Finding Humanities Data

Welcome! This LibGuide aims to highlight places to find and download free datasets, with a focus on data of interest to European Studies and humanities faculty and students. Please use the navigation bar on the left to explore the guide's content.

Broadly, humanities data is any information or materials that can be used to analyze aspects of human culture, language, history, society, and literature. Types of data include but are not limited to textual data, images, audio files, and historical records. 

Examples of Humanities Data: These include anything from oral histories, census records, GIS data, digital texts, and archives. Their relevance depends on the fields within the humanities. 

Types of Humanities Data: 

• Primary Data Sources: This includes materials directly created by people or organizations, such as manuscripts, letters, government records, and/or audiovisual materials.
• Secondary Data Sources: This includes data that analyzes or interprets primary sources, such as edited collections, digital libraries, and annotated works.
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative Data: Humanities data can be quantitative—such as demographic records, census data, or survey results—or qualitative, including textual works like literature, historical documents, and art. Quantitative data lends itself to statistical analysis, while qualitative data is often interpreted through close reading and critical analysis, providing nuanced insights into cultural and historical contexts.