Defining our Terms
Statistics: "The practice or science of collecting and analysing numerical data in large quantities, especially for the purpose of inferring proportions in a whole from those in a representative sample."
Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.)
- Data: "For social science, data is generally numeric files originating from social research methodologies or administrative records, from which statistics are produced."
- ICPSR Glossary of Social Science Terms
- In practice, it can be difficult to separate statistics and data. Some resources provide easy-to-use interfaces which are built on top of a collection of datasets. These interfaces allow a user to extract and use desired statistics without having to perform data analysis.
- Although this Guide focuses on statistics, selected data sources appear throughout since they yield statistics.
Selected Multidisciplinary Resources
- Statista This link opens in a new windowBrings together data and graphs on every imaginable topic from business to government, surveys, sports, and scientific topics. Charts and data exports available.
- Statistical Abstract of the U.S. (ProQuest) This link opens in a new windowUnited States statistical handbook, published annually. Available 2013 to the present. For earlier dates, see Bureau of the Census (free site)
- Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new windowA classic 2-volume reference work containing statistics about the United States has been updated and is now available online from Cambridge.
- Boston Indicators Project (Boston Foundation)Topic areas include: health, energy, housing, the environment, public safety, the economy, transportation, technology, civil vitality, education, and culture and the arts.
- Center on Budget and Policy PrioritiesFounded in 1981 to analyze federal budget priorities, with an emphasis on the impact of various budget choices on low-income Americans.Multimedia and research reports on climate change, social security, health, state budget and tax.
- Data.govPortal for U.S. government data.
- Data USAData visualization for a wide range of public data with emphasis on employment end education across industries and geographies. Rich in demographic info, breaking down by state, county and city.
- Social Progress IndexMeasures of national progress--how does the US "measure up" to other countries in the world in terms of meeting basic human needs, wellbeing and opportunity?