Tacoma Community College Library: PSYC 205: Introduction to Personality: Data & statistics

Statistics and data: Starting points and search tips

Tip: Add relevant keywords

Adding the keywords like statistics, infographic, data, report, etc. to your search terms can be a helpful starting point when searching online.

Google keywords for statistics

Tip: Do a site search for educational or government websites

Narrow down your results to specific types of websites with the site search tip. Add the phrase "site" with a colon -- site: -- and then add a domain, like .edu (for educational sites), .gov (for U.S. government sites), .org (for organizations), etc.!

Google site search for educational sites

Now you try!

Government statistics

Government agencies are often great places to begin for finding statistics. Why? Because they're often the organizations responsible for collecting statistics, particularly nationwide.

Data.gov
Data sets and applications for analyzing and presenting them, compiled by U.S. government departments and agencies.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
This is the primary Federal agency responsible for the collection, analysis and reporting of data related to education in the US.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Find information on employment, unemployment, inflation, wages and more.

National polling data

The Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center "is a nonpartisan “fact tank” that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world."
Gallup Polls
Another leading polling "think tank" that gathers current polling data on a wide variety of national and international issues. Click on "Resources" to view reports, datasets, and more.