When deciding to conduct research, you may find yourself choosing to explore data that has already been collected and is publicly available.  Below is a how-to guide on how to search and access public datasets using a topic example.  Although this guide uses HealthData.gov to demonstrate the process of searching for datasets, be advised that there are multiple databases to browse through. Make sure to view our other two posts (A Guide to Getting Started with Online Databases and Databases for Online Research) to get some ideas on other databases you can use to access public datasets.