Data sources (statistics): Home

Welcome to the Data Sources (published statistics) guide.  This guide provides some general information about finding statistics sources on the Home tab, and lists specific sources on the tabbed pages.  If you are looking for US Census materials, check out the United States--General tab.  If you want statistics sources related to crime in the United States, look on the United States-- Subject Areas tab.  And for United Nations information, refer to the International tab.

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If you are looking for statistics, these titles give you specific details about statistics that have been collected AND published.  ProQuest Statistical Insight includes abstracts with citations to the publishing source of additional data.  Statistics Sources is a print publication that is useful to identify publications that contain more specific topics than are included in this guide.

WorldCat Local is the resource to search for books, media, and serials that are in many libraries, including the Boise State University Albertsons Library.  Publications in which there are many statistics published will have a subject sub-heading of “statistics”.  Those that are produced in a series will have a subject sub-heading of “periodicals”. 

For example, the subject and subject heading for the Statistical Abstract of the United States: National Data Book is:

United States --Statistics –Periodicals

To find additional publications that contain statistics, use this knowledge about the subject headings in your WorldCat Local search. 

Go to the WorldCat Local, Advanced Search page.

In the first text box, type a generic subject like:
Health
Keep the drop down menu to the left of the text box set at: “Keyword:”

Now, in the second text box, type:
statistics periodicals
Change the drop down menu to the left of the text box to: “Subject:”

Click Search

Review the results, change parameters as necessary.  Ask if you have questions!

WorldCat Local is the database searched from the text box in the middle of the Library's home page (http://library.boisestate.edu).  Under the search box, there is a link to the Advanced Search.  When looking at the results, check for the "Boise State University Albertsons Library" tag indicating the title is in the Library collection.  The Library's material will display first in the results list.

Government agencies produce a large number of the statistical publications.  If you have a reference for a document published by a United States government agency, first check WorldCat Local.  Searching by the source title is the quickest search. 

Call numbers beginning with the prefix Doc Dept are located on the 4th floor.  Some government documents are on microfiche, located on the 3rd floor.

Not all of the government documents that are in the Library are represented in WorldCat Local.  To determine whether the Library has a document, first find the Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) number.  If the item was published after 1976, go to the GPO Monthly Catalog OR the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications and search for the item.  For older publications, search the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications [print: 1912-1924, 1937-1995, Doc Dept GP 3.8: ; microfilm: 1895-1958,  3rd floor Government Documents cabinets (at the end after the SuDocs microfiche)].  Then check both the print documents and the documents on microfiche for that SuDocs number.  If you need help, ask a reference staff.

Many government documents are now available online (but not all).  The web portal USA.gov specializes in searching for online government materials.  You can also look through machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the U.S. federal government at Data.gov.

Assistance is available at the reference desk.