Bodleian iSkills: Data sources for research - discovery, access & use

Modern researchers need to have an up-to-date understanding of working with research data. This relates equally to the material they create themselves and that obtained from other sources. Academic institutions, funding bodies and even publishers are now expecting competence in these issues. This workshop will provide a grounding in the different ways quantitative and qualitative data is being made available to benefit researchers. By the end of the session you will also have some insight into how your own future work could add to the process and become part of the research discourse.

The course aims to provide an overview of macro and micro data sources available at the University of Oxford, including national data archives, subscription services, business data, and offers some pointers for further searching.

Objectives:

  • Develop an overview of the landscape of data sources for health researchers, social scientists and most other researchers
  • Receive advice on how to obtain macro and micro data via specific sources
  • Review qualitative and quantitative data resources
  • Be introduced to additional data services such as the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), Eurostat, Researchfish and the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative’s online interactive databank and global Multidimensional Poverty Index
  • Explore specialist sources for business and economic data subscribed to by Oxford University
  • Consider the value of resources for informing research design and methodological innovation
  • Consider the importance of data management and cybersecurity