation, and Application." Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics, edited by Carl Mitcham, 2005, pp. 1863-1869. Gale eBooks.

Data vs. Statistics

What are Data/Datasets?

A dataset (or ‘data set’) is a collection of raw statistics and information generated by a research study. Datasets produced by government agencies or non-profit organizations are usually available free of charge. However, datasets developed by for-profit companies may be available for a fee.

What are Statistics?

The science of collecting, displaying, and analysing data.

 Upton, G., & Cook, I. (2014). Statistics. In A Dictionary of Statistics. : Oxford University Press. 

 

Best Bet

Getting help

Statistical data is not always easy to find since there is no single source for this type of information. Statistics may come from a variety of sources.
When searching, keep in mind that the precise information you need may not exist; the data may never have been collected. In other cases, data might be proprietary and held privately; not all data is available to the public. Be flexible and contact a librarian for help.