Data Planet is a web-based teaching and learning application that provides fast and easy access to data from licensed and public domain datasets within an easy-to-use interface. With this dynamic tool, you can scan the contents of the collection, select subjects and variables of interest, and view your data in side-by-side tables and charts.
The Data Planet repository contains more than 65 billion datasets sourced from 90+ source organizations. There are billions of charts, maps, views, rankings, time series and tables available for use in the Data Planet repository. All of the data have been standardized and structured, and are described with up to 37 fields of metadata, including a controlled vocabulary.
Statistical Datasets has a basic module and several premium datasets. Click here for a listing of datasets and sources available in the repository.
The premium datasets are:
In Data Planet, the many indicators on the topic of criminal justice can be viewed as stand-alone trends, charts, or maps. For example, the chart below shows the trend over time of arrests for forgery and counterfeiting in New York:
Note the option for Table in the center tool bar. Also see the option to Create DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Link below the chart. The DOI ensures that you are able to return to an exact view of the chart with the same data as when you created it. After you provoke the link, view the result—at the top of the page you land on, you'll see an option to Go to Dataset, which will bring you back into Data Planet and subsequently allow you to see updated data for that particular dataset (if any).
Create a ranking of states by arrests of juveniles for arson, as in the chart below by clicking on the Rank button in the tool bar immediately above the chart. Use Ranking Chart Options to select the number of states to display, colors, etc.
In Data Planet, you can compare statistics within and across datasets. For example, in the chart below, the trend in confirmed crime rates for robberies across time is compared against the unemployment rate.
To select multiple indicators, hold down the control (Ctrl) key when clicking on the second (or third) item on the indicator tree. Try it yourself with other indicators, such as unemployment rates, median household income, etc., and more. Keep in mind that the graphs you create do not necessarily imply causality: the results may suggest a potential relationship between the variables you select, which may be an interesting line of inquiry for your own research.
Click here for more information on using Data Planet. In that guide, you'll find a video tutorial, and tips and tricks for using the Data Planet search and browse functions.