Consider the questions below, then try out the top resource recommendations listed on this page. Remember, you can always ask a librarian for help.
Defining the When and the What
What do I need to know about my topic before I start looking for statistics?
Define the 'When' and the 'What' before looking for statistics:
When: Are you looking for information about a single point in time? Do you want to look at changes over time? Do you need historical information? Current information?
Be prepared that the most current statistics may actually be a year or more old. There can be multiple year lags before some information is released, depending on how often the information is collected, the time it takes to process and crunch numbers, and the public release schedule.
What: Are you looking at a geographical area (nations, states, counties, cities)? A population demographic(defined by nationality, ethnicity, age, employment, etc.)? Units of currency? Remember to define your topic with enough flexibility to adapt to available information.
The strategies in this section are credited to the MSU Libraries How to Find Data & Statistics guide. Thank you!
Top 5 Recommendations for Criminal Justice
- Statistical Abstracts of the United States on ProQuest via NC LIVE This link opens in a new window
The Statistical Abstracts of the United States were compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, and represents a collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. ProQuest offers the most recent editions of the Statistical Abstracts.
- Crime in the U.S. Topic Report via Statista
This topic report, available through the library's Statista database, provides current statistics and facts about crime in the U.S. overall, and includes subsections for violent crime and property crime. - Bureau of Justice Statistics
The United States Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is a federal government agency belonging to the U.S. Department of Justice and a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. The bureau collects, analyzes and publishes data relating to crime in the United States. - Federal Sentencing Statistics by State, District, and Circuit (USSC)
The United States Sentencing Commission provides sentencing statistics for all states, circuits and districts for the years between 1993 and 2013. - Crime Data Explorer (CDE)
Presents data collected by the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, and is updated and expanded continually. Users can search by state or by data collection, such as the Arrests, Police Employment, or Crime collections.
Historical Statistics
- Statistical Abstracts of the United States 1878-2006 This link opens in a new window
The Statistical Abstracts of the United States were compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, and represents a collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
- National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD)Provides access to research in criminal justice and criminology through the preservation, enhancement, and sharing of digitized data; through the production of original research based on archived data; and through specialized training workshops in quantitative analysis of crime and justice data.
International Statisitics
- U.S. Census Bureau International Data BaseContains demographic, economic, and geographic data from Census Bureau studies of 228 countries. Includes measures of population, mortality, fertility, and net migration estimated for current and past years, that are used as the basis for projections to 2050.
- Unicef Statistics and Monitoring
UNICEF measures the situation of children and women and tracks progress through data collection and analysis. It maintains and updates global databases and promotes dissemination of evidence-based data for planning and advocacy. - Pew Global Attitudes Project
Conducts public opinion surveys around the world on a broad array of subjects ranging from people’s assessments of their own lives to their views about the current state of the world and important issues of the day.
