Coordinator of Library Instruction
Social Science Data Sources
- ICPSR Data SearchInter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) is one of the main sources for social science data. Their massive archive contains 21 special collections specifically focusing on education, aging, criminal justice, substance abuse, and terrorism.
- CESSDA Data CatalogueThe EU's Consortium of European Social Science Data Archive contains metadata on social science data from 1900-present. Note: When viewing the metadata page, at the top there will be a button to "Access Data" which will bring you to the dataset's download page.
- OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new windowStatistical databases and select publications of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development). Provides extensive data on dozens of market-democracy, member countries. Includes a wide range of indicators on economy, education, energy, environment, foreign aid, health, information and communication, labor, migration, R&D, trade and society.
- Statistical Insight This link opens in a new windowStatistics produced by federal agencies, states, and intergovernmental organizations with advanced PowerTables which allow direct searching for a table based on subject terms, coverage date, and other criteria. Also includes updated links to the full text of many statistical reports on government websites. Additional Research Tables module adds more PowerTables with special focus on business-related statistics.
- iPOLL This link opens in a new windowProvided by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University, Roper iPoll is the largest collection of public opinion poll data with results from 1935 to the present. Roper iPoll contains nearly 800,000 questions and over 23,000 datasets from both U.S. and international polling firms. Surveys cover any number of topics including, social issues, politics, pop culture, international affairs, science, the environment, and much more. When available, results charts, demographic crosstabs and full datasets are provided for immediate download.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new windowThe Statistical Abstract of the United States is a compilation of social, political and economic statistics. The focus is on national data, but some tables cover regions, states, cities, and comparative international statistics. It is divided into broad sections such as Population, Health and Nutrition, Education, Foreign Commerce and Aid, Prices and many others. Each table identifies the source of the data. Tables can be downloaded in .xls or .pdf format.
Political Sciences & History
- PARLINE Database on National ParliamentsHas over 600 attributes collected on parliaments around the world. Offers specific online query tools for comparing parliaments.
- National Archive Election StatisticsCollection of stats and results of electoral college votes from 1892-present.
- Federal Election CommissionCollects information on campaign finance data for federal elections including information on loans, debts, report filings, committees, and more.
- The American Presidency Project StatisticsProject focused on analyzing the policy achievements and lasting impact of presidents. Has compiled many datasets on presidential actions such as speech lengths, newspaper endorsements, vetoes, and popularity.
- Supreme Court DatabaseDefinitive source of supreme court case data ranging from 1791 to 2020.
- Bureau of Justice StatisticsSection of the US Department of Justice focused on statistical collection, analysis, and dissemination of US crime and justice data.
- Immigration Data and StatisticsDatasets released by Homeland Security including the "Yearbook of Immigration Statistics" capturing yearly statistics from 1996-present.
- Open Secrets/Center for Respective PoliticsProvides information on lobbying, campaign finances, 527s, and candidate's financial holdings.
- IOM's Global Migration Data PortalCollaboration between the International Organization for Migration and the European Union to provide access to timely and accurate global migration data.
- Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new windowThis reference work includes data on topics ranging from migration and health to crime and the Confederate States of America. Fully searchable, this resource permits users to graph individual tables and create customized tables and spreadsheets reflecting their own particular areas of interest.
- World-Historical DataverseCollection of archived datasets for world-historical documentation and analysis.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new windowThe Statistical Abstract of the United States is a compilation of social, political and economic statistics. The focus is on national data, but some tables cover regions, states, cities, and comparative international statistics. It is divided into broad sections such as Population, Health and Nutrition, Education, Foreign Commerce and Aid, Prices and many others. Each table identifies the source of the data. Tables can be downloaded in .xls or .pdf format.
Demographics & Development
- CenStats This link opens in a new windowCollection of statistical resources from the Census Bureau databases. Databases include: census tract street locator, international trade data, building permits, zip code business patterns, financial data for state and local schools and governments, USA counties, occupation data by race, Hispanic origin, and sex, annual survey of manufactures, and more.
- UNESCO Sustainable Development DataThe United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's data distribution website.
- United States Development IndicatorsDemographics for the United States both at country and state level as well as how they relate to global averages. Also includes international data as well.
- Human Development ReportsDatasets and statistics used in the UN's Human Development Reports including the Human Development Index (HDI).
- AidData DatabaseData collected by AidData, a research and innovation lab, focusing on making development finance data more accessible and open.
- Integrated Public Use Microdata SeriesIntegrated census and survey data from around the world for easy comparison. Offers many specialized sub-services covering global health, education, agriculture.
- International Household Survey NetworkSurveys and census conducted in low- and middle-income countries. Data sets have good documentation and metadata for additional analysis.
- Humanitarian Data ExchangeOpen data website where researchers can submit data on humanitarian topics. Data is crowd-sourced, so may not always be of quality.
Education Data Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics DATALABUS education data collected by the Institute of Education Statistics to describe and measure how well the US is educating students.
- World Higher Education DatabaseOffers data on higher education institutions across nearly 200 countries including information on higher educational systems and credentials.
- CMU DataShopLarge collection of learning interaction data from the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center that is anonymized or simulated. Includes data from a number of lab experiments and learning models.
- UNESCO Education & Literacy DataData from the United Nations on global education including datasets on equity in education, literacy, learning outcomes, and education finance.
Social Services, Health, & Behavior
- Agency for Healthcare, Research, and QualityAHRQ is a federal agency focused on increasing patient safety and healthcare quality in the United States. Includes information on healthcare spending, insurance, hospital services and providers, prescription drug use and distribution, and employer healthcare policies.
- CDC Data CatalogThe CDC collects information not only on disease outbreaks, but also workplace safety, health policies, environmental health impacts, and healthcare administration.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesIncludes characteristics of beneficiaries, providers, and programs.
For direct access to their catalog, go to data.cms.gov - World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health ObservatorySource for global datasets on disease incidence, healthcare, health measures, and environmental health impacts.
- Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent HealthDatasets including variables about child and family health measures (insurance coverage, neighborhood safety, physical health, mental health, etc.) and National Performance and National Outcome Measures (physical activity, bullying, forgone health care, autism, etc.) in the United States.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer (Uniform Crime Reporting Program)FBI's interactive data portal for law enforcement statistics including information on hate crimes, law enforcement killed in action, and use-of-force statistics.
- The PEW Charitable TrustLeading research institute in public opinion, health, culture, arts, and environmental policy.
- Latinobarómetro DataLatinobarómetro is a non-profit organization that distributes and collects public opinion surveys across Latin America that offers survey data back to 1995.
- APA PsycTESTS This link opens in a new windowPsycTESTS is a research database that provides access to psychological tests, measures, scales, surveys, and other assessments as well as descriptive information about the test and its development and administration. A large percentage of test records contain the actual test or test items.
- Disability StatisticsHub for data collected on disabilities in the United States including information on Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charges of discrimination.