Research Guides: Sociology: Reference & Background

Reference & Background

Social Issues: Background & Context

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A wonderful source for background information and context on a wide variety of social questions, from 1923 to the present.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
Summarizes contemporary social problems and questions and provides access to both academic, popular, and reference sources for each topic.

Sources for Statistics & Datasets

Need authoritative statistics? The sources below provide statistical reports, as well as access to some datasets.

American FactFinder (Census) Use this tool to create reports using the data from U.S. Census data (decennial census, American Community Survey, Puerto Rico Community Service, Economic Census, Population Estimates).
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Find stats on aging, alcohol, birth defects, diabetes, life expectancy, reproductive health, STIs, immunizations, injuries & violence, and more.
General Social Survey "The GSS contains a standard 'core' of demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal questions, plus topics of special interest. Many of the core questions have remained unchanged since 1972 to facilitate time-trend studies as well as replication of earlier findings. The GSS...has tracked the opinions of Americans over the last four decades" (GSS: Home).
Proquest: Statistical Insight Short-cuts to statistics about current events from government and private sector agencies, organized by topic and keyword-searchable.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Stats on employment, union membership, layoffs, jobless rate, compensation/salary/earnings, occupation details, and more.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Find reports on crop production, exports & sales, price forecasts, & the Agriculture Fact Book, which contains info on food safety, rural issues, natural resources, and education.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Read reports on environmental problems and questions (water, lead cleanup, acid rain, mercury, greenhouse gas emissions recycling, radon...)
U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Recidivism, population statistics, law enforcement, probation, & much more.

National Center for Education Statistics This link opens in a new window Datasets and analysis of longitudinal studies on students, info on educators, public policy, libraries, and more. Click "fast facts" or "data tools" to see some of the options.
Bureau of Justice Statistics This link opens in a new window Provides all kinds of data on justice-related topics: incarceration rates and other prisoner statistics, census of jails, crime, and more.
Historical U.S. Census Data This link opens in a new window
From the Univ of Virginia, an enormous amount of data from historical U.S. censuses. Create reports and tables and find details on U.S. population, human geography, and more.
ICPSR Data Holdings This link opens in a new window
FAQs and Help.
National Science Foundation This link opens in a new window
Stats for education, industry, labor force, public attitudes...
National Endowment for the Arts This link opens in a new window
Provides "...comprehensive accounts of trends and findings about artistic disciplines, arts employment, arts participation, and the arts’ value and impact in American life. These reports typically contain original research and detailed statistical analyses" (Research Publications: Research Reports).
Population Reference Bureau This link opens in a new window
Provides fascinating information about world population statistics, including an estimate of the total number of people who have ever lived, as well as data about income, poverty, disease, labor force, family structure, health, and more. Create charts and view maps by indicator.