The following links are repositories where you can search for different data. Note that these websites will point to both free and pay sources for data, and to both raw data and processed statistics.
Be specific about your topic so that you can narrow your search, but be flexible enough to tailor your needs to existing sources.
Remember to define your topic with enough flexibility to adapt to available data!
Data is not available for every thinkable topic. Some data is hidden (behind a pay-wall for example), uncollected, unavailable. Be prepared to try alternative data.
These are some of the main types of data producers:
Government Agencies
The government collects data to aid in policy decisions and is the largest producer of data overall. For example, the U.S. Census Bureau, Federal Election Commission, Federal Highway Administration, and many other agencies collect and publish data. Government data is free and publicly available but may require access through library resources or special requests.
Non-Government Organizations
Many independent non-commercial and nonprofit organizations collect and publish data that supports their social platform. For example, the International Monetary Fund, United Nations, World Health Organization, and many others collect and publish data. Data from NGOs may be free or fee-based. The library subscribes to many NGO data resources, so be sure to check the library’s e-resources pages or catalog.
Academic Institutions
Academic research projects funded by public and private foundations create a wealth of data. For example, the Michigan State of the State Survey, Panel Study of Income Dynamics, American National Election Studies, and many other research projects collect and publish data. Much of this type of data is free and publicly available but may require access through library resources. Access to smaller original research projects may be dependent upon contacting individual researchers.
Private Sector
Commercial firms collect and publish data as a paid service to clients or to sell broadly. Examples include marketing firms, pollsters, trade organizations, and business information. This information is almost always is fee-based and may not always be available for public release. The library does subscribe to some commercial data services, particularly through the business library.
Use the tabs at the top of this guide to find links to open access data websites. These data sites allow you to export data so you can personally play with them.