Social Work Library Resources: Statistics Sources
Databases, books and other library resources for social work research
Books about Statistics
- How to Lie with StatisticsUniversity of Iowa library record for the classic 1954 book.
- Basic statistics for social workersRecord for book in University of Iowa Library Catalog.
- Statistics and data analysis for social workersRocord for book in the University of Iowa Library Catalog.
- Encyclopedia of Measurement and StatisticsE-Book in University of Iowa Library Collection.
Finding stats in journal articles
1. Search in a relevant database for your topic.
2. Use terms like "statistics" or "data" or "quantitative analysis" to focus your results.
3. Some databases have specific ways to find statistics or data - use the help menu to find out how. PsycInfo, for example, lets you choose articles that report on specific methodolgies like Quantitative analysis or include auxiliary material including data sets.
4. For more specific advice, contact Dan the Librarian or another University of Iowa Librarian.
How to use Statistics
- The Research AssistantTheResearchAssistant is a comprehensive source of tips, tools, and information to navigate the world of behavioral science research, from formulating your question to getting your proposal funded.
Statistics Mapping
Use these tools to map health and other statistics for more powerful impact.
- Quick Health Data OnlineState- and county-level data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories and possessions. Data are available by gender, race and ethnicity and come from a variety of national and state sources. The system is organized into eleven main categories, including demographics, mortality, natality, reproductive health, violence, prevention, disease and mental health.
- Community CommonsCommunity Commons is an interactive mapping, networking, and learning utility for the
broad-based healthy, sustainable, and livable communities’ movement. Community Health Needs Assessment data comes from a variety of sources and includes:
Demographic Data: Who lives in the community?
Key Drivers Data: Where are the areas of greatest need within the target area?
Health Outcomes Data: What are the major health issues faced by the community?
Drivers of Health Data: What is causing the health issues identified?
Free personal account required.
- SimplyAnalytics This link opens in a new windowSubscription service available free to UI students, faculty and staff. Combine data about communities from the US Census, other public data as well as corporate research sources and marketing data.
Free personal account required.
- CDC - Community Health Status IndicatorsOverview of key health indicators for local communities including over 200 measures for each of the 3,141 United States counties.
- County Health Rankings and RoadmapsA collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
- Education MapsMapping system for National Center for Education Statistics data.
Sources of Statistics
This is a very incomplete list of statistics sources that might be helpful for Social Work questions.
- UI Library US Government Information pageLinks to more detailed sources of federal statistics.
- Statistical Abstract of the United StatesAnnual compilation of basic statistics from U.S. federal agencies. A good place to start looking for federal statistics.
- US Census BureauPopulation, demographic and economic data. Use the Census Bureau's American Factfinder tool for mining census statistics.
- Polling the NationsInsight into American life and opinions revealed by polls and surveys.
- SimplyAnalytics This link opens in a new windowMapping application that lets users quickly create professional-quality thematic maps and reports using powerful demographic, business, and marketing data. Can use census and other sources from within Simply Map or add your own data to create maps.
- Gapminder Worlda web-service displaying time series of development statistics for all countries.
Iowa Statistics
- State Data Center of IowaPopulation, housing, business and government statistics about Iowa, including data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Iowa state agencies, and other state and federal sources.
