Finding Data Tutorial & Notebook
Welcome to Kennedy Library! The Finding Data Tutorial & Notebook will help you get started with finding data on your topic. Before you begin this worksheet, please complete the Finding Data Tutorial: http://bit.ly/lib-findingdata.

You will receive a copy of your submission with your email address below. Please click "submit" at the end to ensure that you record your work.

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Email *
Name: *
Name of your English/COMS Professor *
1. Your Research Topic
Topic: I am researching... *
For my specific research question I want to find out what/why/how... *
2. Explore Background Information on Your Topic
When beginning a search for datasets, it helps to develop a background understanding of the topic. Here are  a few guiding questions to help understand your topic, and what data may exist:

- How is the topic reported in the news?
- Who even collects and publishes data on this topic?
- What kinds of existing visualizations are already out there?

A natural starting point for these questions is a general web search. Looking for results like credible news publications, reputable organizations, and government reports are good initial resources.

3. Identify Useful Search Terms
Keywords are the words and phrases we use to describe and search for the main concepts, ideas, people, events, and issues we are researching. Identifying the keywords that accurately describe your topic is a critical step for finding information. In addition to defining your topic keywords, the added terms below may help in surfacing data.

[topic] statistics
[topic] data
[topic] datasets

Pro Tip: When seeking data, an important keyword specific to data, are the units of measure. For example,
For datasets on the noise level of outdoor concerts, the unit of measure for sound is; dB Decibels.

When used in your search, results will highlight instances of data reported with that unit of measure.

What are the keywords (search terms) of your topic: *
4. Apply Data Search Strategies
This is the stage in the research process where you start digging into your topic. The Finding Data Tutorial introduced several search strategies when looking for data, such as using a General Web Search, Data in the News Sources, Library Databases, Secondary Data Portals, Government Data Sources, and Research Data Portals. Consult the Data Sources list for links to recommended data sites: https://guides.lib.calpoly.edu/intro-to-data-viz/data-sources


Best Sources Found
In the prompts below, provide links to an article or resource that looks promising for your research.
Note: not all of these may be findable for your topic. Don't stress! Try to include at least 3 of the 4, if possible.
Data in the News (include a link)
Existing Visual (include a link)
Peer-Reviewed Publication (include a link)
Summary or Full Published Dataset (include a link)
5. In a few sentences, write a little about the resources you've found and how you intend to use these in your work.
Remember, you will need to cite your data and visualizations!
6. Reflection
Reflect on your research progress so far.
Overall, are you happy with the sources you’ve found so far? Why or why not? *
Did you run into any trouble? What was challenging? *
Thank you!
We'll see you at the Data Visualization Workshop. Bring your questions!

To setup a time to meet with Peer Assistants, or the Library Data & GIS Specialist, to help search for data on your topic:
http://guides.lib.calpoly.edu/DPL

For additional help and resources, visit the Introduction to Data Visualization LibGuide:
https://guides.lib.calpoly.edu/intro-to-data-viz
A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
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