Do you need some statistics to illustrate a point? Are you investigating a hypothesis, but don’t have enough data? The Thompson Library can help! We have a number of resources available, both open access and subscription-based, that can supply datasets and stats for your research.
Our guide to Statistics and Data organizes online resources by major areas of inquiry: a few general resources; Demographic, Public Attitudes and Opinion; Maps and Mapping; Economic Data; Health Data; Business Statistics and Datasets; and lists of all relevant resources. This guide also has a search box for finding datasets in either Primo VE (Search All), which will find our licensed dataset collections, or in Google Dataset search, which finds publicly available datasets across the globe.
The Thompson Library's A-Z list of databases has a number of online resources covering data and statistics. You can find databases that:
These database types and subject overlap quite a bit, but our A-Z list lets you combine subjects with types to narrow down your search for the right database. For example, you can search for datasets (type) covering public health (subject). [example illustration]
Data and Statistics: What Is the Difference?
The DeWitt Wallace Library at Macalester College succinctly explains the difference between data and statistics:
Data are individual pieces of factual information recorded and used for the purpose of analysis. It is the raw information from which statistics are created. Statistics are the results of data analysis - its interpretation and presentation. In other words some computation has taken place that provides some understanding of what the data means. Statistics are often, though they don’t have to be, presented in the form of a table, chart, or graph.
DeWitt Wallace Library. (2024, February 2). Data Module #1: What is Research Data? Macalester College. https://libguides.macalester.edu/c.php?g=527786&p=3608657
University of Michigan-Flint
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