The University of Texas at Austin
School of Information
INF 382D Introduction to Information Resources and Services
Statistical Sources (Revised Fall 2009)
Publications:
1.
Carter, Susan B., et al., eds. Historical Statistics of the United States, Earliest Times to the
Present. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. PCL REF HA 202 H57 2006
2. Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau, 1878-. PCL REF
HA 202 U572 2009. http://www.census.gov/statab/www/
Sources, Including Agencies
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/default.htm
See the Website for information just for librarians.
Key statistics include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1957-.
Vital statistics (birth, mortality)
Health care
Immunization
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available at: http://stats.bls.gov/
See the Website, especially for tutorials, release calendar, historical data (dinosaur icon),
inflation calculator
Key statistics include:
1. Consumer Price Index (CPI)
2. Unemployment Rate
Key publications include:
1. Monthly Labor Review
2. Occupational Outlook Handbook
U.S. Department of Agriculture. National Agricultural Statistics Service. Available at:
http://www.nass.usda.gov/
1. Census of Agriculture [every 5 years; last census: 2007]
2. Historical data available from 1840-.
3. Special surveys: Census of Horticultural Specialities (once every decade)
U.S. Department of Commerce. Census Bureau. Available at: http://www.census.gov/
See the Website, for the link to the American Factfinder, the population clock, and the
population finder. Follow the link to the datasets to see what data are available. See the diagram of
Census Geography at: http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/epss/census_geography.html.
Key initiatives include:
1. Decennial Census [Required by U.S. Constitution in years ending with ‘0’]
2010 Census: 10 question form sent to each household
2. American Community Survey [sent to a sample]
Notes:
(a) asks questions that used to be on Census long form
(b) sample of households receive questionnaire each month
(c) 3 million addressed surveyed each year
(d) questions in 4 areas: social, economic, housing, demographic
(e) Check out the training material available through the ACS Compass Products:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/UseData/Compass/compass_series.html
3. Population Estimates [1 July each year after decennial census]
4. Economic Census [every 5 years in years ending I ‘2’ and ‘7’]
5. Annual Economic Surveys [>100 surveys]
Other publications:
1. County and City Databook. Available at: http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ccdb.html
2. Historical Statistics of the U.S. [colonial times to 1970] Linked from:
http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/hiscendata.html
U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences. National Center for Education Statistics.
Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/
Key initiatives include:
1.Library Statistics Program (academic and schools)
2. National Assessments of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
Key publications include annual reports:
1. Digest of Education Statistics [preK-graduate school]
2. The Condition of Education [developments and trends]
3. Projections of Education Statistics [past data and future projection]
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Available at: http://www.dhs.gov
Key publications include:
1. Estimates of the Legal Permanent Resident Population
2. Trends in Naturalization rates
3. Refugees and Asylees
4. Yearbook of Immigration Statistics [data on foreign nationals]
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Available at: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm
Key publications include:
1. Crime in the United States (CIUS) (annual), 1930-.
2. Hate Crime Statistics (annual), 1995-.
The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). [data sets from over 6000
studies]. See http://www.lib.utexas.edu/indexes/titles.php?id=544 for more information.