Research Data Lifecycle

Plan: Identify the data that will be collected or used to answer your research question.

Collect:This is the stage at which experiments are carried out, observations made, surveys undertaken, secondary materials acquired, etc.

Process: Clean data to eliminate noise, combine data from multiple sources, transform data from one state to another and use procedures to validate or quality-control data.

Analyze: At this stage, the raw materials of research are interrogated to produce the insights that constitute the research findings.

Preserve: Data will need to be prepared for preservation and archived in a suitable location such as a data repository.

Share: Publications based on data should include a data citation or a statement indicating where and on what terms the data can be accessed.

Re-use: Data that are available for discovery and access may be re-used by other researchers, either to substantiate the findings of the original research, or to generate new insights through further interrogation and analysis.

Content and image created by Robert Darby, Research Data Manager at the University of Reading

Types of Data

• Cross-Sectional describes data that are only collected once.
• Time Series study the same variable over time. The National Health Interview Survey is an example of time series data because the questions generally remain the same over time, but the individual respondents vary.
• Longitudinal Studies describe surveys that are conducted repeatedly, in which the same group of respondents are surveyed each time. This allows for examining changes over the life course.

Where to Find Existing Data

Existing data can be found through many sources, both online and in-print. This guide outlines a sample of relevant data sources available from Pitt licensed databases, local and government sources, and open repositories of data. For more links to datasets by subject or discipline, visit the research guide: Finding Data

Before beginning your research, you'll want to determine your data need and set out your search strategy. Below are some things to consider:

1. Think about who might collect the data. There are many entities that curate data including:

• Federal, state or local government agencies
• nonprofits or NGOs
• Commercial or industry groups
• Academic researchers

2. Look for resources where the dataset has been cited or mentioned. Does it appear in:

• Scholarly journals or newspaper articles
• Government reports
• Trade publications

3. Once you know that what you want exists, determine how best to access it. Some data resources provide access for free while others may charge for access or per download.

• Is the dataset freely available online? Tools like Google can help you find them.
• Does the library subscribe to a database that contains the data?
• Can it be requested directly from the researcher? Many datasets include principal investigator contact information.

4. Always investigate and think critically about the source of data. Some things to consider when choosing a data source include:

• Is the source considered reputable?
• Is there appropriate metadeta to determine methodology and how the data was collected? Was that data collected ethically?
•  Are there any restrictions on the reuse of that data?

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