LibGuides: Sociology Resources: Data & Statistics

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US Data

General Statistics

ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the U.S. This link opens in a new window
The ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. Replaces the Census Bureau publication (1878-2012).

Census and other Demographic Data

Data.Census.gov This link opens in a new window
Data.Census.gov is the new platform to access data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau.
PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
Policymap is an online data and mapping application that gives access to over 15,000 indicators related to housing, crime, mortgages, health, jobs, demographics and education. Data are available at all common geographies (address, block group, census tract, zip code, county, city, state, MSA) as well as unique geographies like school districts and political boundaries. Data come from both public and proprietary sources. Many of the public files are available for download. Through PolicyMap, you can access all data in interactive maps, tables, charts, reports and through a unique analytic tool. You may also upload your own address level data and share your data and interactive maps with others.

Includes plumbing and kitchen data from 2011-2015 US Census Annual Community Survey.
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Create maps and reports from selected census statistics. 1790 to 1930: County, state and national data. 1940-2000: Census tract, county, state and national data. 2006- : ACS. Also includes religion data, U.S. Election data, UK Census 2011 data, and Ireland Religion data. Generate thematic maps for census tracts.
SimplyAnalytics This link opens in a new window
***Access is allowed for only five users at a time. It is necessary to create a free personal account to access this resource.***
A web-based mapping tool that lets users create professional-quality thematic maps and reports using powerful demographic, business, and marketing data. Includes MRI Consumer Survey, Claritas PRIZM, and SimmonsLOCAL data.

Health Data

CDC Wonder
Use CDC (Centers for Disease Control) Wonder to find health related data for the United States
SAMSHA
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration data portal. A part of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
"The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the nation’s premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services."

International Data

CIA World Factbook This link opens in a new window
Most recent edition of the CIA World Factbook (available in print beginning in 1981 in the Main Library at G122.U56). Offers country profiles covering geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues. Includes maps and country flags.
World DataBank This link opens in a new window
Available from the World Bank, DataBank is an analysis and visualization tool that contains collections of time series data on a variety of topics. Includes World Development Indicators & Global Development Finance, Education Statistics, Gender Statistics, Doing Business, and more.
OECD iLibrary Statistics This link opens in a new window
OECD Statistical Data cover the broad range of OECD activities including finance, sustainable development, social issues, food and agriculture, education, employment, information technology, nuclear energy, transport, and much more.

UN Data
UN Data offers international data collected by a variety of agencies, but primarily the UN.

Research Data at the MSU Libraries

Research Data

Thinking ahead...will you use quantitative research methods in your thesis or dissertation?

The library can assist you in locating data sets for secondary analysis.

When you write your thesis or dissertation you may conduct your own study and collect original data, or you may want to analyze pre-existing data---especially public data from a government program or survey.

Important Resources

Library Data Services
Michigan State University Library Data Services assists faculty, staff and students identify and access numeric data sets for secondary research analysis, primarily in the social sciences.

Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
ICPSR is the world's largest social science data archive. It is one of the best places to start looking for a data set, especially for survey and governmental data. MSU maintains a membership which allows students and faculty to download data sets and use other online tools by registering with your @msu.edu email address.

Statistical Consulting

Center for Statistical Training and Consulting (CSTAT)

The MSU Center for Statistical Training and Consulting is a professional service and research unit at Michigan State University. Our aim is to support research and provide training, grant development, and consulting in statistics for faculty, staff, and graduate students.

MSU Libraries

Research Guides

Sociology Resources: Data & Statistics