GW Law Library: Library Guides: Science &amp; Social Science Research: Data & Statistics

General U.S. Government Websites

Census of Governments
Identifies the scope and nature of the nation's state and local government sector; provides authoritative benchmark figures of public finance and public employment.
Data.gov
A federal open government data site.
Data.census.gov
Provides access data and digital content America’s population, places, and economy from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)
Online database consisting of hundreds of thousands of economic data time series from scores of national, international, public, and private sources.
The National Academies Press
Publishes reports of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
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The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nongovernmental, nonprofit, and nonadvocacy organizations established in 1863 by President Lincoln. They are a source of high-quality, objective analysis and recommendations on science, engineering, and health matters. Most work is conducted through seven program areas: Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Earth and Life Studies, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Health and Medicine, Policy and Global Affairs, Transportation Research Board, and the Gulf Research Program.
Science.gov
A gateway to U.S. government science information, providing access to research and development (R&D) results and scientific and technical information from scientific organizations across 13 federal agencies.
USA.gov
Searches federal and state government websites, .mil & .edu government websites; powered by Bing.

Federal Agencies

Congressional Budget Office (CBO):

Climate and Environment
Energy and Natural Resources

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA):

Economic Research Service (ERS)
Conducts objective economic research in the areas of agriculture, food, the environment, and rural America.
Geospatial Data Gateway
A source for environmental and natural resources data.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture.

U.S. Dept. of Commerce:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Provides data on weather, climate, oceans and coasts, fisheries, and sanctuaries.

U.S. Dept. of Defense:

Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)
Provides access to DoD funded research and digital data.

U.S. Dept. of Energy:

Berkeley Lab: Electricity Markets & Policy
Publishes annual reports with renewable energy data, including the Land-Based Wind Market Report, Utility-Scale Solar report, and Tracking the Sun, and helps produce the U.S. Wind Turbine Database.
Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Collects, analyzes, and disseminates independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): Energy Analysis
Conducts objective analysis, develops tools, and builds data resources that inform the U.S. energy transition to a secure, clean, and affordable energy future.
U.S. Wind Turbine Database
Provides the locations of land-based and offshore wind turbines in the United States, corresponding wind project information, and turbine technical specifications.
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Developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), in collaboration with the American Clean Power Association (ACP) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS):

National Center for Environmental Health
Tracks environmental health data and information.

U.S. Dept. of the Interior:

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM): Current Marine Minerals Statistics
A dashboard shows information on a local, state and national level, including sand volume leased, lease and nourishment sites, and miles of coastline restored.
Oil and Gas Statistics
Statistical information compiled by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) relating to oil and gas leasing on Federal lands; includes data on BLM-administered oil and gas leases, applications for permit to drill, and oil and gas wells.
Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US)
(U.S. Geological Survey (USGS))
Official national inventory of U.S. terrestrial and marine protected areas (List of National Geospatial Data Assets) that are dedicated to the preservation of biological diversity and to other natural, recreation and cultural uses, managed for these purposes through legal or other effective means.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
The science arm of the Department of the Interior, USGS is a source of science-based information on ecosystems, land use, energy and mineral resources, natural hazards, and water use.

U.S. Dept. of Transportation:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE)
Sets CAFE standards for passenger cars and for light trucks (collectively, light-duty vehicles), and separately sets fuel consumption standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and engines.
Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)
Citations with selected full text to books, technical reports, conference proceedings, and journal articles in the field of transportation research; covers all modes and disciplines of transportation.
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Produced and maintained by the U.S. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies with sponsorship by State Departments of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

Energy Resources for State, Local, and Tribal Governments
Provides tools, data and technical expertise about energy strategies, including energy efficiency, renewable energy and other emerging technologies, to help state, local and tribal governments achieve their environmental, energy and economic objectives.
EnviroAtlas
A web-based tool that combines maps, analysis tools, and interpretive information on ecosystems in an effort to effectively measure and communicate the type, quality, and extent of services that humans receive from ecosystems so that their true value can be considered in decision-making.
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Developed collaboratively by EPA in partnership with the U.S.Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal and non-profit organizations, universities, and communities, including state,county and city-level stakeholders.
Envirofacts
A single point of access to selected U.S. EPA environmental data.
Geospatial Resources at EPA
Using place-based data, the Agency can identify, locate, and assess environmental factors key to EPA operations, such as gauging environmental risks, enforcing environmental regulations, and addressing potential homeland security issues, including the impacts of climate change.
How's My Waterway?
Launched June 18, 2020. Assembles publicly available water quality data into a user-friendly tool that provides information on the quality of U.S. waters at the community, state, and national level.
Research
(Office of Research and Development (ORD))
ORD is the scientific research arm of EPA. This page links to ORD's research products and tools.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC):

Data
Datasets include data on U.S. commercial nuclear power reactors for which licensing activities have been canceled, demographic data on U.S. commercial nuclear power reactors, current active commercial contracts, and daily power reactor status
Nuclear Reactor Quick Links
Data on operating power reactors, new power reactors, and decommissioning.
Sites Undergoing Decommissioning (by Location or Name)
Includes a map depicting the locations of sites that are currently decommissioning and provides links to their descriptions, which include site status summaries, any major technical or regulatory issues, and the estimated date for closure of each site.

Commercial Databases

ProQuest Statistical Insight
Provides access to statistics on a variety of topics produced by Federal agencies, states, and intergovernmental and international organizations.
Statista
Statistics and studies from more than 18,000 sources. Aggregates statistics and data sets from a variety of international free and proprietary sources, including industry and marketing. Data sets can be displayed in multiple graphical formats.
Proquest Statistical Abstracts of the United States
Published since 1878; an authoritative and comprehensive source for U.S. statistics on a variety of topics.

Research Organizations

Pew Research Center: Climate, Energy & Environment
A nonpartisan fact tank that conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis, and other data-driven social science research.
RAND Corporation: Energy and Environment
A research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous.
General Social Survey (GSS)
(NORC, University of Chicago)
Gathers data on contemporary American society in order to monitor and explain trends and constants in attitudes, behaviors, and attributes. Coverage is 1972 to date.
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Contains demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal questions, plus topics of special interest. Topics covered include: civil liberties, crime and violence, intergroup tolerance, morality, national spending priorities, psychological well-being, social mobility, and stress and traumatic events.
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
(Roper Center, Cornell University)
A comprehensive collection of public opinion survey datasets, focusing on surveys from the United States, although many surveys from Europe, Latin America and Asia are included, some dating back to the 1940s and 1950s.

Related Guides

Data & Statistics Research Guide
(GW Gelman Library)
Social Science Data Resources
(GW Gelman Library)

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Science & Social Science Research

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General U.S. Government Websites

Federal Agencies

Commercial Databases

Research Organizations

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