This week
was all about finding non-traditional information (in an academic sense,
anyway). Initially, I had these next three entries grouped into one large post
containing a numerical search, and image search, and a video clip search. For
ease-of-reading and grading purposes, I have instead decided to break these up
into different entries. This one relates to the searching of statistical or
numerical databases.
My initial intention was focused on finding a statistic about the number of people on social security disability in the United States. Librarians are always required to demonstrate a need for their programs and services; what better way to achieve this than with hard-hitting statistics?
My initial intention was focused on finding a statistic about the number of people on social security disability in the United States. Librarians are always required to demonstrate a need for their programs and services; what better way to achieve this than with hard-hitting statistics?
I decided
that searching the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) website might be a great start for the kind of
information I was seeking. I chose to do a searching using the phrase
"number of people on disability" in the quick-search box.
This retrieved a large number of results: 3,220, to be exact. The seventh result (not pictured above) was found to be the closest to what I had been looking for. Unfortunately, it seems that the data here is quite old (2009 being the latest) and that these data tables are no longer being produced:
Because I had received so many hits on the last search, I decided to try BLS's "A to Z Index" feature at the top of the page. Under "D" I found the "Disability Statistics" topic.
I also decided to give another popular statistical website, Pew Research, a try. Pew is known for their social science statistics in everything from the number of voters in the U.S. to how people feel about societal issues. After not finding anything about the subject of people with disabilities on the "Topics" page, I decided to search using the phrase "people with disabilities in US" using the quick search bar. The site did not feature a listing of how many results my search retrieved (a little annoying, if you ask me), but I figure that with about 10 results per page and 9 pages of results, it would be somewhere around 85-90 results.
Interestingly, though I was initially looking for a broader topic not knowing what to expect, many of the results I retrieved were relevant to the specific focus of this blog (technology and individuals with disabilities and their barriers to obtaining information). There were several results I liked that would be very useful if I ever wanted to develop a technology program and needed to justify a need or produce a request for funding. However, the first result was probably the most interesting out of the first few pages. It provided a general overview of the difficulties that individuals with disabilities face and connected that to statistics of these individuals having access to technology.
What did I learn this week?
Content:
I learned a lot of interesting statistics this week, but for the sake of not having an enormously long entry, I have decided to break it down to only the most interesting or applicable ones that I managed to find.
Content:
I learned a lot of interesting statistics this week, but for the sake of not having an enormously long entry, I have decided to break it down to only the most interesting or applicable ones that I managed to find.
- In December 2009, 21,228 people with
disabilities were reported as not being within the labor force. This translates
to a 13.8% unemployment rate within this population compared to a 9.5%
unemployment rate within the population that does not report having a
disability (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- 27% of people in America are living with a
disability that impairs daily life (Fox 2011).
- 2% of Americans say these disabilities make it
hard to use the internet/computer (Fox 2011).
- 54% of people with disabilities report using
the internet, compared to 81% of people without disabilities
- 39% of people without broadband internet
access have a disability (Fox 2011).
- 34% of people report a lack of internet access
being a major disadvantage to getting health information (Fox 2011).
(Author’s note: I wonder
how this would translate to other types of information as well!)
Searching:
Searching:
Searching-wise, there honestly much to my searches this week. Both websites were fairly limited about the limiters they would allow and from what I could tell neither website employed "advanced search" options of any kind. Truncation using an asterisk (*) appeared to work, but none of the other search codes I had learned did (NEAR/n, w/p, etc.). Searching this week was very simple and basic. I suppose that I did learn that some websites have topic limiters. Both BLS and Pew had these features, though they were fairly well hidden in tiny text across the top of the page. Perhaps when I am searching other databases in the future, I should keep an eye out for a "Topics" page... it could make my searching experience faster and more lucrative!
Reflections:
Would I use BLS or Pew Research again?
Yes, I could see myself using both sites, particularly with students who needed statistics for research papers. Searching was fairly streamlined. I like that both sites featured a "topics" section to make limiting a bit easier. I favor Pew over BLS because the researchers attempt to explain things in very easy-to-understand terms, while BLS simply presents the data as-is. I would prefer both sites to present their data visually, but they only appear to do this on an irregular basis. For economic facts, I much prefer World Bank because it represents a large majority of its data visually. As I did not feel that this website/database would apply to my topic this week, I did not include it, but it is also a great place to search if you have students in need of country comparison or economic research!
Ideas for future searches
I wonder how many of the individuals who are disabled that were listed in the statistics as currently unemployed would like to get back into the work force? I remember working in reference and doing a heavy amount of career and resume assistance. I wonder if this is perhaps a sector that librarians are not serving? Is there something that we can do as librarians to better customize our programs or services to meet the needs of people with disabilities who are looking for information about transitioning back in to the workforce? How do the career information needs for people with disabilities differ from those without? These are interesting topics I would enjoy exploring in future searches!
What have your experiences been with searching numerical or statistical databases? Are there any tips or tricks I have missed? I would love to hear any input you have!
- Crystal
References:
Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2009. "Employment Status and Disability Status, December 2009." Accessed Nov. 1. 2014. http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability_122009.htm.
Fox, Suzanne. 2011. "Americans Living with Disability and Their Technology Profile. Pew Research Internet Project. Last modified Jan. 21. Accessed Nov. 1, 2014. http://www.pewinternet.org/2011/01/21/americans-living-with-disability-and-their-technology-profile/.
Yes, I could see myself using both sites, particularly with students who needed statistics for research papers. Searching was fairly streamlined. I like that both sites featured a "topics" section to make limiting a bit easier. I favor Pew over BLS because the researchers attempt to explain things in very easy-to-understand terms, while BLS simply presents the data as-is. I would prefer both sites to present their data visually, but they only appear to do this on an irregular basis. For economic facts, I much prefer World Bank because it represents a large majority of its data visually. As I did not feel that this website/database would apply to my topic this week, I did not include it, but it is also a great place to search if you have students in need of country comparison or economic research!
Ideas for future searches
I wonder how many of the individuals who are disabled that were listed in the statistics as currently unemployed would like to get back into the work force? I remember working in reference and doing a heavy amount of career and resume assistance. I wonder if this is perhaps a sector that librarians are not serving? Is there something that we can do as librarians to better customize our programs or services to meet the needs of people with disabilities who are looking for information about transitioning back in to the workforce? How do the career information needs for people with disabilities differ from those without? These are interesting topics I would enjoy exploring in future searches!
What have your experiences been with searching numerical or statistical databases? Are there any tips or tricks I have missed? I would love to hear any input you have!
- Crystal
References:
Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2009. "Employment Status and Disability Status, December 2009." Accessed Nov. 1. 2014. http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability_122009.htm.
Fox, Suzanne. 2011. "Americans Living with Disability and Their Technology Profile. Pew Research Internet Project. Last modified Jan. 21. Accessed Nov. 1, 2014. http://www.pewinternet.org/2011/01/21/americans-living-with-disability-and-their-technology-profile/.
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