Data Set:A collection of related data items, such as the answers given by respondents to all the questions on a survey. Vogt, W. Paul. Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology. 1993.

The following is a select list of recommended starting points for locating data set resources on the world-wide web, primarily in the social sciences. The list is organized by the domain classification for the web link, i.e., com, edu, gov, org, as well as a few key topical examples.  Also included are links to information on downloading and citing data sets.  This web page was prepared originally for use at the faculty workshop on Locating Data Sets at Skidmore College, May 1997. 

Finding Aids:

• Scout Report 

The flagship publication of the Internet Scout Project, from the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides a fast, convenient way to stay informed of valuable resources, including datasets, on the Internet. A team of professional librarians and subject matter experts select, research, and annotate each resource.  The Scout Report Archives are a searchable and browseable collection of over seven years' worth of the Scout Report and subject-specific Scout Reports.
• Statistical Universe  

Search the abstracts and index to U.S. & state governments and privately published & international and intergovernmental statistical sources (ASI, SRI & IIS) from Congressional Information Service, Inc. Then link to the full-text of selected publications on Statistical Universe and government Web sites.
• Yahoo! -- Social Sciences/Social Research/Data Collections 

• Research Resources for the Social Sciences: Data Archives (McGraw-Hill Ryerson)

An international list of links to social science data archives. 
• Social Science Electronic Data Library (Sociometrics Corporation)

Fee charged for acquiring data archives. 

Top

• CISER: Internet Data Resources for Social Scientists (Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research)  A very useful list of data sets directly accessible on the internet.
• Data and Program Library Service (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Data and Program Library Service (DPLS) is the central repository of data collections used by the social science research community at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Particularly useful at this site, Internet Crossroads provides links to social science data and information across the Internet. Within each section of Internet Crossroads the links are organized by subject, then alphabetically. 
• Data on the Net (UC San Diego)

Search or browse UCSD's listing of 748 Internet sites of numeric Social Science statistical data, data catalogs, data libraries, social science gateways, addresses and more. 
• ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research,U. Michigan)
The world's largest archive of computerized social science data.  Skidmore is now a member of ICPSR. 
• Murray Research Center (Radcliffe College)

The Henry A. Murray Research Center of Radcliffe is a center for the study of lives over time. 
• Roper Center for Public Opinion Research (U. Connecticut)

Largest collection of polling and public opinion data. 
• Social Sciences Information Gateway (University of Bristol,UK)

A searchable catalog of social science resources including data sets. 
• UC DATA (UC Berkeley)

Data archive for political, social and health sciences. Limited public access available. 

• Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS, U.S. Dept. of Justice)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, U.S Dept. of Labor)
• Census Bureau (Dept. of Commerce)

Provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. 
• FEDSTATS (Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy)

Links to statistics and information from more than 100 agencies in the U.S. Federal Government. 

Top

• Council of European Social Science Data Archives

CESSDA promotes the acquisition, archiving and distribution of 
electronic data for social science teaching and research in Europe. A clickable map of social science data archives worldwide is available. 
• Data Resources for Sociologists (American Sociological Association)

ASA provides one of the best links to specific data sets for sociologists. 
• SEDAC: Data Resources (Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center)

SEDAC focuses on human interactions in the environment. Its mission is to develop and operate applications that support the integration of socioeconomic and Earth science data and to serve as an "Information Gateway" between the Earth and social sciences. 

• MicroCase Data

MicroCase data files, available free of charge to anyone at Skidmore, compiled by Prof. William Fox, Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work. 
• Sources of Data Sets on the Internet

A short list of topical datasets compiled by Prof. Bob Jones,Statistics Resource Person, Skidmore College. 
• Ready-to-Use SPSS Data Sets

A list of data sets readily available on the Skidmore network for use in SPSS. 

Top

• General Social Survey (National Opinion Research Center, U. Chicago)
  Monitoring contemporary American society since 1972. 
• National Election Studies (NES,Center for Political Studies, U. Michigan's Institute for Social Research) NES provides data on voting, public opinion, and political participation. 
• Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID, U.Michigan's Institute for Social Research) PSID is a longitudinal survey of U.S. families and their members. 
• Social Change Data

An annotated set of social change data links by Gene Shackman, a PhD in sociology from SUNY Albany. 

•   Many datasets provide downloading instructions on the web. Read the

  instructions carefully and remember to include the codebook. 
•   For assistance with downloading datasets from the web contact CITS helpdesk,   x5900.

• How to Cite Computer Files (U. Wisconsin)
• Internet Citation Guides (U. Wisconsin)