Library FAQ

You can find statistics almost anywhere; in newspaper articles and books, on websites, in library databases, in TV advertisements, and more. Here are some useful places to look for statistical sources:

Online statistical sources available through A&M-SA Library include demographic, public opinion, consumer trends, health, crime and more and provide local, state, national, and international information.

• Data Census: demographic information includes population, income, housing, race, age, education, businesses, retail sales, consumer expenditures and more.
• Statistical Abstract of the U.S.: provides a statistics on social, political, demographic and economic conditions of the United States.
• Statistics Research Guide: includes links to library resources and websites for statistics and datasets.

Specific research groups - Think about who would be interested in your topic. What government agencies? What advocacy groups? What think-tanks or institutes? What companies? Then look at the websites and search for reports from these groups.

Search the Web - There are statistical sources freely available on the Web. Use either the word statistics or data with your topic to find helpful results. Watch out for the sponsored results and advertisements that can look like regular search results. When searching on the Web, always take the time to evaluate the source. Is it reliable, trustworthy, and/or unbiased source?