Research Guides: Communication and Media: Finding Data and Statistics

Finding data via the library

U-M Library provides access to various types of data (numeric, geospatial, textual data, "big data" as well as smaller datasets of both data and statistics). These data are available in various ways. Some may be unique datasets purchased separately or content available via a licensed data or statistics database. Access to some datasets may involve signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

About finding data

Finding Data guide
Strategies and resources for finding data across the social sciences including opinion surveys.
Finding Statistics and Data
Find data produced by governments on a wide variety of topics including data on local communities, other countries, criminal justice, incarceration and jails.
Geospatial Data
Subject guide for finding and using geospatial data. Includes tutorials for using elevation data to make contours, and using arial imagery layers to output imagery even more efficiently than Google Earth Pro.
News content for text mining
Textual datasets from select newspapers, available for text and data mining. Note that these are typically limited by date range.
Text and data mining for citation indexes
How you can go about retrieving content for text/data mining purposes from the major citation indexes to which we subscribe. A citation index is a bibliographic index which allows you to take a scholarly work (typically a journal article) and track its influence over time by identifying later works that cite the article.
Deep Blue Data (research data)
Repository for sharing and archiving research data that were developed at U-M.

Examples of unique data collections

CoreLogic Parcel Level Real Estate Data Aggregated data from individual, parcel-level real estate transactions and financial records. We have licensed access to Tax, Deed, and Foreclosure data at the parcel level for every county in the United States.
Web of Science citation indexes XML files - described here, available by request
Brandwatch (social media data - Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr - fill out a form for limited-time access)
Data Axle Formerly called Reference USA, or InfoGroup USA, white- and yellow-pages directory listings for all U.S. residences and businesses, supplemented with government information from the Bureau of the Census, etc. Searchable by ZIP code, SIC (Standardized Industrial Classification) codes, number of employees, etc. as well as by name, address, and telephone number. Check links in description for historical business (back to 1997) and consumer (back to 2006) data.

Data and statistics databases

Statista This link opens in a new window
A portal for current statistics from private and government sources on wide range of topics.
Sage Data This link opens in a new window
Create tables, charts and maps with wide range of variables using data from governments and private organizations. Subjects include health, crime, population, finance, industry, and marketing.