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Communication 103: Find Data and Statistics

Library research help for students preparing speeches for Communication 103

Search Strategies

A great place to start is with this list of statistical resources put together by the UWM libraries.

Here are some useful search strategies for finding the data and statistics you need for your research:

Make use of existing search guides

Look for data producers

  • Think about who may be creating or collecting this information.
  • Look for data by government department, like the FDA, CDC, Department of Education, etc.
  • Consider non-governmental organizations, like the UN, World Health Organization, International Monetary Fund, etc.
  • Academic institutions also provide information on their institution, an example is the UWM Factbook.
  • Private business often make data available for a fee; check the library catalog to see what resources are available to you.

Search the published literature

  • Is anyone doing research in this area? That can be an indicator of the availability of data in this area.
  • Published articles may contain data tables and references to data sources.

Use online sources

  • Add the word 'data' or 'statistics' to your searches

Ask for help

Finding Statistics through Articles


    * Watch the video on Searching for Articles Containing Statistics to learn more.

       

Click on the link below to view lists of library research databases by subject area:

    * Watch the video below to learn the basics of using Data-Planet:

Education Data and Statistics

Local
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Data on Demand
Information on local school employees’ salaries and school performance

Public schooling in southeast Wisconsin
From Public Policy Forum, see other education reports 

General
Child Care and Early Education Research Connections
Research in child care and early education and its use in policy making; site offers research and data resources

Child Trends
Research to improve children's lives

Chronicle of Higher Education
Data on faculty salaries, enrollment, student activities, demographics of college faculty and presidents, etc.

Education Week Resource Center
Sate-level K-12 education indicators, includes data from Education Week, Quality Counts, and Technology Counts 

Data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2012 Kids Count Data Book 
 
 
Federal Education Data Resources 
Census Bureau
Education indicators include attainment, enrollment, finances, employment in public schools, and financial aid
Use subject “people and households” then “Data by subject” then “Education”
 
Statistics available from Institute of Education Sciences

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 
National-level education data; descriptions of micro-level and summary–level education data; access to summary-level data
Includes The Condition of Education  and many other reports and publications
 
US Department of Education
Information about education-related surveys and program area; most data is from NCES, but may be easier to find here

 

International Education Data Resources
ICPSR- International Archive of Education Data (IAED)
Data collected by national, state or provincial, local, and private organizations, for all levels of education

Institute of International Education
Data on international students studying at institutions of Higher Education in the US

 

United Nations
Data Access System
Education and learning indicators (includes enrollment, expenditure, levels of illiteracy, and literacy rates)

Human Development Report
Full-text reports from 1990-present; link to the Human Development Indicators database

Statistics Division - Demographic and Social Concerns
Basic education data including enrollment rates, expenditure, and school life expectancy for over 100 countries worldwide

UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Collection of indicators of international education policy; data is collected from countries throughout the world

 

World Bank
Education Statistics
National and international sources; includes education expenditure, education attainment, school age population 

World Bank Indicators
Data from 1960 for over 200 countries: includes education inputs, participation in education, education effectiveness, etc