CHAPTER: 15

STATISTICS SOURCES

This chapter discusses and describes the uses of statistical information.

 

Sometimes what you need to clinch an argument or support an opinion is...NUMBERS!  Numbers that tell, for example: how many Californians have moved to Idaho since 1970, what was the gross domestic product of Japan in 2000, or how the U.S. crime rate has changed over the past 50 years. 

Where should you look for this kind of information? Well, since 1878 the most reliable, convenient source for statistics about the United States has been a book entitled STATISTICAL ABSTRACT OF THE UNITED STATES (ref HA202; most recent ed. at the ref. desk). Published annually since 1878, this compilation swarms with statistics about virtually every aspect of American life. A detailed subject index guides you through thousands of graphs and tables, many of which compare the current year with earlier years.  The index will help you find the information you need but keep in mind the numbers given refer to tables rather than page numbers.  Each table provides extensive numerical data gathered from specific government agencies, sources, and publications.  To find the source of the information given in a particular chart or table look at the bottom of each.   
 
There also is an Internet version of STATISTICAL ABSTRACT OF THE UNITED STATES: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ .  Not only is it much more comprehensive than the printed version, but it also permits keyword searching. It also allows you to download or print results, which can prevent a lot of the mistakes that occur when statistics are hand-copied. Unfortunately, searching the Internet database successfully does take quite a bit of practice and also a lot of guessing regarding keywords.
 
For statistical data on the Federal government, its branches, and numerous private organizations and state governments can be found in the LexisNexis Statistical database, available on the Library's Find Articles link. 
 
The Library website also provides several links to government statistics. The most useful of these is the STAT-USA/Internet, which is accessible through the Articles, Databases link. STAT-USA has two parts. State of the Nation contains historical economic and financial releases and economic data. GLOBUS & NTDB contains current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, country analysis, and our trade library, the National Trade Data Bank (NTDB).

Other sources of government statistical information can be found on the Library website under Government Information, click on Statistics in the QUICK LINKS column on the right.   

For statistical information about foreign countries, THE STATESMAN'S YEARBOOK (ref JA51.S7) is concise, reliable, and widely available. Published annually since 1864, it contains social, economic, and political statistics for every country in the world, along with informative essays about the year’s events. 

Another great resource for foreign country data is the WORLD FACTBOOK (ask at the reference desk for the latest edition), published by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).  Considered a "classified" resource until 1971, the WORLD FACTBOOK provides brief but detailed intelligence of every country in the world.  It includes country profiles based on categories such as communications, economy, transnational issues, geographical coordinates, and more.  It is also available online at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html  

Click on link to go to the Assignments page and print Assignment FIFTEEN

http://library.boisestate.edu/skills/locate/assignments.htm