There are many resources available for understanding and using government (and general) data, and it can be hard to know where to start. Here are a few options for broadening and deepening your data knowledge:
Data Quality Literacy website: project website for grant-funded effort by academic librarians (including from Stanford) to increase understanding of data quality issues, and Knowledge Briefs provide an introduction to key topics like data documentation, federal statistics, and international data; helpful bibliography within Other Resources section.