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Sociology

Resources for sociology courses and research in the Public Service and Community Studies department.

What is data?

Data is "information in digital form that can be transmitted or processed" ("data, noun, often attributive." Merriam Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data. Accessed October 10, 2022.).

Data is a core building block of our digital information systems. It is also increasingly a commodity. It's important to think about how and why data you are using was collected, or how and why you are collecting data yourself. Below is a resource about how to think consciously and ethically about data collection.

Data Resources

Below is a curated list of data resources to get you started. Aren't finding what you are looking for? Make an appointment with a librarian, and we will work together to find data for your project.