Federal agencies conduct large, national studies that provide abundant data easily accessible to researchers. While these datasets provide access to rich data for analyzing a multitude of topics, certain skills are necessary for appropriate use. Specifically, over sampling and multistage cluster sampling must be accommodated in the analyses to ensure the estimates are accurate. The purpose of this study is to examine recent research that uses national datasets to determine the extent to which researchers use the weight and design effect compensation and to highlight best practices in reporting analyses using large-scale data. Research articles using large-scale datasets from five years of "Research in Higher Education," "Journal of Higher Education," and "Review of Higher Education" were reviewed to determine the data's appropriate use by reviewing the use of weights and design effects. These journals were selected because these are official journals of relevant professional organizations and/or are considered to be leading scholarly journals on topics related to higher education. Best practices in using national datasets for authors and journal editors are discussed. (Contains 1 endnote.)