Research Techniques: Using Statistics
Using statistics
Using accurate statistical data is a useful way of providing evidence and giving credence to your work and argument. In the section below we've given the details of statistical sites which are generally useful for students, as well as some examples of how they might be useful for different subjects. These examples aren't exhaustive, so it's worth taking a look at them even if they've not been flagged as being useful for your subject.
There may also be subject-specific statistical sources available for your subject area; take a look at your Subject Guides page to find more.
Are we missing a great source for data? Found something useful on one of these sites which we've not mentioned? Not quite sure how to get started with finding and using stats? Come and chat to a member of the Library team.
Statistics sites
Eurostat
Statistical information provided by the European Union. Useful for:
- Public Health students working on health care provision and health demographics
- Early Childhood Development & Learning students researching educational services in Europe
- Health & Social Care students looking into population and poverty rates
- Business Management and Leadership students looking at factors which may affect a business' success
- Cyber Security students researching internet security and the impact of digital technologies
- Policing students working on crime rates and prison systems
- Law students looking into European legal cases
The Office for National Statistics (ONS)
The UK's producer of official statistics. Useful for:
- Business Management and Leadership students looking into international trade, economic output and productivity, and employment and labour markets
- Early Childhood Development & Learning students researching national education data and qualification information
- Health & Social Care students developing an understanding of the health care system, drug and alcohol habits, and disability and mental health statistics
Research & Statistics (Gov.uk)
https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics
Replacing the former statistics portals for governmental departments including the Home Office and Department of Health, this site brings together impartial research and statistics which inform policy decisions. Useful for:
- Policing students looking into police workforce statistics and public perception of policing
- Early Childhood Development & Learning students looking into rural education and widening participation statistics
- Sport and Leisure Management students looking into the economic value of sports
Statista
Provides access to statistics gathered by market researchers, trade organisations, scientific publications, and government sources on over 600 industries. Useful for:
- Business Management and Leadership students researching media and advertising, global retail and trade statistics, and access to consumer goods
- Sport and Leisure Management students looking into global sporting statistics
- Cyber Security students looking into computer and smartphone sales
UK Census
https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/
Information from recent UK censuses. Useful for:
- Health & Social Care students developing and understanding of population groups, national age statistics
- Early Childhood Development & Learning students looking into student population and family demography
UK Data Service
https://ukdataservice.ac.uk/find-data/browse/
Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council to provided data and statistical information for students, teachers and researchers. Helpful to quickly find a range of data organised by themes like age, education, crime and health. Useful for:
- Health & Social Care students requiring data on poverty and social exclusion, ethnicity, and ageing
- Policing students looking into national crime data, criminal justice system data, and youth gangs and anti-social behaviour
Eurostat
Statistical information provided by the European Union. Useful for:
- Public Health students working on health care provision and health demographics
- Early Childhood Development & Learning students researching educational services in Europe
- Health & Social Care students looking into population and poverty rates
- Business Management and Leadership students determining European exchange and interest rates
- Cyber Security students researching internet security and the impact of digital technologies
- Policing students working on crime rates and prison systems
- Law students looking into European legal cases
OECD iLibrary
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/statistics
The online library of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), featuring analysis and data about key sectors of world nations. Useful for:
- Health & Social Care students researching social issues and global health services
- Business Management and Leadership students looking into global business development
- Early Childhood Development & Learning students developing an understanding of global education trends
Statistica
Provides access to statistics gathered by market researchers, trade organisations, scientific publications, and government sources on over 600 industries. Useful for:
- Business Management and Leadership students researching media and advertising, global retail and trade statistics, and access to consumer goods
- Sport and Leisure Management students looking into global sporting statistics
- Cyber Security students looking into computer and smartphone sales
UNESCO Statistics
Data about every UN member state (including the UK). Data overviews are split into 'Education and Literacy', 'Science, Technology and Innovation' and 'Culture'. Useful for:
- Early Childhood Development & Learning students looking into global education and literacy issues and technology in the classroom
- Acting students researching data on feature films and cinema engagement worldwide
United Nations Datasets
Statistics covering a wide range of topics including Education, Environment, Health, Development, National Accounts, Trade and Tourism. Useful for:
- Early Childhood Development & Learning students researching data on teaching staff and public expenditure on education
- Business Management and Leadership students looking into consume price indices and global trading partners
- Policing students researching global crime rates
United Nations Human Data Reports
Visual datasets to compare member nations on a variety of metrics within areas like health, gender, health and inequality. Useful for:
- Public Health students researching gender inequality data and global poverty rates
- Access students researching social issues and equalities
World Health Statistics
https://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/en/
Annually produced by the World Health Organisation, these reports provide comparative data about health issues from around the world. Useful for:
- Public Health and Counselling students researching global data on mental health and substance abuse resources
- Nursing students looking into worldwide immunization data and urban health
- Early Childhood Development & Learning students researching child health