Also see the Research Guide on Math, Statistics, & Research Methods.
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Ag Data Commons
A repository for research data related to food and agriculture. Includes research data funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.
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Business Source Premier
EBSCOhost. Provides indexing and full text of articles in business, leadership, marketing, management, computing and MIS, POM, accounting, finance, and economics.
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Congressional Research Service Reports
Contains reports from the Congressional Research Service, which provides valuable insight and non-partisan analysis of issues of public debate.
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Credo Reference eBooks
Full-text reference eBooks, images, audio & video files, real-time research on controversial issues, and pro/con arguments. Includes special tools such as a Mind Map, topic search, and image search.
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Criminal Justice Database
ProQuest. Full text articles from scholarly and trade titles on criminal justice, causes and impacts of crime, legal and social implications, litigation, and crime trends. 1981 to current.
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Data.gov
The home of the U.S. Government’s open data. Contains data, tools, and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications, design data visualizations, etc.
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Explore Census Data
Contains data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau. (Formerly American Factfinder.)
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Global Stat
Compilation of publicly available information on developments in a globalised world. Presents data on a wide range of topics and from a broad range of international statistical resources.
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IssueLab
Candid's online catalog of research reports, case studies, issue briefs, literature reviews, and annual reports published or funded by U.S. foundations. Links to the full text reports are provided. Covers 1971-present.
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Issues & Controversies (Facts on File/InfoBase)
Balanced coverage of international topics and how historical events and conflicts have influenced U.S. and world history. The database is divided into four sections—American History Eras, World History Eras, History Regions, and History Subjects. Includes videos, teacher lesson plans/handouts, primary sources, encyclopedia articles, editorial cartoons, court cases, and timelines.
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Public Affairs Index (abstracts only)
EBSCOhost. Abstracts of articles on global contemporary public policy issues including public health, the environment, housing, human and civil rights, international conflict, and natural disasters. This database draws on a diverse array of scholarly publications, conference papers, government documents, and current reference works.
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USA.GOV Data & Statistics
Contains a variety of government statistical information.
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Community College Survey of Student EngagementThe Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), a product and service of the Center for Community College Student Engagement, is a well-established tool that helps institutions focus on good educational practice and identify areas in which they can improve their programs and services for students.
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Condition of EducationThe report contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. Annual.
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COOL: College Opportunities Online LocatorCollege comparison tool for students.
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International Association of UniversitiesInternational educational systems by country
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Liberal Arts College NewsStories, news releases, etc.
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National Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. NCES is located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences.
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National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)Through its student survey, The College Student Report, NSSE annually collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college. There are also links for the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) and Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE).
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UNESCO Institute for Education StatisticsFrom pre-primary school enrollment to tertiary graduation rates, the UIS is the leading source for international education statistics. Covering more than 200 countries and territories, the UIS database covers all education levels and addresses key policy issues such as gender parity, teachers and financing.
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US Department of Education Research & Statistics LinksThis site provides links to a variety of reliable reports, studies, research organizations and government statistics in the field of education.
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World Bank Education DataEducation is one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty and inequality and lays a foundation for sustained economic growth. The World Bank compiles data on education inputs, participation, efficiency, and outcomes. Data on education are compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics from official responses to surveys and from reports provided by education authorities in each country.
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AAFP Facts about Family PracticeA compilation of studies compiled by the American Academy of Family Practice related to primary care. Includes Distribution of Family Physicians, Office Practice and Family Physicians, National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, Diagnostic Procedures or Laboratory Services Offered by Family Physicians in the Ambulatory Setting, Hospital Privileges and Family Physicians, Economic Status of Family Physicians, Medical Status of Family Physicians, Graduate Medical Education, Continuing Medical Education for Family Physicians, Family Practice Organizations.
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American Hospital DirectoryIncludes hospital revenue data derived from Medicare Cost Reports and info on number of staffed beds, discharges.
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American Hospital DirectoryIncludes hospital revenue data derived from Medicare Cost Reports and info on number of staffed beds, discharges.
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BenchmarkingCreated by the Dartmouth Institute. The Benchmarking tool allows you to compare rates in selected areas or hospitals to each other or the national or state average. The question being explored in the Benchmarking tool is: what if rates in the comparison areas or hospitals were equal to rates in selected benchmarks?
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Dartmouth Atlas ProjectDocuments variations in the distribution of how medical resources in the United States. The project uses Medicare data to provide information and analysis about national, regional, and local markets, as well as hospitals and their affiliated physicians.
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Data.Medicare.GovAccess to data-sets regarding hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, and home health agencies. Compiled by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services.
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Facts on Hospice and Palliative CareData is produced by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), "the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States."
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Fast Facts on US HospitalsProduced by the American Hospital Association (AHA).
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Finding and Using Health Statisticsdescribes different types of health statistics collected by government, private, and non-profit agencies and organizations, how they are collected, and where they can be found.
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Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project (HCUP)U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's health statistics and information on hospital stays at the national, regional, and state level.
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Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project (HCUP)U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's health statistics and information on hospital stays at the national, regional, and state level.
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Health Insurance DataCompiled by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Site links to Current Population Survey reports and tables, including health insurance coverage, children's health insurance, low-income uninsured children by state, and detailed historical tables (1987- ).
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Home Care & Hospice Facts & StatsProduced by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, "the nation's largest trade association representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices, home care aide organizations, and medical equipment suppliers."
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Mapping Medicare DisparitiesHealth outcome measures for disease prevalence, costs, and hospitalization for 18 specific chronic conditions, emergency department utilization, readmissions rates, mortality and preventable hospitalizations.
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Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)A set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the United States. MEPS is the most complete source of data on the cost and use of health care and health insurance coverage.
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MedicareProduced by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
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National Hospital Discharge and Ambulatory Surgery DataConducted by National Center for Health Statistics, the survey provides information on characteristics of inpatients discharged from non-Federal short-stay hospitals in the US.
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Nursing Home CompareThe primary purpose of this tool is to provide detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country. Compiled by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
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Physician Appointment Wait Times and Medicaid and Medicare Acceptance RatesThe private research firm Merritt Hawkins & Associates conducted a large survey of major metropolitan areas and wait times for different specialties and their Medicaid/Medicare acceptance rates.
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Providers & Service UseKaiser Family Foundation provides data related to dentists, physicians and non-physicians (nurses and physician assistants) for both the United States as well as for individual states.
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Research, Statistics, Data & SystemsFrom the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). Includes national health care indicators and expenditures (aggregate national health care spending); Medicare enrollment (aged, disabled, all), utilization, and expenditure; DRG data for short-stay hospitals; Medicare Chartbook; Data Compendium (Annual compilation of national health care data); Medicaid data.
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Research, Statistics, Data & Systems (CMS)Includes national health care indicators and expenditures (aggregate national health care spending); Medicare enrollment (aged, disabled, all), utilization, and expenditure; DRG data for short-stay hospitals; Medicare Chartbook; Data Compendium (Annual compilation of national health care data); Medicaid data. From the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS).
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Social Security StatisticsProvides ongoing statistical data and research analyses of the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs.
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State of Health Care Quality ReportContains plan-specific information on clinical performance, accreditation and member satisfaction from 273 organizations, collectively covering some 63.3 million lives, that voluntarily submitted their performance results to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) . Includes national, regional and state averages, as well as benchmarks, on specific measures of care and service.
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The UninsuredProduced by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Includes data on topics related to the uninsured.
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African Economic Outlook - free statistic setsYou can also access the interactive tables and graphs from the Outlook section of the AEO 2012.
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IDRC - Internation Development Research Centre (openWeb)"a Crown corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to help developing countries use science and technology to find practical, long-term solutions to the social, economic, and environmental problems they face." Search for your country name in the search box on IDRC site. Less-developed countries will have more results, but 1st world countries are also listed in here for the work they are doing in their own countries and for the collaborative work they are doing with other countries.
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International Human Development Indicators (OpenWeb)"access statistical data from the Human Development Report (HDR) and resources to help you better understand this data;...helpful information about the human development index (HDI) and other indices, links to other background materials, data resources and on-going debates and discussions on human development statistics." Search for UNDP by year, country or theme using the bar on the top. Data visualization tool built-in.
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MDG Monitor Factsheets (openWeb)The MDG Monitor shows how countries are progressing in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). MDG Country Profiles have "been gathered in close collaboration with UN Country Teams. Sources include the UNDP Human Development Reports and the UN Statistical Division" -- these reports do not cover all countries.
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UN Data"UN Data brings UN statistical databases within easy reach of users through a single entry point. Users can now search and download a variety of statistical resources of the UN system from a wide range of departments and subject matter."
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UNdata & MDGsCompiles information related to the various Millenium Development Goals (use pull-down menu to choose MDG-Goal; use second program to select/compare individual countries. Allows on-the-fly visualizations, downloadable graphics.
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UNESCO Institute for StatisticsUse "statistical tables" for direct access to data, or use Country Profiles for pre-viz breakdown of Statistics by Country for Education levels, Literacy levels
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UN Statistics - by organization/agencyDatabases broken down by individual agencies
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CDC Youth OnlineNational, state, and local data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). From the CDC.
- Sometimes the most recent available data is a few years old.
- National and state data are more prevalent than city/town data.
- Sometimes you'll find published data sets, which contain raw, unanalyzed data. Use the Tips for Searching Google on this page for help finding analyzed, ready-to-use statistics.
- Data can be taken out of context, cherry-picked, or manipulated to support a particular point of view. If you're not sure you can trust a source, try to verify the information in a second source.
Google Data Searching Tips
You'll find some "best bets" for finding demographic and health statistics below, so save time by searching these first. But if you can't still find the information you're looking for, see what you can find by searching Google. These tips will help you do a more effective Google search:
- Try starting at the Google Data Set Search Page Instead of the regular Google page.
- Use the advanced search to find sites that end in .gov or .edu. City and town websites have lots of local demographic and health information. Sometimes they will also end in two-letter domains such as .us or .mo.
- Try "filetype:.csv" for excel files or "filetype:.pdf" for pdf summaries.
- If you find a .org site, look into the organization. Would they have any reason to present biased information?
- Look for reports, overviews, and snapshots when you're looking for quick facts. You'll need a lot of time (and probably some advanced tools and knowledge) to find the information you want in a data set.
- If you find a source that cites data from somewhere else, try to find the original source.
- Pay attention to when data was collected. A report published this year could cite data that's much older.
- Sometimes you can find what you need if you type in the phrase "open data" or "dataset."
Interim Library Director
Attribution
Many of the links and resources listed in this guide were compiled by Jeremy Darrington, Politics Librarian at Princeton University Library, https://libguides.princeton.edu/prf.php?account_id=231.