Data: Hidden Gems for the Quantitatively Challenged

Paul Bern, Bobray Bordelon, Don Broach

Social Science Reference Center

Princeton University Library

Princeton University Library. Data & Statistical Services

Statistical Universe

Indexing, abstracting & selected full text of statistical publications about social, economic, and political conditions

Derived from U.S., state, & international IGOs, associations, businesses, commercial publishers, independent research organizations, & universities.

IPUMS (Integrated Public Use Microdata Series Largest publicly accessible computerized

database on a human population. 23 high-precision individual-level samples

of the U.S. population censuses from 1850 to 1990.

Combines censuses into a single database that, insofar as possible, assigns uniform codes to variables across all years for which available.

Includes all information available in the original public use samples

United States Historical Census Data Browser Data describes the people and the

economy of the US for each state and county from 1790 to 1970

Data sources include US Decennial Censuses, US Department of Agriculture, and the National Council of Churches of Christ of the United States

Current Population Survey

Monthly survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics for over 50 years.

Provides estimates for such measures as employment,earnings, work hours, benefits, education, and fertility.

Banks Cross National Time Series

Economic, social, and political indicators of nations and empires of the world including countries and empires that no longer exist.

Select data goes back to 1815. Latest data is 1996.

Global Financial Database

International economic data (1624-1998) on consumer prices, wholesale prices, futures and commodities prices, and exchange rates.

International stock data (1693-1998) for indices, yields,price-earnings ratios, total returns, market capitilizations and volume.

General Social Survey

Representative sample surveys of the adult American population conducted in almost every year since 1972.

Questions on a very wide range of issues. About 1/3 of the questions asked every year or most years. Useful for tracking changes in public opinion.

General Social Survey

For recent years, specially recoded variables facilitate comparisons with international data sets.

American National Election Study

National surveys of the American electorate in presidential and midterm election years conducted since 1948.

Covers ideology, public opinion, political participation, and religious characteristics.