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Nursing

Welcome to the Nursing Research Guide! Here you will find informational resources to support the Students, Faculty, and Staff of the School of Nursing and UCI Health.

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Types of health data

Health data are gathered from a number of different types of sources. The source, collection methodology, purpose of collection, and limitations should be considered when evaluating and using data and statistics. 

Population surveys

Population or household surveys are a main source of health data. One advantage is that they are not limited to users of health services as are some of the other types of sources listed below. See the box below for the most important household surveys in the United States. 

Surveys of providers

Surveys of physicians, hospitals and nursing homes can be an important source of information on medical transactions and patients.

Vital statistics

These are drawn from the records of births, deaths, marriages and divorces and can facilitate detailed analyses of particular conditions, given that cause of death and circumstances of birth are also recorded.

Registers of diseases

These show the incidence, prevalence and outcomes of diseases like cancer and HIV/AIDS.

Administrative records

Examples include those records compiled during a hospital stay or at outpatient clinics or physician’s offices.

 

Reference: Cornell Library

About Health Data

This page provides access to resources to help locate health related data. Health data can be difficult to locate, and here are some reasons for this:

  • Health data collection is decentralized, and carried out by many different government, non-governmental and private agencies and organizations.  This will include organizations working at the national, state and local levels.  Data quality, collection methodology and accessibility will vary considerably.
  • Data collection and dissemination takes time and resources.  There is often a lag time between collection and availability, and thus real-time data can be difficult to come by.
  • Collection of health data in the United States is a fairly recent phenomenon.  Thus, finding reliable data prior to 1956, when the National Health Survey was established, will take time and may involve consulting primary resources.  You can also search the scholarly literature to find any studies that may have already done this ground work for you.

Reference: Cornell Library

Databases provided by UC Irvine Libraries

Local/State Data

Federal government data sources

About the Census

Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. It operates many data collection, analysis, and dissemination programs, including the:

For a full list of topics covered, see the Census Bureau's A to Z List of Subjects.

Decennial Census of Population and Housing

When people talk about the U.S. Census or census data, they are commonly referring to the Decennial Census of Population & Housing. This program, which takes place every 10 years and is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, counts every resident in the United States using a mail questionnaire and follow-up phone and in-person survey techniques. The data collected are used to determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and to apportion federal funds. What questions were asked? See the Historical Index of Census Questions.

American Community Survey

Prior to Census 2010, detailed information about the U.S. population was collected using a "long form" sent to a 1-in-6 sample of households. This form was discontinued for Census 2010, so now we rely on the American Community Survey to provide the detailed information we used to get from the long form. The American Community Survey is an ongoing survey and data is released in 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year chunks.

Key Census Data Sites

For a more in-depth review of Census data, please see our Census research guide.