Librarian
Social Science Librarian
Contact:
4th Libe - Room 466
Contact reference@carleton.edu
Contact reference@carleton.edu
Suggested Datasets
This page contains some example datasets you might consider or at least have in mind as you shape your research question. For each topic, some frequently used examples are listed. To find more options, explore the data repositories listed in the last section.
Large Scale Demographic Surveys
- American Community Survey (ACS)The ACS replaced the long form that accompanied the Decennial Census. This is a rolling survey asking a sample of the population detailed questions. The best entries to ACS statistics are through data.census.gov or Social Explorer. ACS microdata are available from IPUMS.
- American Community Survey (ACS) via IPUMSIPUMS provides harmonized Census data over time with consistent documentation, making it much easier to work with.
- American Time Use Survey (ATUS) via BLSHome of the American Time Use Survey, produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with accompanying aggregate statistics, reports, releases, documentation, visualizations, etc.
- American Time Use Survey via IPUMSATUS data extraction tool, with great documentation
- Census of the United States via IPUMSThere are many options for accessing the Census -- talk to your professor or librarian for guidance
- Current Population Survey (CPS)
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Large, monthly survey of households conducted for over 50 years by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Known for its annual March supplement which is a source for annual earnings, work experience, migration, cash and non-cash income, pension and health insurance coverage. Also, the May supplement includes earnings, multiple job holding, and premium pay. - General Social Survey (GSS)This survey of U.S. households has been performed nearly annually since 1972 by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). The survey is unique in that it is collected for general secondary use by researchers and is intended for use by the social science community. The link above is to the GSS at ICSPR where you can find very user-friendly online documentation.
- IPUMS InternationalSample public use microdata for censuses of over 100 countries. Consult the samples list to see what is included.
- PSID - Panel Study of Income DynamicsA longitudinal study of families since 1968. The Child Development Supplement focuses on children and caregivers within these families - a great resource on the welfare and care of children.
- Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
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Household data especially strong on income and participation in government programs (e.g., social security, welfare, etc.). Tricky to use and access: datasets are large and non-response rates are high. Nevertheless, you can find employment, education and training, program participation, assets and liabilities, migration, fertility, work schedules, child care, pension, property, and time spent out of work.
Labor Force Surveys
- Current Population Survey (CPS)
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Large, monthly survey of households conducted for over 50 years by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Known for its annual March supplement which is a source for annual earnings, work experience, migration, cash and non-cash income, pension and health insurance coverage. Also, the May supplement includes earnings, multiple job holding, and premium pay. - ILOSTAT from the ILO - International Labor OrganizationInternational labor statistics: employment, unemployment, wages, hours of work, consumer prices, occupational injuries, days worked, poverty line and income distribution and more.
- National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS)Longitudinal individual-level data, concentrating on cohorts by age-group. Features labor force experience, education and training, local labor market variables, and cohort-specific questions
More Labor Surveys
Most countries conduct labor surveys. If you are interested in accessing labor surveys from countries around the world, searching with Google usually works pretty well if you look for the official statistical office or agency as the publisher. Some tips:
- If searching in English, remember that labor can be spelled labor or labour
- Limit to official government sites by using site:.gov as one of our search terms
- Switch up your keywords: labor survey, labor force survey, labor force statistics, labor force data, etc.
Topical Longitudinal Surveys
- Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)
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Survey data and analysis on the population, health, and nutrition of women and children in 75+ developing countries, collected by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). - Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) via IPUMSApply for access, then use this extraction tool to access only the data you need.
- Fragile Families and Well-Being StudyA stratified, multistage sample of 4898 children born in large U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000, where births to unmarried mothers were oversampled by a ratio of 3 to 1. Core questions involve how children born into families with unwed parents fare, and how policies and environmental factors affect them.
Health Surveys
- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance SystemWorld's largest on-going telephone health survey, since 1984; data are collected in all 50 states plus Guam, Puerto Rico, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Includes information on health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.
- Health and Retirement Study
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Longitudinal panel study that surveys 22,000 Americans aged 50+ every 2 years. - Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
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Annually surveys a nationally representative number of households and individuals, and their providers, on health status, use of services, satisfaction, and more. Also surveys employers on health plans offered. - National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
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A division of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the NCHS is the principle health statistics agency of the U.S. Government. This agency's web site offers access to macro- and microdata, including such surveys and collection systems as the National Health Care Survey, National Health Interview Survey, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Immunization Survey, and the National Vital Statistics System. - National Health Interview SurveySince 1957, interviews American households on health status, health care access, and progress toward achieving national health objectives.
Education Surveys and Data
- Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies (ECLS)For over twenty years, the ECLS program has conducted four longitudinal studies examining child development, school readiness, and early school experiences.
- National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS)Longitudinal surveys following students who were in eighth grade in 1988. Includes direct assessments and reporting on school, work, home experiences, educational resources and support, the role in education of parents and peers, neighborhood characteristics, educational and occupational aspirations, and other student perceptions. Additional topics included self-reports on smoking, alcohol and drug use and extracurricular activities.
Comparative International Surveys
- AfrobarometerSeries of national public attitude surveys on democracy, markets and society conducted in 12+ African nations.
- EurobarometerPublic opinion surveys of European citizens since 1973.
- European Social SurveyBiennial survey across 30 nations measuring media use, social and public trust, political and social values, and more. Since 2002.
- Minimum Set of Gender Indicators62 indicators measuring and collecting information on issues relevant for gender equality and women's empowerment.
- Polity VMeasures regime characteristics (democracy/autocracy) for all states over 500,000 from 1800 to 2018. Also find other data on conflict and peace at this link.
- WDI: World Development Indicators This link opens in a new window
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Statistical data for development indicators and time series data for over 200 countries and 18 country groups. Data includes social, economic, financial, natural resources, and environmental indicators. Covers 1960 - present.
Note: For data documentation, see the print reference book: World Development Indicators, at call number Ref HC 59.15 .W656.
- World Inequality DatabaseOpen access data on the historical evolution of the world distribution of income and wealth, both within countries and between countries.
Repositories of More Data
- CDC Data and Statistics
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- ICPSR: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research This link opens in a new window
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A repository of social science datasets for secondary research. Members of the Carleton community may search the catalog, read data documentation and download datasets after creating a personal "MyData" account with their Carleton email address. - ICPSR Variables Database This link opens in a new window
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Search across approximately 1300 studies within the ICPSR archive at the variable level.
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)IFPRI publishes datasets related to poverty, food, and health.
- National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Public Data ArchiveEconomic and demographic datasets of interest to the NBER research community, and datasets created by NBER are shared here.
- National Institute of Health (NIH) Funded Data RepositoriesListing of repositories that share datasets from research funded by the NIH
- United Nations Population Division DataIncludes popular UN datasets on population, migration, families and households, marriage, household size and family planning
- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs DataData from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs can be found across many platforms - this page links out to them.
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Data Futures PlatformData from across the UN system in support of the 2030 Agenda
- World Bank Microdata Library
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Catalog of datasets collected by the world bank, including many international household surveys.
