Research Guides: How do I find data?: Social Sciences

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Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
Established in 1962, ICPSR is the world's largest archive of digital social science data. Search or browse title of study, principal investigator, words in abstract, or study number or simply browse major research categories.
Data.gov
Provides public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government.

UN Data
Search a number of UN statistical databases from a single search box. Search for statistics from all UN member nations on commodities, agriculture, health, greenhouse gases, development, gender, labor, population, tourism, food security and more.
Statista
This resource is only available from an on-campus wired or wireless connection. Statista consolidates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources, including consumer data, market research, social and cultural statistics, media and advertising data, and more.

General Social Survey (GSS)
A widely-used collection of survey data about the social & demographic characteristics of US residents. The National Opinion Research Center started administering the survey in 1972. The survey is currently administered every two years. Data is available for download.

SAGE Secondary Data Analysis by John Goodwin (Editor)
ISBN: 9781446246900
Publication Date: 2012-07-31
Highlighting both the theory and practice of secondary analysis and the use of secondary sources, this collection considers the nature of secondary analysis as a research tool; reflects on the definitional debates surrounding terms such as secondary analysis, data re-use and restudies; illustrates how secondary analysis is used in social science research; and finally reviews the practical, methodological and ethical aspects of secondary analysis.
Using Published Data by Herbert Jacob
ISBN: 9780803922990
Publication Date: 1984-11-01
The apparent authenticity of published data can be as dangerous as it is inviting. This guide points out the main dangers (sampling errors, measurement errors, and invalid or unreliable procedures) and analyses the various ways in which these problems arise, giving numerous examples.
Just Plain Data Analysis by Gary M. Klass
ISBN: 9781442215078
Publication Date: 2012-04-13
Just Plain Data Analysis is designed to teach students statistical literacy skills that they can use to evaluate and construct arguments about public affairs issues grounded in numerical evidence. With a new chapter on statistical fallacies and updates throughout the text, the new edition teaches students how to find, interpret, and present commonly used social indicators in an even clearer and more practical way.