Library Guides: Public Policy: Data & Statistics

How to Cite Data

Citing Data

Related Guides

How do I find data or statistics?
by Elizabeth Foster Updated Jun 7, 2022 366 views this year
Data Repositories
by Cecilia Smith Updated Mar 29, 2022 345 views this year
Research Data Management
by Cecilia Smith Updated Apr 28, 2022 832 views this year

IL & Chicago

State of IL Data Portal
Clearinghouse of various data sets in a standard format. Includes data on housing, health, transportation, and population.
City of Chicago Data Portal
Includes over 200 datasets about City departments, services, facilities and performance.

United States Census

Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Licensed for 5 users at a time.

Social Explorer is a detailed reference tool for current and historical Census data from 1790 to the present. Data may be generated by browsing maps or building reports.

Guide to Census Data
Additional detailed information on the Economic Census.

Key National and International Data Sources

This section contains a mix of raw and tabular data sources. It is not comprehensive. Contact me if you need assistance.

ProQuest Statistical Insight This link opens in a new window
Covers data from U.S. federal and state governments, universities, private associations and organizations, independent research groups, as well as international and intergovernmental organizations.

Covers data from U.S. federal and state governments, universities, private associations and organizations, independent research groups, as well as international and intergovernmental organizations.
Formerly from LexisNexis
ICPSR: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research This link opens in a new window

ICPSR maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and includes many large time-series datasets. International in scope.

National Center for Education Statistics
Primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education. Includes some time-series and international data.

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Information on education in the United States.
Bureau of Labor Statistics

World Development Indicators Online This link opens in a new window
Contains over 500 timeseries indicators under the headings: world view, environment, economy, states and markets and global links. Data are at the country level only and are updated annually. Includes the World Development Indicators and Global Development Finance databases.

Includes the World Development Indicators and Global Development Finance databases. Contains over 500 timeseries indicators under the headings: world view, environment, economy, states and markets and global links. Data are at the country level only and are updated annually. Includes the World Development Indicators and Global Development Finance databases.
CPANDA This link opens in a new window

CPANDA, the Cultural Policy & the Arts National Data Archive, is the world's first interactive digital archive of policy-relevant data on the arts and cultural policy in the United States.
Human Development Reports This link opens in a new window

UN data on key social, economic, and governmental metrics.
OECD.Stat This link opens in a new window
Covers only OECD members and selected other countries.

Brings together most of the statistical databases in SourceOECD, allowing quick searching in one place.

Foreign Censuses

Many foreign censuses are available through the catalog, using subject searches as shown here. Not all years or countries may be held in our libraries or even available. Please contact me if you have questions about accessing specific census material.

Turkey -- Census, 1985
Argentina -- Population -- Statistics
Urban population -- Japan -- Statistics

International Statistical Agencies
The US Census Bureau maintains an online directory of statistical agencies in countries around the world. Data availability varies from country to country and English-language availability is limited.