http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/guides/spmaterials/
Learn how to distinguish between scholarly, popular, and trade articles. From the North Carolina University Libraries.
[insert links related to statistical literacy, questions to ask when reading statistics, how to understand & interpret data, etc.]
You might also consider using a non-partisan fact-checking site, such as SciCheck, which "focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy."
The UC-Santa Barbara Library has compiled a great list of free publicly accessible databases:
https://www.library.ucsb.edu/search-research/free-databases
For a research topic related to big data, the following databases would be most helpful:
Library Databases:
Many full text e-journals are available in our library databases.
For databases in your subject area, visit the Library's Research Guides and Articles & Databases menus.