Brainstorming Sources
What are some organizations that might collect and/or publish data on your topic? Think in terms of the following categories:
- Government agencies
- Intergovernmental organizations
- Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
- Think tanks
- Academic research organizations
- Philanthropic foundations
- Business forums
- Faith-based associations
- Labor unions
- Community groups
Search for numbers (and their sources)
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Statistical Abstract of the United StatesThis 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.
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ProQuest Statistical InsightSearch summaries of statistical publications, then link to the full-text of selected publications on Statistical Universe and government Web sites.
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Data Planet(Searches through citations, subject indexing, and abstracts)
Creates interactive statistical tables, charts and maps from over 4.3 billion licensed and public domain datasets on many areas of research, from traffic to international trade.
Official Government Data
The Statistical Abstract is a good way to identify official data-gathering agencies. Keep in mind that state and local agencies might collect relevant data as well.
You might want to do a broad search of government agency web sites to see which agencies come up on your topic. I like Google's Government Search.
You can also always ask a librarian for suggestions.
