Data are published and distributed in many ways. Each web site will look different. Knowing some common elements to expect can make the experience less daunting.
Expect to need to use the documentation in order to make sense of the data and expect to have to look for and capture the metadata yourself along with the data files. This means multiple downloads and careful looking on your part.
Once you find a table or a dataset, you need to know what you are looking at. Look for contextual clues and documentation to fully identify what you have found.
Places to find information about the data:
Information to gather:
Capturing the data:
Questions? Contact reference@carleton.edu
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