Facts, Opinions & Statistics
The following web sites can lead you to facts, opinions, statistics, and background information to support your news gathering and research.
- American Factfinder (Population, housing, economic, and geographic data from the U.S. Census. Use their tutorials to learn more.)
- Community Information by Zip Code (links to sources of demographic data by zip code, which is useful for finding information about the San Fernando Valley)
- A Compass for Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What the media need to know (guide on how to use the data from the American Community Survey on education, income, occupation, etc., which used to be found in the Decennial Census).
- Credo Reference ("Online reference collection providing access to a selection of over 240 reference works, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies and books of quotations.")
- FactCheck.org
- Gale Directory Library: Online access to directories: Brands and their Companies; Business Rankings Annual; Consultants and Consulting Organizations Directory; Encyclopedia of Associations: National Organizations of the U.S.; Market Share Reporter; and Scholarships, Fellowships & Loans.
- Gale Virtual Reference Library (encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources)
- Government Publications (Links to federal, state, and local sources of government information)
- JournalismNet ("An investigative guide to the Internet - the best tools, tricks and websites from around the world.)
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS)
- NewsBank Special Reports (Focus on topics of current interest, including current and background information, statistics, maps, images, web sites, and suggested search terms. Updated daily.)
- PolitiFact: Sorting Out the Truth in Politics
- Pretrieve: Free Public Records Search Engine
- Public Opinion Polls and Surveys
- Public Records Directory
- RefDesk.com--Reference, Facts, News
- Reporter's Desktop ("An investigative reporter designed the Reporter's Desktop as a launch pad for everyday work.")
- Roper Center for Public Opinion Research (Archives of public opinion surveys. Search the "iPOLL Databank," which is organized at the question level, from national public opinion surveys, 1935 to present. Search for datasets using "RoperExpress," which allows downloading of about 75% of public opinion studies conducted in the US and many recent studies from outside of the US.)
- San Fernando Valley Statistics and Facts
- Southern California Cities, Counties, and Subregions
- Statistical Data Sources
- USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal
- Virtual Gumshoe: Free Resources for Investigators
- Who is John Doe? ("and where to get the paper on him")