A test or measure is any tool used in a research study to collect data from a sample population, such as a survey questions, interview questions, or checklists. If you're not sure what kind of methodology you should use or how to analyze your results, check out some of the tools in one of our library databases, SAGE Research Methods.
When would I need to find tests and measures? If you're working on a capstone project, you may be asked to propose or actually conduct a research study. You can create your own measures, but using an existing measure like the "College Student Stress Scale" can help you understand a well-designed study, and contribute to/replicate another researcher's findings.
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Datasets are the raw pieces of information that are collected through surveys and other research tools and analyzed through statistics like "55% of state prisoners were serving sentences for violent offenses at year-end 2016" (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoners in 2017). Researchers publish statistics from individual studies in academic journal articles, but comprehensive statistics are also collected by non-profit research groups and government agencies at the local, state, national, and international level and published on the web for the public.
When would I need to find statistics and datasets? If you're working on a research project about a community or social issue, you might use statistics collected by nonprofit or government researcher to describe your population/problem and show why its important.
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