Data & Statistics by Topic
- Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
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Get quick and easy access to current and historical U.S. census data and demographic information. Covers 1790 - 2010.
NOTE: You will need to register with your Carleton email address to begin fully using this database. - data.census.gov This link opens in a new window
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Statistical population, housing, economic, and geographic data from the United States Census. Replaces American FactFinder. - Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
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This compendium of statistics produced by the U.S. government contains basic tables summarizing the vast amount of data collected by the government. Find a table here that is related to your topic and follow the cited source to identify which agency collects the data you need. Also available in print in the Ready Reference collection at C 3.134: 2012. - Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations and the full text)
Gathers census statistics that were gathered in the United states from colonial times to the present.
- CQ Vital Statistics on American Politics This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations and the full text)
The complete, authoritative, data-rich resource on the full-spectrum of U.S. politics. Note: You can also search across all of the CQ Press reference resources here. - iPoll Databank This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations and the full text)
U.S. public opinion poll data, organized at the question level from the Roper Center, 1942 - current.
NOTE: You will need to register with your Carleton email address to begin fully using this database. - CQ Voting and Elections Collection This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations and the full text)
A collection of data and analyses of US elections, including data on presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial elections, political parties, campaigns, and demographic information. Covers presidential election results from 1789 and forward. Note: You can also search across all of the CQ Press reference resources here.
Plus two guides that are full of places to find political information...
- U.S. Census: Health Insurance
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- NCHS: National Center for Health Statistics
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Houses a wealth of health information. The FastStats portion of the site is a quick topical guide to quick facts, source statistics and related information. - NIH: National Institutes of Health
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Look to the website of the federal government's National Institutes of Health for data on clinical trials and government funding of medical research. - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Statistics (SAMHSA)
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Online analysis and datasets available on alcohol, drug, and tobacco use and mental health - America's Health RankingsProvides state-by-state health rankings.
Plus a whole guide to health data by our data librarians.
- NCES: National Center for Education Statistics This link opens in a new window
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There's a lot packed into this site. Some of the best places to look are under "Data Tools" where you'll find the "Locators" (which will give you information about specific institutions or kinds of institutions) and "Peer Tools" (which will let you compare institutions). Pay attention to their "Publications" section, too, as these reports will often give you numbers and tables that are hard to find otherwise.
- Education DataA guide designed for a particular course, but useful to anyone looking for Education data.
Our wonderful data librarians have compiled several guides to data by topic.
In addition, here are some guides that were designed for individual data-heavy courses but are useful to anyone trying to find data on these topics.
Not Sure Where To Start?
Here are three large collections of data and statistics that can help you explore what kinds of information are available and who collects and publishes that information. Once you find out who is collecting and publishing information related to your interests, you can use that knowledge to do more specialized searching either in these tools, in the topic-specific tools listed on this page, and on the regular internet.
For expert guidance from Carleton's own data librarians, here's a wonderful guide on Data, Datasets, and Statistical Resources.
- ProQuest Statistical Insight This link opens in a new window
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(Searches through citations, subject indexing, and some full text)
A vast index of statistics produced by federal agencies, states, and intergovernmental organizations. A great place to start if you're not sure who has collected data relevant to your research. - Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
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Get quick and easy access to current and historical U.S. census data and demographic information. Covers 1790 - 2010.
NOTE: You will need to register with your Carleton email address to begin fully using this database.
