SOCW/SOCI/CRIJ/POSC 3362 (Dr. Beaty): Statistics for the Social Sciences
Purpose: To acquaint you with materials in Cornette Library and on the World Wide Web that will facilitate working with statistics in the social sciences.
Reference Sources
- Excellent place to start research.
- Provide background information.
- Include basic information sources like dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, chronologies, and research guides.
Guides for finding statistics
- List sources to find particular kinds of statistical data. May include narrative or extensively annotated bibliography.
- Statistics Sources: A Subject Guide to Data on Industrial, Business, Social, Educational, Financial, and Other Topics for the United States and Internationally
- Z7551 .S84 1998 Ref.
- Identifies primary statistics sources. Grouped by state, country and/or subject, for example: Drugs (Illegal) - Usage.
Subject Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
- Focused on a specific subject or discipline. Encyclopedias provide in-depth, scholarly articles, and often include bibliographies.
- Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology: A Nontechnical Guide for the Social Sciences
- HA17 .V64 1993 Ref.
- Concise examples and definitions of statistical terms.
- Encyclopedia of Measurement and Statistics
- HA29 .S2363 2007 Ref.
- Excellent description of terms, tests types, development, etc.
- International Encyclopedia of Population
- HB849.2 .I55 1982 Ref.
- Narrative articles by country and by topic, such as contraception. Statistical data primarily from the late 1970s.
General Statistical Sources - United States
- Sources may contain demographic, health, education, trade, industry, transportation, financial, or other types of statistical data.
- The Municipal Yearbook
- JS342 .A2 I52 Ref.
- State and municipal contacts, plus salaries and personnel ratios for police, fire and others. Library has 1937, 1957-1958, 1960, 1964, 1973, 1976-present.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States
- HA202 .A2 Ref.
- Comprehensive current coverage of everything from vital statistics, education, law enforcement, geography, elections, and government to business, banking, and trade. Library has 1978-2012. The 2012 edition is the last which will be published, and is at the reference desk and online.
General Statistical Sources - International
- Sources may contain demographic, health, education, trade, industry, transportation, financial, or other types of statistical data.
- Demographic Yearbook (United Nations)
- HA17 .D45 Ref.
- Deaths & death rates by cause, by county, marriage data, births, etc. Periodic special issues such as Focus on Family Relationships. Library has 1948-1954, 1956-1957, 1960-1966, 1970-1973, 1975-2008.
- Statistical Yearbook (United Nations)
- HA12.5 .U63 Ref.
- Ten-year summary of data by topic, by country. Library has 1948-2008.
- UNESCO Statistical Yearbook
- AZ361 .U45 Ref.
- Focuses on education, technology, and popular culture. Library has 1963, 1977-1999.
Historical Statistical Sources - United States and Others
- Sources may contain demographic, health, education, trade, industry, transportation, financial, or other types of statistical data by region or by country.
- Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970
- HA202 .A385 1975 Ref.
- Demographic, economic, health, transportation, and other data. Some population numbers for communities.
- International Historical Statistics: Africa, Asia & Oceania, 1750-1993
- HA4675 .M552 1998 Ref.
- Data is by region as well as specific country.
- International Historical Statistics: Europe, 1750-1993
- HA1107 .M5 1998 Ref.
- Data is by region as well as specific country.
- International Historical Statistics: The Americas, 1750-2000
- HA175 .M55 2003 Ref.
- Data is by continent, region, and state.
Statistics for Specific Groups
- Compilations of statistics for specific population sub-groups.
- Black Americans: A Statistical Sourcebook
- E 185.86 .B5238 1999 Ref.
- Statistical summaries compiled from census and other data.
- Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990, and by Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, for the United States, Regions, Divisions, and States
- C 3.223/27:56 (Online)
- Census bureau compilation of census results.
- Racial and Ethnic Diversity: Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Whites
- E 184 .A1 R78 2002 Ref.
- Education, health, and financial data for U.S. groups in the early 1990s.
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Books
- Cornette Library's online catalog
- Includes books, government documents, videos, journal titles, etc. available throughout the Library. Suggested searches include:
- a keyword search for your subject, such as alcohol statistics.
- the general LC subject heading Drunk driving.
- the LC subject heading for a specific time or place such as Drinking and traffic accidents Texas Statistics Periodicals.
To determine the most appropriate subject headings for your search, refer to the red Library of Congress Subject Headings near the Reference computers in the Library or search the online Library of Congress Authorities Catalog.
- WorldCat
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- Online catalog for libraries around the world.
- Lists Cornette Library books along with many more in other libraries.
- Search by keyword, author, title, or subject.
- Request books not in Cornette Library through the pre-filled Interlibrary loan form. Allow at least three weeks for the books to arrive.
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Journal, Magazine, & Newspaper Articles
Provide current information
- Library shelves contain more than 1500 bound and current journals.
- Microform (film or fiche) available for dozens of leading newspapers, as well as other periodicals.
- Databases index articles found in journals and magazines and may be
- Citation only,
- Citation and a short summary of the article (abstract), or
- Full text; and
- General, covering many kinds of topics; or specialized, for specific disciplines.
- The differences between scholarly and non-scholarly sources are important, for citation and for evaluating reliability.
How to Access Databases
- On-campus: In the library or HELC.
- Off-campus: Login with your Buff Advisor username (for example, js123456) and your Buff Advisor password (for example, buffaloes).
- Database citations not available in full-text may be located in Cornette Library's online catalog or the journals and magazines locator.
- Use Interlibrary Loan to request articles inaccessible through Cornette library. Allow up to two weeks for articles to arrive.
Databases for scholarly sources
- Web of Science
- Cross-disciplinary database with article indexes to the most significant journals in the social sciences, sciences, and arts and humanities. Searches titles and abstracts. In addition to topical keyword, add phrase for statistical techniques or terminology. Use the SFX tool to reach full-text.
- PsycINFO
- Focuses on psychology and related disciplines. To retrieve research with statistics go to the "Methodology" window at the bottom of the "Refine Search" tab, and specify "Quantitative Study".
- Social Work Abstracts
- Specifically targeted for social work issues. Use normal search terms and add the string and "n=*". Abstracts will identify the sample size used in the study. Some full-text available via SFX.
- Business Source Complete
- Has the non-scholarly statistical sources Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing from 2002 to 2005, and the Gallup Poll Briefing from 2006-present. Short summaries and analysis of polls dealing with government, healthcare, religion, education, and finance.
- Academic Search Complete
- Use normal search terms and limit to peer-reviewed journals. Add term such as "statistical analysis" or "cluster analysis" to retrieve articles with statistically based research.
Databases for statistical date
- Statistical Insight
- Provides indexing and links to statistical tables from international, federal, state, and local governmental statistical publications.
- OECD iLibrary
- Statistics from the Organization for Economic Development (OECD). Emphasis on international economics, development and health; country economics, and agriculture.
SFX Logo
- Displays in most of our databases. Links from a citation to one or more of the following:
- one or more links to full-text of the cited article,
- a link to a pre-set search of the Cornette Library catalog for the cited item,
- a link to a pre-filled Interlibrary Loan request form for the article, and
- a link to various help options.
- For more information see the tutorial Using SFX to Link to Articles
Need Help?
- Ask at the Reference Desk (first floor) or Periodicals Desk (second floor).
- Or call 651-2215 during the hours Cornette Library is open.
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Government Documents
Cornette Library collects United States federal and Texas state documents on many topics.
- Most U.S. documents published since 1994 are listed in the Cornette Library's online catalog.
- For older documents, you will need to use the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications.
Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications
- Indexes all United States government documents made available through the Government Printing Office.
- Includes Congressional reports, hearings, debates, and records; judiciary materials; documents issued by executive departments (Defense, State, Labor, Office of the President, etc.).
- Dates available include:
- Documents/Reference (1913-present).
- Online via FirstSearch. (1976-present)
Government Statistical Sources in Print
- Texas Fact Book
- L1300.8 F119 (Online and Texas Documents Shelves)
- Compilation of state statistics by the Texas Legislature.
Government Statistical Sources on the Web
- FedStats
- Gateway to statistics from 100 U.S. Federal Agencies. Search by topic, map of U.S., geographical regions, or compiling agency. Topics include agriculture, education, criminal justice, health, social welfare, and more.
- U.S. Census Bureau
- Presents pre-built or custom tables of data from 1990 and 2000 census results.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics
- Statistics about Crime and Victims, Criminal Offenders, and the Justice System. Special topics for Drugs and Crime, Homicide Trends, and Reentry Trends. Link to Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics Online.
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Web Sites
- The World Wide Web is an excellent source of information.
- Not everything found on the Web is accurate.
- You must evaluate information on the Web.
Specialized Online Statistics Sites
- IPUMS (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series)
- Allows researcher to download census returns that meet specified criteria. Returns represent a random sampling of census data from 1850-2000.
- ICPSR - Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
- The ICPSR acquires and preserves machine-readable social science data, including census, survey, economic, elections, and other data. Most online analysis studies are freely available.
- Resources for Methods in Evaluation and Social Research
- From the web site's home page - "free resources for methods in program evaluation and social research" with the focus "on 'how-to' do evaluation research and the methods used: surveys, focus groups, sampling, interviews, and other methods."
- Penn Library: Data Sets and Statistics
- Links to a wide variety of statistical data sets.
- Social Work: Statistics and Data
- From Rutgers University Libraries. Has links to web pages on Aging/Aged; Children, Youth, Families; Criminal Justice; Health; Housing; Poverty.
- Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities
- Downloadable data from survey, covers education, race, etc.
- UIIC Documents Library Statistics
- All sources are online, most are free. Good coverage of population and demographics; vital statistics and health.
- Web Interface for Statistics Education (WISE)
- Designed as an online source for learning statistical methods and techniques. Includes tutorials, links to glossaries, applets, and links to other statistics-oriented sites.
Web Guides
- Searchable lists of annotated web sites, discussion lists, and electronic journals that have met specific selection criteria.
- Scout Report Archives
- Scholarly. Keyword or advanced search. Results listed by relevance.
- INFOMINE Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
- Scholarly. Keyword search or browse by general subject area. Can limit to free sites.
- ipl2 - "Information You Can Trust" (merger of Internet Public Library and Librarians' Index to the Internet)
- General public interest. Keyword search, or browse by general topic and subtopic.
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Your Comments
- Suggestions for improvements?
- Particularly helpful items?
- Please email Linda Chenoweth.
Thank you.
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