LibGuides: Sociology: Websites and Data Sources

Online Resources

Kentucky Center for Statistics
The Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS) collects and links data to evaluate education and workforce efforts in the Commonwealth. This includes developing reports, responding to research requests, and providing statistical data about these efforts so policymakers, practitioners, and the general public can make better informed decisions.

Kentucky County Data Profiles (CEDIK) This link opens in a new window
Two-page profiles for all 120 counties in Kentucky on the following topics: Agriculture and food, Economic, Healthcare, Retail Sector, Small Business and Workforce.
Kentucky State Data Center This link opens in a new window
Assists private, corporate, and nonprofit citizens of Kentucky with locating data they need for analysis and decision making. Contains demographic data, census surveys, economic data, and maps.

Explore Census Data
The Census Bureau is the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy.

Data.gov This link opens in a new window
Data.gov is the home of the U.S. Government's open data. It contains Federal, state and local data, tools, and resources to conduct research.

Bureau of Economic Analysis
Find information on such issues as economic growth, regional economic development, inter-industry relationships, and the nation's position in the world economy.
Bureau of Justice Statistics
The Bureau of Justice Statistics collects, analyzes, publishes, and disseminates information on crime, criminal offenders, crime victims, and the justice system in the United States.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Presents data on labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Presents data on labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy.
Explore Census Data
The Census Bureau is the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy.
CISER Data Archive - Internet Data Sources for Social Scientists
The Cornell Institute for Social & Economic Research. Not all datasets on this site are available to public use, but many are.
Election Studies
Gallup
Provides data-driven news based on U.S. and world polls, daily tracking and public opinion research.
General Social Survey
For more than four decades, the General Social Survey (GSS) has studied the growing complexity of American society. It is the only full-probability, personal-interview survey designed to monitor changes in both social characteristics and attitudes currently being conducted in the United States.
Lugar Center Bipartisan Index
The Lugar Center-McCourt School Bipartisan Index is a means of quantifying congressional members’ bipartisan behavior on the basis of bill sponsorship and co-sponsorship.
National Center for Education Statistics
The primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations
Office of Immigration Statistics
Since the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Office of Immigration Statistics has responsibility to carry out two statutory requirements: 1) to collect and disseminate to Congress and the public data and information useful in evaluating the social, economic, environmental, and demographic impact of immigration laws; and 2) to establish standards of reliability and validity for immigration statistics collected by the Department’s operational Components.
The Urban Institute
The Urban Institute gathers data, conducts research, evaluates programs, offers technical assistance overseas, and educates Americans on social and economic issues — to foster sound public policy and effective government. This page link provides a listing of topic or research areas.

Data.gov This link opens in a new window
Data.gov is the home of the U.S. Government's open data. It contains Federal, state and local data, tools, and resources to conduct research.

UN Data
EuroSTAT
An aggregated database of statistics for all EU countries.
OECD Statistics
Includes data and metadata for OECD countries and selected non-member economies.

World Factbook This link opens in a new window
US government profiles of countries and territories around the world. Information on geography, people, government, transportation, economy, communications, and so on.

Internet Archive This link opens in a new window
A digital collection of text, audio, moving images, and software from libraries and museums all over the world in order to prevent digital artifacts from "disappearing." This non-profit provides free access to researchers, historians, scholars, the print disabled, and the general public.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window
Opposing Viewpoints in Context helps students research, analyze and organize a broad variety of data for conducting research, completing writing assignments, preparing for debates, creating presentations and more. Includes different information formats, include statistics, opinion, news, and peer-reviewed articles.
Pew Research Center This link opens in a new window
The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.
Policy Archive This link opens in a new window
PolicyArchive is an innovative, new digital archive of global, non-partisan public policy research. It makes use of the power, efficiency, and economy of modern Internet technology to collect and disseminate summaries and full texts, videos, reports, briefs, and multimedia material of think tank, university, government, and foundation-funded policy research.
Country Studies This link opens in a new window
Presents a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world. Most studies were completed between 1988-98 and have not been updated.

The Socjournal
Socjournal is a new media journal intended to offer sociologists a window into the world of new media communications. Recognizing that traditional scholarly publication in traditional scholarly journals is limited, slow, and isolated (i.e. sociological research is hidden behind an academic wall, impenetrable to most people), the Socjournal aims to bring sociology to the world by providing blog space, regular columns, and academic reports designed to popularize and disseminate research.
Sociological Cinema
The Sociological Cinema is created and edited by Lester Andrist, Valerie Chepp, and Paul Dean. Launched in 2010, TSC is a resource for using video and pop culture to teach and learn sociology.
Everyday Sociology Blog
Why do rumors spread? What does your choice of clothing tell people about you? Our everyday lives are prime material for sociology. On the Everyday Sociology Blog, you can view commentary from sociologists across the USA on topics ranging from current events to the mysteries of our daily lives. You'll find an accessible and entertaining glimpse at the discipline of sociology.

Evaluating Web Sources

Before you use a website for an assignment, ask yourself if the site is suitable as a research source. There are different ways to evaluate a website, but they all center around asking yourself questions about the site, who created it, when and why. Answering these questions will help you understand the websites:

Purpose: Why was it created?
Authority: What are the author’s credentials?
Scope/Coverage: What does it include and leave out?
Accuracy: Is the information provided correct?
Currency: When was it created or last updated?
Objectivity: What is the author’s or sponsor’s point of view?

Sociology Organizations

American Sociological Association
The American Sociological Association aims to articulate policy and implement programs likely to have the broadest possible impact for sociology now and in the future.
International Sociological Association
The goal of the Association is to advance sociological knowledge throughout the world. In its structure, the Association recognizes the aspirations of sociologists in all parts of the world and endeavors to support and strengthen the free development of sociology in cooperation with similar associations of social scientists.
Social Science Research Council
SSRC fosters innovative research, nurtures new generations of social scientists, deepens how inquiry is practiced within and across disciplines, and mobilizes necessary knowledge on important public issues.
Anthropologists and Sociologists of Kentucky
ASK brings together Anthropology and Sociology professors, students, and practitioners to promote scholarship, teaching, and professional solidarity.