Research and Course Guides: *Datasets & Statistics Guide: Getting Started

Welcome

Statistical data can inform many kinds of research projects. This guide can give you some pointers on how to tackle what can be a complex search.

Don't hesitate to ask a librarian for help!

Questions to Ask in Your Search for Data & Statistics

Data Considerations worksheet

There are many things to consider as you seek data or statistical information: frequency, geography, topical area, etc. Download the linked worksheet for some guidance.

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Primary Statistics Portals

These resources are often useful places to consult in your search for statistics. Use the tabs above to help isolate the type of data you're seeking.

Statista
Statista contains frequently sought statistics and studies gathered by government sources, scientific publications, market researchers, non-profits, trade organizations, etc. Indicator stats are usually displayed as a chart and the underlying data is downloadable in Excel; charts can be downloaded in multiple formats or embedded in web pages and can be great in papers or presentations. Search results also display dossiers (topical collections of statistics), infographics, country/industry/company reports, market reports, and a global consumer survey. Results also available in French, German, and Spanish.
Statistical Abstract of the United States
The national data book online. Frequently the best place to start if you don't know what data exist on a topic. The authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Find statistical indicators and use as a guide to sources of more information both in print and online.
Data-Planet Statistical Datasets
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Data-Planet allows users to retrieve statistics & data, and create tables, charts, & maps from a variety of sources. Holdings for the United States are significant, with some data available at state, county, or local geographies, including daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual time series varying by metric. International data are at the country level, and include the enhanced China Data Center. Data are organized by subject and source; users can browse by folders or keyword search.

Subject categories include: Banking, Finance, and Insurance; Criminal Justice and Law; Education; Energy Resources and Demand; Food and Agriculture; Government and Politics; Health and Vital Statistics; Housing and Construction; Industry and Commerce; International; Labor and Employment; Natural Resources and Environment; Population and Income; Prices and Cost of Living; Stocks and Commodities; Transportation and Travel. Java must be enabled to use this database.
SimplyAnalytics
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Use SimplyAnalytics (formerly SimplyMap) to create thematic maps, datasets, and reports using thousands of demographic, business, and marketing data variables for the U.S. Use it when you need demographic and marketing data for a specific geographic area in the U.S. such as a city, county, census tract, or ZIP code. Create a free personal account with your UST email to save your work (check your email spam if you don't receive an activation email) or sign in as a guest. Limited to 5 simultaneous users.
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
ICPSR is the world's largest archive of social science data sets; includes data for criminal justice, demography, economics, education, foreign policy, gerontology, history, law, political science, public health, and sociology. Also hosts extensive learning modules on statistical analysis for use in courses. Register for a (free, required) MyData account using your St. Thomas email address (and independent password) to download data sets. If you have any problems accessing the data, contact our campus representative for ICPSR, John Heintz (jpheintz@stthomas.edu).

To create a MyData account:
Hit the Log In button at upper right, then follow the New User>Create Account instructions. When prompted, we encourage you to select the option to allow your campus Official Representative (OR) to view your name and email address--this can help us assist you with troubleshooting and in analyzing our usage.

Email Account Validation:
Typically, ICPSR will automatically recognize your institution and validate your account. If you're trying to download data and receive an unexpected alert that you're not from a member institution, even though you are, your account may need to be validated. We can update this manually.
To request a validation, send an email to icpsr-help@umich.edu. Include your name, your institutional email address, and the name of your institution.
Cross National Time Series (CNTS) Data Archive
CNTS contains annual time series data on 196 political, economic, and business variables from 1815 to the present for over 200 countries. Also includes domestic conflict event data on terrorism and guerrilla warfare, assassinations, revolutions, etc., with links to web articles describing the events. Download the entire dataset in Excel, with separate files for the event links and data documentation.

CNTSDATA.xlsx is the main dataset file. The Events Data LINKS files are separate by year. Be sure to consult the User Manual and the Codebook for data definitions and usage tips.
Historical Statistics of the United States
The standard source for the quantitative facts of American history including statistics. Topics covered include: population, work and welfare, economics, international relations and governance.
International Historical Statistics
IHS contains a vast array of statistical data for the countries of the world from 1750-2010.Data series include population, economic, infrastructure, media, education, etc. Frequency and coverage of data vary by series and country. View or download in PDF or MS Excel formats.

Data.Census.Gov
Data.Census.Gov is the primary way to access U.S. Census Bureau data, including data from the American Community Survey, Population Estimates, Economic Census, and Annual Economic Surveys. Users can generate simple visualizations, extract reports, and explore census data by theme or topic.
Census Survey Explorer
Discover U.S. Census Bureau surveys or censuses by filtering and searching by geography, frequency, topics, and subtopics. | Watch video on Census Survey Explorer.
FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
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FRED is a database of more than 55,000 economic time series maintained by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Covers banking, business/fiscal, consumer prices, employment, population, exchange rates, gross domestic product (GDP), interest rates, money supply, producer price indexes (PPI), U.S. trade and international transactions, and U.S. financial data. Compiled by the Federal Reserve and collected from federal economic agencies.
IPUMS: Integrated Public Use Microdata Series
Census and survey microdata from U.S. and international sources, integrated across time and space. Covers demographic, economic, social, health, and education issues. University of Minnesota.
CIA World Factbook
The U.S. government's complete geographical handbook, featuring 268 full-color maps and flags of all nations and geographical entities. Each country profile tracks such demographics as population, ethnicity and literacy rates, as well as political, geographical and economic data. Free web site.
Data.gov
Portal for U.S. Government's open data. Find federal, state, and local data, tools, and resources to conduct research, build apps, design data visualizations, and more.
Google Dataset Search
Find datasets stored across thousands of repositories on the Web.
Data is Plural
Weekly newsletter and a Google Sheets archive of datasets.
Our World in Data
A site designed to collect and present data on societal issues from authoritative sources in understandable terms.
USAFacts
USAFacts provides a data-driven portrait of the American population, US governments’ finances, and governments’ impact on society, using repackaged government data.
Statistical Abstracts of the United States (Archives)
This Census Bureau site contains the archived back issues of the Statistical Abstracts of the United States.