Library Research Guides: Social Work: Find Data

General Data

Historical Statistics of the United States
- This link opens in a new window
Provides historical statistics for the states and the nation.
Historical Statistics of the United States (HSUS) provides quantitative facts about the U.S. and its states and territories. It expands and revises information provided in Historical Statistics of the U.S., previously produced by the U.S. Bureau of the Census (1949, 1960, and 1975). Footnotes and explanatory information provide instructional information about the data and sources of the data. Data is downloadable in Excel or CSV. Users may create custom tables. Product is searchable.
ICPSR
- This link opens in a new window
ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research) supplies the numeric raw data from a variety of sources, including survey research, censuses, and administrative records. PLEASE NOTE: User must create an account while on campus before they can access ICPSR while off campus. Please click "more" for additional details.
ICPSR holdings include several time series and other types of aggregate data. ICPSR datasets were originally collected for specific research or administrative purposes. However, the data have research potential that outlives the original purposes for which they were collected. ICPSR preserves these valuable data resources and makes them publicly available for secondary analysis. ICPSR Direct is a new service providing direct access to the ICPSR data holdings for all students, faculty, and staff at ICPSR member institutions.

ACCESS: Off-campus access is available but users must first create an account on-campus and log in on-campus every 6 months.
ProQuest Statistical Insight
- This link opens in a new window
Access to statistical content information produced by U.S. federal agencies, states, private organizations, and major intergovernmental organizations. Includes tables, statistical reports, publication abstracts, and datasets. Results are ranked by relevance. Faceted search results can then be filtered by document type, source, date published, geographic area, and more.
ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the U.S.
- This link opens in a new window
Online tables and charts of basic statistics about the social, political and economic conditions of the United States.
In print, the Statistical Abstract of the United States is a one-volume, comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Online it is 1400+ individually indexed tables (with attached spreadsheets), both searchable and browsable. Online edition includes:

-Line-item access to tables
-Updated monthly instead of annually
-Table-specific capabilities for narrowing results by source, data date, subject, type of data breakdown

The Statistical Abstract is a great place to begin a search for statistical information since the footnotes lead you to the original source, which most frequently is more comprehensive.

Government Data

Data Census (formerly American FactFinder)
Provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, users can search, browse, retrieve, view, map, print, and download Census data in various formats.
American Community Services
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Policy Archive
The Policy Archive is a free digital archive of non-partisan public policy research from the Center for Governmental Studies. It collects and disseminates summaries and full-texts, videos, reports, briefs, and multimedia material of think tank, university, government, and foundation-funded policy research. NOTE: Always check the think tank individually for specific bias.
Policy Innovations

ProQuest Congressional
- This link opens in a new window
ProQuest Congressional provides indexing and full-text access to various publications of the U.S. Congress. It provides easy search access to congressional publications and includes full-text of reports, bills and resolutions, and laws.

Use Advanced Search to select specific series included:
-Congressional Research Digital Collection
-Congressional Hearings Digital Collection
-House and Senate Unpublished Digital Collection
-ProQuest Congressional Record Permanent Digital Collection
-ProQuest Congressional Serial Set Maps Digital Collection
-ProQuest Statutes at Large
-ProQuest U.S. Serial Set Digital Collection
-Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations
-U.S Bills and Resolutions

Most publications are owned by IUB, either in print, on microfiche or electronically. IUB has been a Federal Depository Library since 1881. For specific assistance or to ask questions about using congressional publications, contact Government Information, Maps and Microform Services, located on the 2nd floor of the Herman B Wells Library. Email libpgd@indiana.edu or telephone 812-855-6924

Social Work

General Data

Government Data

Featured Databases

IU Libraries

Social Work

General Data

Government Data

Social media

Additional resources

Featured Databases

IU Libraries