Working with Data and Statistics
Check the library webpages for an introduction to
and Research Data Services Support and Tools
Library Research Guides for Social Science:
Statistics
- Child Info: Monitoring the Situation of Women and Children "contains UNICEF’s statistical information, including data used in UNICEF’s flagship publications, The State of the World’s Children and Progress for Children. Also here are technical resources for conducting UNICEF-supported Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), which are a major source of global development data."
- County Health Rankings will parse out the health of a community by a number of variables, such as Health Behaviors, Clinical Care, Physical Environment and Social & Economic Factors.
- ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research) is a non-profit membership-based data archive based at University of Michigan. ICPSR maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction.
- iPOLL Databank is a database of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research archives. As this subscription resource is licensed by Northeastern University, please register with your NU e-mail address.KidsCount Data Center is the place to get information about kids and families in your community, your state, and statistical state profiles
- Pew Research Center is a non-partisan "think tank" which research and compiles Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World. Check their Topics Index for their reports on demographics, immigration, internet, and public policy.
- Population Reference Bureau (PRB) "informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and future generations." Use the DataFinder to browse for data geographically and by topic.
- U.S. Census Bureau The home page for finding U.S. statistics. Includes information on the race, ethnic and age estimates, as well as Minority Links, especially useful for comparative statistical data.
- WHOSIS (World Health Organization Statistical Information System), is part of the Global Health Observatory.
Maps
Massachusetts Historical Society online maps include local towns and counties dating from 1637-1809 and iconic printed maps of Massachusetts and Boston.
For local maps, the Boston Planning and Development Agency webpage has maps and aerial photographs.
You may want to view the Myra Kraft Open Classroom presentations on Youtube
U.S. Census Bureau Maps and Cartographic Materials webpage provides a library of historical and thematic maps.
Worldmapper: The World as You've Never Seen It has maps showing areas of interest--not country boundaries. Looking for a map showing the distribution of wealth, income, food, housing?
Statistics: local to international
The Statista portal contains up-to-date statistics from around the world. Access with your Northeastern credentials.
Survey question data:
What type of major would you have chosen instead of the major you did?
More statistical sources
Local
- BARI (Boston Area Research Initiative (BARI)
- Boston Planning & Redevelopment Agency
- City of Boston Data Portal with links to the portals of other cities
- Imagine Boston 2030 Report with maps, survey results and data.
National
- U.S. Census Bureau The home page for finding U.S. statistics. Includes information on the race, ethnic and age estimates, as well as Minority Links, especially useful for comparative statistical data.
- Bureau of the Census Online Library provides open access to Statistical Abstracts Series, 1878-2012.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data & Statistics lists a variety of topics, such as aging, blood disorders, breast feeding, growth charts, life expectancy, and the workplace.
- Statistical Abstracts has the more recent information and requires MyNortheastern authentication.
International
- Eurostat contains statistics from the European Union
- Population Reference Bureau (PRB) "informs people around the world about population, health, and the environment, and empowers them to use that information to advance the well-being of current and future generations." Use the DataFinder to browse for data geographically and by topic.
- UNdata originates from the United Nations
- World Health Data Collections