Government Statistics for Social Work Research
Jump to: Gateways & Compilations
| Agencies that Collect the Data | Indexes
| Internet |
Key gateways & compilations of statistical
data
- FedStats, the official gateway
to statistics from over 100 United States federal agencies.
- Statistics
on Child and Family Well-Being (part of the Child
Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children's Bureau, Administration
for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Links to both government and non-government statistical sources (with annotations
to identify the source).
- ChildStats.gov (Federal Interagency
Forum on Child and Family Statistics).
- Health and Human Services Data Council
Gateway to Data and Statistics.
- Indicators
of Welfare Dependence.
- AgingStats.Gov (Federal Interagency
Forum on Aging-Related Statistics)
- Sourcebook of Criminal Justice
Statistics.
- Changing America:
Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being by Race and Hispanic Origin.
This was published in 1998, so some data is getting old. However, each table
includes the data source(s), which can simplify finding updates.
- Statistical Reference Shelf
(FedStats) links to the most popular published collections of federal statistics
available online, including
Statistical Abstract of the United States. (Current and historical years
of Statistical Abstract of the United States are available online--this
includes most years from 1878 to the present; see the Library
Catalog record for print years of Statistical Abstract with the most
recent in the Oviatt Library Reference Room under the call number ref HA
202).
- Statistical
Abstract: State Abstracts offers a guide to State-level statistical
sources.
- Related Resources (non-government sources that include government statistics):
- Historical
Statistics of the United States (Oviatt Library subscription). This
digital (with print-format
edition also available) from Cambridge University Press updates
the Census Bureau's 1976 edition.
- Social Work Almanac
(print-format source) was published in 1995 by the National Association
of Social Workers. It is possible to update many of the tables by reading
footnotes, etc. to find out what agency or organization originally collected
the data, then using that information to find more current data.
- RAND California
(Oviatt Library subscription) includes approximately 100 statistical
databases about California covering population, social assisance programs,
child abuse, domestic violence, and more. Data is available at various
geographic levels; some of the databases cover the entire nation. Most
of the data comes from state or federal sources; check the source of
the data of interest to you.
Agencies that collect and publish statistics
Only a core group of organizations (most frequently government agencies,
particularly federal agencies) collect, analyze, and publish on a regular
basis extensive statistical data about social assistance programs in the United
States, child welfare, juvenile delinquency, poverty, health, population demographics,
and related topics. Once you know the organization that collects the type
of data in which you are interested, you can search their web site or catalogs
of their print publications. The government agencies which collect the statistics
most important for social work research are listed below.
Tip: Think about who would have cared about statistics
on the subject and how, as well as from whom, the data you would like to find
could have been collected; this often gives clues of where to look for statistics,
whether from a government agency, a professional association, a nonprofit
organization, or some other source. Remember also that local agencies often
collect statistics that are required by state or federal law, but these local
agencies may or may not publish these statistics themselves (and when the
data is published by the state or federal government the data may have been
tabulated at the state or national level only).
Jump to agency sites for: United States
| California | Other States |
U. S. Federal Departments & Agencies
Jump to federal agencies that focus on: Social
Assistance Programs, Health, & Education | Housing
& Homelessness | Population, Income & Demographics
| Crime & Justice |
Social Assistance Programs, Health, and Education
- Office of Policy provides statistics
on Social Security's old-age, supplemental security, and disability programs.
- National Center for Education Statistics
collects data about education at all levels. This includes topics such as
dropout rates, alternative schools, children at risk of educational failure,
school crime and safety. Search the site or use:
Housing and Homelessness
Population, Income, and other Demographics
- Subjects A to Z
offers an easy way to start exploring this agency's massive collection of
population and demographic information.
- State and County
QuickFacts makes it easy to find statistics about state, county, and
cities with over 25,000 population.
- Examples of Census Bureau links about specific populations:
- American
Factfinder is an interactive database providing access to demographic
and housing data from the 1990 and 2000 decennial censuses and American
Community Survey(sample data collected in the years since Census 2000)
. This includes data on population, race/ethnicity, age, language spoken
at home, income, work disability, educational attainment, family size, marital
status, and more. Oviatt Library offers two web pages with detailed instructions
for using American Factfinder to find decennial census data. (Note: these
instructions on using Fact Sheets and Detailed Data sets to find decennial
census data can also be used with the American Community Survey data set
to find more recent large city/county data.
Crime and Justice
California
- California Department of
Social Services
- Use the California pages in State
Agency Data Sites and State
Data Resources (Health and Human Services Data Council Gateway to Data
and Statistics) to identify other agencies and state-level data sources
relevant to your research interests.
- Local government agencies within the state, particularly those at the
county level, may also publish statistics of interest. Examples are:
- Related Resources (non-government sites that include government statistics):
- RAND California
(Oviatt Library subscription) provides easy access to statistics about
California; some databases cover the entire United States. An online
training exercise for this database is available.
- Local non-profit organizations often publish reports that combine
government data with local analyses. These reports can be very interesting,
but the user must critically
evaluate the information to determine the authority, objectivity,
and accuracy of the information before relying upon it. A Los Angeles
example of non-profit organizations that publish such reports is:
Statistics published by other states
Find more using indexes and the Internet
Indexes to Government Publications
- Catalog of United States
Government Publications indexes federal publications since 1976. This
database from the Government Printing Office offers advanced seaching options
and links to online publications. If you need materials published before
1976, use the print title Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications.
- American Statistics
Index
and Statistical Reference
Index are major print indexes that enable you to identify sources
for statistics published in the United States. American Statistics Index
covers statistics published by the federal government; Statistical Reference
Index includes, among others, statistics published by state and local
governments. The Oviatt Library owns these indexes in paper copy; the
latest are shelved on the Business Index Table in the Reference Room.
The online equivalent, the Statistical Universe database, is available
at some libraries.
Internet: Online Subject Guides and Search Engines
for Government Information
- Online research guides and subject guides from libraries can make it easier
to find the statistics you want. Examples include:
- Internet search engines that search specifically for government information
are particularly useful if you think the federal government or a state agency
collected/published the statistic you seek and you have been unsuccessful
in locating it other ways. Government sites often offer primary
source materials and other high-quality sources (which simplifies your
work since, before relying upon materials located on the internet, the user
must critically
evaluate the information to determine authority, objectivity, and accuracy
of the information). Examples of these specialized search engines include:
- Google's U.S. Government
Search searches .gov and .mil domains (which are reserved for United
States federal and state government entities) and other internet addresses
known to belong to United States federal, state and local governments
(though it seems less complete for local governments). Advanced Search
provides more options. An option to search all of Google is also available,
so pay attention to what you are choosing to search if you want the
more limited government search.
- USA.gov, the United States government's
official web portal. You can search government sites (both federal and
state) or browse by topic.
- FedStats Search, a search
function offered by the FedStats gateway to statistics from over 100
U.S. federal agencies.
- Site indexes and/or site search engines are available at many government
agency websites.
Created and maintained by Mary
M. Finley
Questions or comments: mary.finley@csun.edu
Links checked: 24 June 2009
