What is Statistics?
Statistics is a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of masses of numerical data. People also use the word statistics to refer to a collection of quantitative data.
Statistics are used all the time in the real world. Some fields where the use of statistics is common are:
- Medical field
- Weather forecasting
- Business
- Funding
Important Considerations
The best question you can ask yourself when trying to find statistics is:
Who/(what group) would be interested in collecting, analyzing, and publishing the data I am looking for?
For example, who would be interested in collection, analyzing, and publishing data on crime in the United States?
Answer: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The FBI publishes lots of crime reports and other data related to criminal justice.
It takes a lot of time, effort, and often money to create statistics. Because of this it is important to remember a few things:
- A group, agency, research, etc. must be interested in collecting, analyzing, and making available statistics
- The exact statistic you are looking for may not exist
- You may need to use older data than you originally wanted to
- For instance, the Census happens every ten years!
Places to Start
- Statista This link opens in a new windowStatista provides access to statistics and studies gathered by market researchers, trade organizations, scientific publications, and government sources on more than 600 industries. In addition to tables and charts, Statista also provides infographics and studies on selected industries and topics. Statista
Note: Remote access is restricted to UHV users. - Rand State Statistics - U.S. & Texas This link opens in a new windowRand Texas, a service of the nation’s leading think tank, is a portfolio of statistics on Texas and other states drawn from over 270 statistical databases in 14 categories: Population & Demographics; Health & Health Care; Business & Economics; Crimes, Prisons & Courts; Labor Force, Employment & Earnings; Energy; Environment, Resources & Weather; K-12 Education;Higher Education; Income, Expenditure, Wealth & Poverty; Social Insurance & Human Services; Transportation & Travel; Federal Government; State & Local Government. The Library's subscription includes U.S. and Texas statistics. Rand Corporation
- Explore Census Data This link opens in a new windowPlatform to access data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau.U.S. Department of Commerce
- USAFacts This link opens in a new windowUSAFacts is a new data-driven portrait of the American population, our government’s finances, and government’s impact on society. It relies exclusively on publicly available government data sources. USAFacts Institute
- Pew Research CenterPew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. You can search by keyword or browse by topic.
- World FactbookThe U.S. government's complete geographical handbook, featuring full-color maps and flags of all nations. Each country profile tracks such demographics as population, ethnicity and literacy rates, as well as political, geographical and economic data. Provided by the CIA