Data Sources for Marketing Research (BADM 476): U.S. Data sources: from Ag to Transportation

Federal agencies collect, compile, and distribute data and statistics on a wide range of topics. The major ones are listed below.

The source for the list below is Hartsell-Gundy (2014).  A summary of what statistics are provided by each agency may be found in the article:

• Hartsell-Gundy, J. (2014). Finding government statistics on the Internet: A compendium of major sources. College & Research Libraries News, 75(3), 148-152. Retrieved 6 May 2014 from http://crln.acrl.org/content/75/3/148.full.pdf+html.

Statistical agencies of the U.S. government and the kinds of statistics they provide:

• Agricultural economics statistics. Economic Research Service (ERS). http://www.ers.usda.gov/.
• Agricultural statistics and the Census of Agriculture. National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS). http://www.nass.usda.gov/. 
• Crime statistics and law enforcement statistics. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). http://www.bjs.gov. 
• Economic indicators.   Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). http://www.bea.gov. . See, especially, “The U.S. Economy at a Glance.”
• Educational statistics. National Center for Education Statistics. http://nces.ed.gov/. See, especially, fast facts (https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/).
• Energy production, consumption, emissions, and waste statistics. Energy Information Administration (EIA). http://www.eia.gov. 
• Health statistics. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/.  See especially, NCHS fast facts page (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/).
• Immigration statistics and more. Department of Homeland Security. http://www.dhs.gov. 
• Labor statistics, and, also, the key publications Occupational Outlook Handbook and Monthly Labor Review. Bureau of Labor Statistics. http://www.bls.gov. 
• Population, housing, and economic census statistics. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov. See, especially, American Factfinder.
• Science and engineering education and research statistics. National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/. 
• Social security statistics. Social Security Administration Office of Research Evaluation and Statistics (ORES). http://www.ssa.gov/policy/about/ORES.html. 
• Statistical Programs of the United States of America. https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-regulatory-affairs/statistical-programs-standards/. 
• Taxation statistics. Statistics of Income (SoI). http://www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Stats-2. 
• Transportation, travel, and freight statistics. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. https://www.bts.gov/. 

United States Census Bureau

HOW TO GET CENSUS BUREAU DATA:

• Use American FactFinder to access American Community Survey (ACS) data products.  Produces social, economic, housing, and demographic statistics for areas within the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Includes:
• Make your own datasets with ACS PUMS files. ACS provides Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) for more advanced users. These files contain individual-level datasets that you can tabulate on your own computer. Access in two ways:
  • Download the files from American Factfinder for use with software sucah as SAS or SPSS.
  • Use DataFerrett, an online access tool to create your own tabulations for download.

• Explore the available Census Data Tools and Apps.
• Go to main Census Bureau site and explore for data.

Some facts about the Census Bureau

Its mission is to be "the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy." Collects and distributes huge amounts of data on people and businesses at regular intervals:

• Population & Housing Census - every 10 years
• Economic Census - every 5 year
• Census of Governments - every 5 years
• American Community Survey - annually
• Economic Indicators - each indicator is released on a specific schedule, see the Economic Indicator Calendar

U.S. federal and state agencies gather and compile data on communities, economics, business, health, crime, and more. These sites are examples of some of the agencies that provide large data sets.