Need to wow ’em with polls and numbers? Try these databases provided by your Libraries. Whether you want to support your argument in a research paper or start your speech with a stunning statistic, we’ve got you covered.
Polling the Nations
Polling the Nations offers
more than 18,000 surveys from more than 1,700 sources and is international in scope. It includes poll data from the major public opinion firms such as Gallup, Roper, Harris as well as polls conducted by universities or research centers, municipalities or states, and federal surveys from agencies of the U.S. government as well as other countries. Coverage extends back to 1986 and covers topics from political affiliations, social attitudes, and religious beliefs, lifestyles and consumption trends, economics and income, and attitudes towards government services and programs. You can browse a list of suggested topics or conduct a keyword search. Results show the original question, and responses, with links to other question-answer pairs on the survey. Using the “Graph this Question” button, you can export the question and answers to a spreadsheet and from there create a graph or chart for your paper or presentation.
Statistical Abstract of the United States
From 1878-2012, the United States government published this handy compilation of statistics drawn from multiple federal agencies. In 2013, ProQuest took over publication and now offers the Statistical Abstract online. This comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic situation of the U.S. includes 1400+ individually indexed tables. Tables can be exported into a spreadsheet program such as MS Excel©.
Entries can be searched by keyword, but, since it is sometimes difficult to frame your question in the terminology used by government agencies, you can also browse by these broad subject areas:
- Population
- Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces
- Health and Nutrition
- Education
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Law Enforcement, Courts, and Prisons
- Geography and Environment
- Elections
- State and Local Government Finances and Employment
- Federal Government Finances and Employment
- National Security and Veterans Affairs
- Social Insurance and Human Services
- Labor Force, Employment, and Earnings
- Income, Expenditures, Poverty, and Wealth
- Prices
- Business Enterprise
- Science and Technology
- Agriculture
- Forestry, Fishing, and Mining
- Energy and Utilities
- Construction and Housing
- Manufactures
- Wholesale and Retail Trade
- Transportation
- Information and Communications
- Banking, Finance, and Insurance
- Arts, Recreation, and Travel
- Accommodation, Food Services, and Other Services
- Foreign Commerce and Aid<
- Puerto Rico and the Island Areas
- International Statistics
Because statistics research can be a bit daunting, ProQuest has created a special LibGuide to help you use the Statistical Abstract effectively.
CQ Researcher
The CQ Researcher is a unique periodical that devotes each monthly issue to 360 degree coverage of a controversial or timely topic. “CQ” stands for Congressional Quarterly, a related journal that covers public policy and politics.
Each issue of CQ Researcher provides an introductory overview; background and chronology on the topic; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; and bibliographies of key sources. But our favorite feature in each issue is a side-by-side column of opposing pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions. Recent issues featured topics such as:
- privacy and the Internet
- gun control and open carry
- Greek life on campus
- air pollution and climate change
- legalizing marijuana
- health insurance and manager care
- e-cigarettes
- pesticides
- relations with Cuba
- airline safety
- NFL controversies
- robotics and jobs
Consumer Data: Mintel and SRDS
Mintel
Mintel, also known as Mintel Oxygen, provides marketing reports on consumer purchasing, attitudes, and preferences, in addition to industry reporting on marketing, advertising, and product category trends. Mintel is a great place to look for topics such as consumer attitudes towards locally-sourced food or cruelty-free cosmetics. Many reports from this London-based firm are for UK data; the following categories are covered for US markets:
- beauty and personal
- drink
- technology
- food and foodservice
- health and wellbeing
- household
- lifestyles
- apparel
- travel
SRDS Local Market Audience Analyst
SRDS, the Standard Rate and Data Service, is a publisher that provides tools for the advertising industry. Formerly known as the “Lifestyle Market Analyst,” the Local Market Audience Analyst provides demographic and market data by geographic place (major metropolitan area or county) and by kind of market characteristics, lifestyle activities, or attitudes (for example, do gardening, like to try new foods, participate in sports, own a pet). This database takes a little effort to learn into but is unique in that it allows you to create a profile of consumers by place. You can create custom reports showing relationships between activities and the outlook for certain segments. PRIZM reports allow you to focus on specific demographic groups. We recommend the video tutorials to make the most of this resource.
ICPSR
The ICPSR (inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research) maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction, and offers training in quantitative methods to facilitate effective data use. The ICPSR archive offers a large number of data sets on social attitudes, opinions, and behaviors, as well as census and other statistical sources. The University of Arkansas is a member of ICPSR; current students, faculty, and staff any access and download ICPSR data sets.
ICPSR data sets are large and complex and best covered in a whole other blog post. But you can get started by browsing lists of the types of resources available or find out more about how the ITS Research Data Services can help you will data analysis.
And Don’t Forget…
The University’s very own Arkansas Poll, now in its 17th year. The mission of the Arkansas Poll is to supply timely, accurate, and impartial public opinion information on matters of policy and politics to public officials, researchers, students, and the public. Here you will find Arkansans’ answers to questions about public figures, political party affiliations and ideology, and life in Arkansas.
Other freely available sites include:
- the Gallup Poll, for daily survey results on current political, social, and economic issues
- Pew Research Center, especially useful for attitudes towards the Internet and technology
- the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, research reports on issues affecting people of color
Happy fact-finding!