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
Related Research Guide
Also check the Social Science Data Guide.
Selected Multidisciplinary Resources
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Statista: The Leading Statistics PortalWith information for market, demographics, surveys and rankings.
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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.
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Statistical Abstract of the United StatesThis classic reference has been published since 1878; volumes from 1878 to 2012 are available at this link. In late 2012, publication of Statistical Abstract was transferred to the private sector.
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Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970Part 1. This is a replica of the classic volume published for the U.S. Bicentennial. The introductory text for each section provides valuable information about the history and subsequent development of statistical series and publications.
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Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970Part 2. This is a replica of the classic volume published for the U.S. Bicentennial. The introductory text for each section provides valuable information about the history and subsequent development of statistical series and publications.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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Calendar Year Patent StatisticsPatenting and TM activity profiles broken down by industry, geography, technology, inventor, organizations, etc. Many tables include deep historical data.
Need help?
If you've gone through this guide and find that you need additional help, please contact us!
The Ask-A-Librarian page provides a variety of ways you can get in touch with us here at the library.
Looking for help with SPSS? Check Lynda.com for SPSS Statistics Essential Training.
Search the Library Catalogs dropdown option in Scholar OneSearch for SPSS handbooks and manuals
Citation Resources
The Census Bureau provides links for "citing information found on our website."