No.
1
Data
Computer and
Internet
Penetration
(Table 1i)
2
Electronic
Device
Penetration
(Table 2)
3
Smartphone
Penetration
Among Mobile
Subscribers
(Table 3)
Data Description
The special Internet Use Supplement of the Consumer
Population Survey’s (US Census/BLS) periodically surveys
about 50,000 households and 129,000 individuals in the
U.S. about their computer and internet use. Tables
depicting trends by various demographics are also
available. Microdata may be available.
Pew, a nonprofit, nonpartisan “fact tank,” surveys
individuals on a variety of topics. Of particular interest
is their Internet and American Life Project. A large
number of questions about internet use are asked,
though some inconsistently, in their surveys. Raw data is
available to researchers. Summary statistics are
available as well, split up by adults (18+) and teens (1217).
Link
http://www.ntia.
doc.gov/data/CP
S2010_Tables_
Comscore uses software voluntarily installed on millions
of computers to record consumers’ online activity and
purchase behavior. In addition to data for purchase
(may be available through Wharton’s WRDS), various
statistics can be gleaned from press releases.
http://www.com
score.com/Press
_Events/Present
ations_Whitepap
ers/2010/The_2
009_U.S._Digital
_Year_in_Review
http://pewintern
et.org/StaticPages/DataTools/DownloadData.aspx
http://www.com
score.com/Press
_Events/Present
ations_Whitepap
ers/2011/2010_
US_Digital_Year_
in_Review
4
Time Spent on
Internet
(Table 4)
5
Internet Service
Provider
Revenues
(Table 5)
Forrester Technographics uses an annual mail survey of
approximately 40,000 households, intended to be
nationally representative. Data is available for
purchase.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Service Annual
Survey collects data on quite a few revenue variables,
expenditures variables, etc., from a sample of companies
in a variety of sectors. This data is used to generate total
http://www.com
score.com/Press
_Events/Present
ations_Whitepap
ers/2012/2012_
Mobile_Future_i
n_Focus
http://www.forr
ester.com/home
http://www.cens
us.gov/services/i
ndex.html
6
7
Average Annual
Expenditures on
Internet Access
by Consumer
Units (Table 6)
US Ecommerce
Expenditures
(Table 11)
8
The number of
Internet hosts
(Figure 1)
9
The number of
unique visitors
to selected top
websites
(Table 12)
industry estimates. Reporting is mandatory, so the
response rate is excellent. Due to the privacy concerns
of companies reporting, micro data is not available.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor’s Consumer Expenditure Survey
consists of two surveys – the Quarterly Interview Survey
and the Diary Survey. Respondents report their buying
habits and expenditures, as well as demographic
variables. Micro data is available.
See the description for Comscore.com in 3.
The Internet Systems Consortium Domain Survey reports
discovered website hosts (proxy for websites). The free
data reports total worldwide hosts. Disaggregated data
is available for purchase.
See the description for Comscore.com in 3.
http://www.bls.g
ov/cex/
http://ir.comscor
e.com/releasede
tail.cfm?ReleaseI
D=244657
http://ir.comscor
e.com/releasede
tail.cfm?ReleaseI
D=244666
http://www.com
score.com/fre/Pr
ess_Events/Press
_Releases/2007/
01/ECommerce_Figur
es_2006
http://www.com
score.com/Press
_Events/Present
ations_Whitepap
ers/2010/The_2
009_U.S._Digital
_Year_in_Review
http://www.com
score.com/Press
_Events/Present
ations_Whitepap
ers/2011/2010_
US_Digital_Year_
in_Review
http://www.isc.o
rg/solutions/surv
ey
http://ir.comscor
e.com/releasede
tail.cfm?ReleaseI
D=244666
http://www.com
score.com/Press
_Events/Press_R
10
The number of
newspapers and
total daily
circulations
(Figure 2)
The Newspaper Circulation Volume Data in from Editor
and Publisher Yearbook’s provides newspaper count,
circulation, and expenditures for members of the
Newspaper Association of America (believed to be most
newspapers operating in the U.S.).
11
Internet
advertising
revenues
(Table 13)
The IAB, an advertising business organization, comprised
of many members responsible for selling 86% of online
advertising in the U.S., reports their estimates of total
internet advertising revenues in the U.S. yearly.
12
Employment
Statistics for IT
The Statistics of U.S. Businesses provides information on
number firms and employment by firm size, geographic
eleases/2006/01
/2005_ECommerce_Figur
es
http://www.com
score.com/esl/Pr
ess_Events/Press
_Releases/2008/
01/Top_50_US_
Web_Sites
http://www.com
score.com/Press
_Events/Press_R
eleases/2007/02
/Top_US_Online
_Properties
http://www.com
score.com/esl/Pr
ess_Events/Press
_Releases/2008/
01/Top_50_US_
Web_Sites
http://www.com
score.com/Press
_Events/Press_R
eleases/2011/1/
comScore_Medi
a_Metrix_Ranks
_Top_50_U.S._
Web_Properties
_for_December_
2010
http://www.naa.
org/Trends-andNumbers/Circula
tion/NewspaperCirculationVolume.aspx
http://www.iab.
net/insights_res
earch/industry_d
ata_and_landsca
pe/adrevenuere
port
http://www.cens
us.gov/econ/sus
13
14
i
industries
(Table 14)
Trend in
Keyword Search
Frequencies
(Figure 5)
Frequency of
Words in Books
(Figure 6)
region, and industry.
b/
Google Trends reports the trends in frequency of search
terms on Google. The site allows one to quickly compare
frequency across words over time. However, the relative
frequency data appear to be rounded when comparing
multiple words. This rounding precludes direct
comparison between words occurring at very different
frequencies.
Google Ngrams reports the frequency at which words
and phrases are used in books by publication year dating
far back in time, elucidating trends. The website allows
quick comparisons over time across a few words. The
underlying data is downloadable, though the files are
quite large.
http://www.goo
gle.com/trends/
http://books.goo
gle.com/ngrams/
The table numbers refer to the tables in the accompanying paper by B. Shiller, “The Internet and the Economy –
An Overview”