Data Overview

What is primary data? What is secondary data?

In research, Primary data are the original data derived from your research endeavors. Secondary data are data derived from your primary data. Often, the distinction between primary and secondary data may be less than clear (Source) The Internet makes secondary research significantly easier for researchers today. Many government agencies and educational institutions, for instance, make their data available online so researchers can easily download information for their use. (Source)

Most of the data referenced in this resource is secondary data (most often from government agencies). This data should come with a data guide or citation of the original data or methodology of the creation of said data.

Notes on working with government data:

Data from government agencies may be limited or only available for a larger geographic area in some areas to insure anonymity of those surveyed. This will most likely be disclosed in the data methodology/practices/documentation.

Data Usage

Datasets may have requirements such as:

• A specific crediting phrase which must be included
• Limited use (not commercial)
• Other usage restrictions

When in doubt:

• Keep track of every data source you might use (even if you do not end up using it)
• URLs
• Names
• Parameters
• Anything else that may be useful

Include this in grant proposals:

Credit the data source in one or all of the above:

• Bibliography
• Report of Findings
• URL
• Other means (potentially included in the literature accompanying the data)

When working with data make sure you read the accompanying documentation and are using it for permitted use cases.

Data Formats

There are many data types and file formats. Some formats are not compatible with all softwares. When working with your data be aware of the software to which you have access to and the file formats that are compatible with them. File size limitations may also be a problem.  The documentation for the software you are using (Excel, Google Sheets, Canva, ArcGIS, etc.) will most likely contain this information. (Source)

Citing Data

• IN PRACTICE (Source): A data citation should include, at the very least, the following elements:
• Author(s): the creator(s) of the dataset, in priority order. May be an institution or person(s).
• If extant, the creator should include a “nameIdentifier,” such as an Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) or International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI)
• Publication/Release date: Whichever is the later of: the date the dataset was made available, the date all quality assurance procedures were completed, and the date the embargo period (if applicable) expired.
• Title: the formal title of the data set
• Version: the precise version of the data used. Careful version tracking is critical to accurate citation.
• Publisher/Archive/Distributor: the organization distributing or hosting the data, ideally over the long term
• Identifier: a unique string that identifies the resource; should be a persistent scheme such as a DOI (10.1234/8675309), handle, or ARK (www.example.org/ark:/12345/lucky777). 
• Access Date: because data can be dynamic and changeable in ways that are not always reflected in release dates and versions, it is important to indicate when on-line data were accessed.
• For more information
• Library of Congress Citing Datasets 

Some Useful Data Sources

• • Environmental hazards
    • FDEP Map Direct Tool
      • Create and share your own maps from thousands of available data layers provided by dozens of agencies including DEP.
    • EnviroAtlas Map
      • This easy to use, interactive mapping application does not require any GIS skills to use and provides ready access to 500+ maps and multiple analysis tools.
  • Health Implications
    • data.cdc.gov
      • Publicly Available CDC Datasets
  • EPA EJSCREEN
    • EPA EJScreen
      • EJScreen is an EPA’s environmental justice mapping and screening tool that provides EPA with a nationally consistent dataset and approach for combining environmental and demographic socioeconomic indicators. EJScreen users choose a geographic area; the tool then provides demographic socioeconomic and environmental information for that area.
  • ACS Current Data
    • ACS Info
      • data.census.gov
  • Medically Underserved Status
    • data.HRSA.gov Tool
    • HRSA Medically Underserved Areas Address Search
    • UDS Medically Underserved Area/Populations (MUA/PS) Layer
  • Contamination and Mining Proximity
    • FDEP Contamination Locator Map
    • FDEP OCULUS System
      • OCULUS is a powerful web-based application that enables your organization to easily manage documents from multiple sources. With OCULUS, you can:
        • organize your documents so that others can easily locate and use them
        • index and search digitized documents, providing instantaneous access to your records
        • scan and digitally store volumes of material, eliminating the filing process and storage costs associated with paper media
        • integrate desktop applications such as Microsoft Office and Corel Perfect Office
        • add a document to workflow and automatically route using defined organizational business processes
        • remotely and securely access stored documents from any internet connected PC
        • track document revisions
        • monitor the audit trail of a document
    • EPA EJScreen
    • FDEP Automated Data Processing Tool (ADaPT)
      • ADaPT is a Microsoft Access application used by the Division of Waste Management (DWM) to evaluate analytical chemistry data from water, soil and air samples. It checks for the completeness of data using method specific Quality Control (QC) elements specified in the DWM library, and then further evaluates the data.
    • FDEP Geospatial Open Data
  • Designated Rural or Urban Status
    • USDA Economic Research Service Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes
    • HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) Data Files
      • When should I use these files?
        • The “Non-Metro Counties (Micropolitan and non-core based counties) and Eligible Census Tracts in Metropolitan Counties” Excel file is the same data that is used for the Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer.
        • Use the ZIP code files when
          • You don’t know local addresses
          • ZIP codes are the only available geographic unit
    • HPSA Find
      • Find data on the geographic, population, and facility HPSA designations throughout the United States.
      • Use this tool to:
        • Search HPSAs by location or HPSA ID
        • Filter HPSAs by discipline, status, type, score, and rural status
    • U.S. Census Urban and Rural Data
      • The Census Bureau’s urban-rural classification is a delineation of geographic areas, identifying both individual urban areas and the rural area of the nation. The Census Bureau’s urban areas represent densely developed territory, and encompass residential, commercial, and other non-residential urban land uses. The Census Bureau delineates urban areas after each decennial census by applying specified criteria to decennial census and other data. Rural encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area.
    • Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer
      • Health care providers who are located in geographic areas that are defined as Rural are eligible to apply for Rural Health Grants. Enter an address or choose a state and county to check for eligibility status.
      • List PDF available at the bottom of this page
  • State of Florida Health Data by Census Tract or Zip Code
    • FDOH Department of Health Data and Statistics
      • The Department of Health provides access to a variety of data and statistics that help us actively monitor the health of Florida’s popluation and look at trends over time. A variety of public health statistics are available through online systems.
    • FDOH Florida Charts Mapper
      • FLHealthCHARTS Community Map
        • FLHealthCHARTS Community Map data is provided by the Florida Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics and the 2015 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables B02001, B03002, S0101, S1501, S1701, S1903, S2301, S2506, S2701)

Data Analysis

Data analysis as a discipline has a variety of applications, fields, and components. In a generalized definition, Data analysis involves taking primary or secondary data and analyzing the data for trends, reporting, or exploratory purposes. You can analyze data in a variety of formats using a wide array of softwares and methodologies. 

Below are some tutorials, as well as a general workflow for working with secondary data.

Developed by Heron Bridge Education and Miami Climate Alliance for Dream.org

Page last updated: 9.15.2023

Image Citations

sOER Frank, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Developed by Heron Bridge Education and Miami Climate Alliance for Dream.org

Page last updated: 9.21.2023

Created with generous support from Dream.org