SHU Libraries Database Spotlight: ICPSR

Written By Sara Makler, Former Adjunct Librarian

The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (or ICPSR) is, as the name implies, a consortium of universities who seek to collect, preserve, and disseminate social science data. ICPSR contains a vast quantity of data available to the SHU community. The data includes studies and files in areas such as population, economics, education, health, social and political behavior, social and political attitudes, history, crime, aging, and substance abuse. This trove of data can help you with research for assignments. 

You can easily search by topic and find data and the publications associated with it. This allows the use of these publications with an eye towards the actual data as well as the authors’ use of that data, enabling you to gain a familiarity with the use of raw data that you may not otherwise obtain. 

This is extremely useful. To get to ICPSR, go to the library homepage at https://library.shu.edu/home and click on Databases. 

Once on the database page, use the Search box to find “ICPSR”. 

 Alternatively, go directly here: https://library.shu.edu/ICPSRsite 

For more information about data resources at SHU, please visit: https://library.shu.edu/data 

For more information about Data Ethics, please visit: https://library.shu.edu/dataethics 

 

SHU Libraries Database Spotlight: PolicyMap

Written By Sara Makler, Former Adjunct Librarian

At SHU, we have access to some great resources that will help you with your assignments and researchOne of them is PolicyMap. 

PolicyMap is an online mapping and geographic information system (GIS) tool with access to a wide range of data, including demographics, real estate, health, jobs, and more. This allows you to create a map of a given area – an address or a zip code – and look at the assorted data for that area. You can use the existing data or upload your own, which will allow you to visually analyze your data. You can then save, download and print your map to use in presentations or in your own research. 

This is an excellent tool! To use it, go to the library homepage at https://library.shu.edu/home and click on Databases. 

Once on the database page, use the search box to search for PolicyMap. 

Alternatively, go directly here: https://library.shu.edu/PolicyMap 

For more information about data resources at SHU, please visit: https://library.shu.edu/data 

For more information about Data Ethics, please visit: https://library.shu.edu/dataethics 

SHU Libraries Database Spotlight: Statista

Written by Sara Makler, Former SHU Adjunct Librarian

Statista is one of the world’s largest providers of statistical data. It consolidates data from over 22,500 sources from around the world, related to over 80,000 topics. If you are working on an assignment that requires statistical data, you are likely to find something on Statista. In addition to the raw data, Statista provides related studies that can help with research assignments. While Statista is known among business and marketing majors, it has data about numerous other topics, such as social sciences and health. 

Statista will benefit your research in almost any assignment that calls for data use. At SHU, you can find it here: https://library.shu.edu/statista 

Or follow the instructions below to get there. 

Go to the library homepage at https://library.shu.edu/home and click on Databases. 

Once on the database page, use the search box to search for Statista. 

For more information about data resources at SHU, please visit: https://library.shu.edu/data 

For more information about Data Ethics, please visit: https://library.shu.edu/dataethics