Research Guides: Finding Data: Find Data

Before Starting...

Ask yourself questions about the type of data you are looking for.

Do I want time series data (data that is measured over time) or not?]
What is my research area? Do I need a specific geographic coverage?
Am I looking for data on a specific population?
What format of data do I need? A .csv? A geospatial file?

Once you have determined the type of data you need, consider where this data may be found - who might collect this data?

If you are looking for a data on a specific population, consider whether or not the government might collect this data.
If you are looking for geographical or historical data, consider what organization might also be interested in this information.

If you are interested in using somebody else's data set, make sure that you either have permission or that you are using a data set from an open access website.

Remember...

Raw data is unprocessed or unedited data.
Data is a set of values of either quantitative or qualitative variables. Once data has been collected, it is cleaned up for analysis.

30 Resources to Find the Data You Need

Data in Auraria Library Subscribed Databases

Sage Data This link opens in a new window
Supplies statistical data series created from more than 400,000 government and non-government datasets viewable in tables, charts, maps, and graphs. Covers a wide range of business, societal and scientific topics including agriculture, arts, crime, employment and labor, defense, economy, education, energy, environment, geography, government finances, health, households and housing, immigration, politics, population, religion, social services, and transportation. Formerly known as Data Planet.
ICPSR This link opens in a new window
The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) maintains and provides access to an archive of social science data for research and instruction, and offers training in quantitative methods to facilitate effective data use. Some data sets are available without subscription.
Note: You must register for a personal account from an on-campus computer (or a VPN connection) before you can download data.
Web of Science This link opens in a new window
Under the "Search in:" menu, select Data Citation Index. Includes data from a wide range of international data repositories.

Data About Colorado

Denver Open Data
Open data about all aspects of Denver including transportation, population, buildings, public works, etc.
Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Data Catalog
Spatial and tabular data that is crucial to planning and policy decisions for the Denver metro area.
Colorado Geologic Survey GIS data
Geoscience-focused data for Colorado
Colorado Information Marketplace (CIM)
Stats and facts issued by the State of Colorado. Includes data catalog.

Open Access

Open access refers to online research that is freely accessible to everyone. For finding data, check out any of these open access resources listed below:

ArcGIS Open Data
Open data can be found on ArcGIS Hub, an easy-to-configure cloud platform that organizes people, data, and tools
DataCite
Search hundreds of data repositories to find, access, and reuse data. Also provides persistent identifiers (DOIs) for research data.
Data.gov
Data.gov increases the ability of the public to easily find, download, and use datasets that are generated and held by the Federal Government.
Datahub
The Data Hub contains 2392 datasets that you can browse, learn about and download.
DataONE
Find data related to environmental sciences. Includes features such as data provenance, location search, data attribute and more.
Data Repository Directory
From Open Access Directory
Data USA
Purpose is to understand and visualize critical issues facing the United States such as jobs, skills, and education. Data and data visualizations cover a large variety of industries and topics.
Figshare
Digital repository where researchers can preserve and share their research including figures, datasets, images, and videos
Google Dataset Search
Find datasets stored across thousands of repositories online using Google's platform.
Population Reference Bureau
Population, health, and the environment data worldwide.

SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) This link opens in a new window
Contains data collections related to substance abuse and mental health. Population Data / NSDUH, Client Level Data / TEDS, Substance Abuse Facilities Data / NSSATS, Mental Health Facilities Data / NMHSS, and Emergency Department Data.

UNdata
Statistical information from member states on agriculture, crime, education, employment, energy, environment, health, HIV/AIDS, human development, industry, information and communication technology, national accounts, population, refugees, tourism, trade, as well as the Millennium Development Goals indicators.
World Bank Open Data
Data about development in countries around the globe by country, topic, indicator, and more.
Dissemination and Sharing of Research Results
From the National Science Foundation