Evaluating Resources: CRAAP Test
Go beyond evaluating the webiste URL ending by using this checklist of criteria.
Endings Can Indicate Reliability
Sometimes, you can judge how reliable website information is by noting the URL ending.
.GOV - refers to a government website. Highly reliable.
.EDU - often refers to a reliable educational website.
.ORG - implies a non-profit ORGanization. Approach with skepticism.
.COM - stands for "Commerce" and is used for business. Approach with skepticism.
For Finding Data/Statistics
- General Social Survey
"The GSS is widely regarded as the single best source of data on societal trends. The 1972-2012 GSS has 5,545 variables, time-trends for 2,072 variables, and 268 trends having 20+ data points". You will use SPSS for this. Remember to look at different years! - Bureau of Justice Statistics
"To collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government." From the top menu bar you can search via "Data Collections" of which some have raw data and some DO NOT, or via the "Data Analysis Tools" > ""View Dynamic Tools" of which some have data and some DO NOT. - Census Bureau
Data Collected in: Population & Housing Census, Economic Census, Census of Governments, American Community Survey, Demographic & Economic Surveys. Search in various places for information here. You can try a keyword in the search box or the "Data Tools and Apps" from the top menu (particularly the CPS Table Creator). - Data.gov
Data.gov is a federal open government data site managed and hosted by the U.S. General Services Administration. It collects information on the total number of datasets and dataset collections. Data is separated into categories, some of which include, business, climate, consumers, education, health, ocean, and public safety, among others. - Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
"ICPSR maintains a data archive of more than 500,000 files of research in the social sciences. It hosts 16 specialized collections of data in education, aging, criminal justice, substance abuse, terrorism, and other fields." You need to create an account, but it is free. Remember to limit to "Public Use" and "SPSS" - National Center for Education Statistics
"The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations." links out to various data tools. - Pew Research Center
"Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research." Select the Project of your choice to view data. You may need to register, but it is free. - Uniform Crime Report
"The UCR Program collects statistics on violent crime (murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and property crime (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft)" From the FBI. * THIS RESOURCE HAS JUST CHANGED AS OF 11/6/20. Try the Downloads and Documentation section.
