The goal of this page is to connect you with the data you're looking for. If you are looking for help finding specific types of data, use the menu below to navigate to different pages.
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This is not an exhaustive compilation of data sources available. Need help finding data? Ask a librarian for help! Use the email, chat, or appointment buttons in the left column to get in touch with a librarian.
When looking for data, be specific about your topic so that you can narrow your search, but be flexible enough to tailor your needs to existing sources. Remember to define your topic with enough flexibility to adapt to available data! Data is not available for every thinkable topic. Some data is hidden (behind a pay-wall for example), uncollected, unavailable. Be prepared to try alternative data.
Think about
Unit of analysis: This is the population that you want to study (e.g. individuals, households, companies, crops, arrests, nations).
Geography: Geography or place (e.g. nation, state, county, metropolitan statistical areas, tracts, block groups).
Time period: This is the time period you want to study (e.g. point in time, change over time, current information, date range)
Frequency: How frequently the data is updated (e.g. annually, quarterly)
Think about who would be likely to collect data on this topic. Often, the answers are government agencies, organizations such as NGO or non-profits, international organizations, or researchers.
Data are often collected in repositories or reported in compendia and repots, which can be used as starting points.
Compendia, portals, and indexes: When data are likely to be compiled or reported, these tools allow you to search by topic and discover data and data producers. Some likely candidates could be:
Data collections, archives, and repositories: When data are likely to be shared by the researchers who produced them, they are likely to deposit the data in repositories. Some likely candidates could be:
Track what you find in the literature to discover data sources, understand the data landscape for a particular topic, and place your research into context with related research.
For extended projects, you will want to keep a research journal. Do your future self a favor and keep good records of what you find so you can retrace your steps.
What to record about a data download in a research journal
Steps adapted from the Data Reference Worksheet, Gould Library, Carleton College, rev. 2016. Kristin Partlo & Danya Leebaw. : https://goo.gl/1z6LBH, CCBYSA 4.0
Some sources found on these guides will not be available to UW users, but they are great guides and many resources found on these are free!
Data & Statistics Guides at MSU
Michigan State University Libraries
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
International Statistical Sources
Great guide by Michigan State University Libraries. Contains sources grouped by continent.