Database Research
Database research
Database research can be a great addition to any research toolkit. At a fundamental level, a database research project includes, accessing large datasets that were generated by someone else, searching it for something interesting, conducting an analysis, and writing up the results for publication. There are of course pros and cons of database research.
Pros:
- Existing data eliminates expensive and time-consuming data collection, the worry of low response rates, and low statistical power.
- Typically, there is no need for complicated IRB applications.
- Database research studies are not as time sensitive as other studies where you may need to collect data over an extended period of time.
- Generally, database research can be conducted in a shorter timeframe than other studies.
Cons:
- Publicly available datasets can be large and intimidating to download, process, and analyze.
- The database may require specialized, or even custom computer programs.
- The database developer’s documentation of what data was collected, and how it was collected, can be massive, complicated, and sometimes incomplete.
The value of developing skills to conduct database research is significant. You can use the practice of database research to further build your own knowledge of material that is of value to you as a professional. In addition, the reduced timeframe and flexibility of database research can advance your research productivity.
Note: As augments to the content on this page, you can view other content and videos that are available on my site. On the Exploring Statistics page, there is a video on the basics of SPSS. This is an introductory video that will teach you to import data into SPSS, understand the variables within SPSS, and execute basic computations such as descriptives, as well as correlation, linear regression, and two variable analyses. On the Conducting Research page, you can view a presentation on writing quality research questions, as well as a video on getting started in research.
Exploring Databases for Database Research
The following videos provide brief overviews of various databases. By the end of each video, you should be able to access the data, export the data to an external program (e.g., Excel, SPSS, SATA, etc.), and begin exploring the data to generate a research question.
Database Research Using Data From the National Center for health Statistics(NCHS)
An eight minute video that provides an overview of accessing and exporting data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
Database Research Using Wharton Research Data Services(WRDS)
An 11 minute video that provides an overview of accessing and exporting data from the Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) website.
Database Research Using Pew Research Center Data
An eight minute video that provides an overview of accessing and exporting data from the Pew Research Center website.
database research using the national cancer institute (NCI) Seer program
A brief 10-minute overview of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It is a source of information on cancer incidence and survival in the United States.
DATABASE RESEARCH USING THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE (NCI) SEER PROGRAM
A more in-depth (120 minute) video presented by the NCI, on the SEER Program and SEER*Stat (Note: topics presented at the following timepoints: SEER Introduction from minute 1 to minute 15, Sample study from minute 15 to minute 20, SEER*Stat introduction from minute 20 to minute 49, SEER*Stat demonstration from minute 50 to end of presentation).
Popular Databases
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) covers a vast amount of American health data – categorized by subject.
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.
The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES)
The National Trauma Data Bank® (NTDB®) is the largest aggregation of U.S. trauma registry data ever assembled.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) - Highly Recommended!
The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS)
The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database
The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) Database
The HCUP family of administrative longitudinal databases contains encounter-level information on inpatient stays, emergency department visits, and ambulatory surgery in U.S. hospitals.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the United States Department of Transporation, is a government office that compiles, analyzes, and publishes information on the nation's transportation systems.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides a wealth of information relating to measures and data relating to the U.S. tax system.
A link to a search function to find databases.