Sociology: Find Data Resources

American FactFinder provides access to data about the United States, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas. The data in American FactFinder come from several censuses and surveys.

As the nation's health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health, safety, and security threats.

The Health Resources and Services Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services located in North Bethesda, Maryland. It is the primary federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"The mission of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is to provide statistical information that will guide actions and policies to improve the health of the American people. As the Nation's principal health statistics agency, NCHS leads the way with accurate, relevant, and timely data."

"To help communities, state governments, and federal programs, we ask about: age, sex, race, family and relationships, income and benefits, health insurance, education, veteran status, disabilities, where you work and how you get there, and where you live and how much you pay for some essentials. All this detail is combined into statistics that are used to help decide everything from school lunch programs to new hospitals."

"The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) -- the United States' primary source for criminal justice statistics. BJS mission:
To collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to federal, state, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded."

"The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is an independent national statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor. The BLS also serves as a statistical resource to the Department of Labor. BLS data must satisfy a number of criteria, including relevance to current social and economic issues, timeliness in reflecting today’s rapidly changing economic conditions, accuracy and consistently high statistical quality, and impartiality in both subject matter and presentation."

"These resources provide State and national data on the number of children in the child welfare system, trends in foster care caseloads, and well-being outcomes. Learn about sources of data and statistics on children and families in the child welfare system and considerations for understanding the limitations and potential use of the available data."

"The Statistics Division is committed to the advancement of the global statistical system. We compile and disseminate global statistical information, develop standards and norms for statistical activities, and support countries’ efforts to strengthen their national statistical systems. We facilitate the coordination of international statistical activities and support the functioning of the United Nations Statistical Commission as the apex entity of the global statistical system. The Statistics Division's main functions are: the collection, processing and dissemination of statistical information; the standardization of statistical methods, classifications and definitions; the technical cooperation programme; and the coordination of international statistical programmes and activities."

"The Pew Hispanic Center conducts and commissions studies on a wide range of topics with the aim of presenting research that at once meets the most rigorous scientific standards and is accessible to the interested public. The Center also regularly conductspublic opinion surveys that aim to illuminate Latino views on a range of social matters and public policy issues [including] criminal justice, demography, economics and personal finances, education, health care, Hispanic/Latino identity, immigration, political attitudes and values, technology adoption, [and] teens and youth work and employment."

"The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education."

"Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts."

The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, launched in 2001, seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. The Pew Forum conducts surveys, demographic analyses and other social science research on important aspects of religion and public life in the U.S. and around the world. It also provides a neutral venue for discussions of timely issues through roundtables and briefings."

"The Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends project studies behaviors and attitudes of Americans in key realms of their lives, including family, community, health, finance, work and leisure. The project explores these topics by combining original public opinion survey research with social, economic and demographic data analysis. It is one of seven projects that make up the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan 'fact tank' that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues. The Pew Research Center is an independent subsidiary of the Pew Charitable Trusts."

"The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Use the Abstract as a convenient volume for statistical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information both in print and on the Web. Sources of data include the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other Federal agencies and private organizations."