ryan aall 2015 roadmap of empirical resources

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Developing a Roadmap of Useful Empirical Resources

AALL Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PAJuly 21, 2015

Sarah E. Ryan, MA, MLS, PhD, JD Candidate Empirical Research Librarian, Yale Law School Lecturer in Legal Research, Yale Law School African Studies Faculty Council, Yale UniversityLillian Goldman Law Library at Yale Law School

Stop to Ask DirectionsFollow the Roads Most TraveledTraverse Tiny LanesConclusionRoad in the Forest by Edward Francis Burney

Yale Digital Image Collection

Lillian Goldman Law Library at Yale Law School

Stop to Ask Directions



Grocery Store Roaster ChickenChicken + Stove TopLive Chicken

Secondary Statistical AnalysisStatisticsData*

Sarah E. Ryan, Data, Statistics, or Secondary Statistical Analysis 22 Perspectives 30 (2013).

What is the subject, thesis, hypothesis, argument?Who would have an incentive to collect (raw) data about this subject?Who would maintain ready-made statistics for this subject?Where would we find secondary statistical analysis of this subject?


Four Colors in Four Directions by Sol LeWitt


Follow the Roads Most Traveled


For almost any topic, consider starting with (U.S.) government sites


Dashiell Bennett, The U.S. Government Has Collected MoreData Than It Could Ever Possibly Read, The Atlantic Wire (May 10, 2012), at http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/05/us-government-has-collected-more-data-it-could-ever-possiblyread/52179/.The Royal Mail Coach on the Road by John Frederick Herring




Then, think about who advocates and pontificates on this subject

Conversation on a Country Road by Richard Westall




Finally, mine the methodology sections of published articles and take your findings to the streets (of Google, etc.)

Furniture Street by Saul Steinberg



On-topic article Methodology section

Data source listed Follow the trail

The National Post-Deployment Adjustment Survey

Traverse Tiny Lanes


Stand-alone university-sponsoreddata repositoriesCity and state data reporting and visualization sites

International development org.- and national statistics bureau sites

Conclusion


Ask: what is the subject, who would collect data, who would maintain statistics, where would we find secondary statistical analysis?Check: government sites first!Remember: productive one-off sites you have used in the past (or find new ones!)


Main Street Series by Edward Meneeley


Developing a Roadmap of Useful Empirical Resources

AALL Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PAJuly 21, 2015

Sarah E. Ryan, MA, MLS, PhD, JD Candidate Empirical Research Librarian, Yale Law School Lecturer in Legal Research, Yale Law School African Studies Faculty Council, Yale UniversityLillian Goldman Law Library at Yale Law School

ryan aall 2015 roadmap of empirical resources

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