Research Guides: Analytics and Information Systems: Find Data Sources

General Data Sources

If you are asked to find your own dataset to use for a BDAN project, the resources in this box and the box below can help you. All are reputable sources with vetted data. Contact your librarian (shown on the right) if you need help navigating any of them.

Google Dataset Search
Searches for data in repositories across the web. Make sure you check that the data is coming from a reputable source (look for .gov and .edu web addresses or times the data was cited by scholarly publications)

Other Data Sources by Category (Select from tabs below)

FRED: Federal Reserve Economic Data
Includes over 750,000 time-series data sets, with both U.S. and international data. From the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Public Use Data Archive
Includes data sets created or used by NBER researchers.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Data
Provides data on national accounts, international accounts, regional accounts, and industry accounts. Excellent source for local (state, county, MSA) economic data. The BEA is a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Economic Report of the President
The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. Via FRASER, a source for economic history, by the Federal Reserve.
Beige Book
Also known as the "Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District." It is published eight times per year and includes qualitative information about the state of the economy.

U.S. Census Bureau
Provides access to a wealth of population, housing, economic, and geographic data. Select “Advanced Search” to browse data by topic, geography, date, and survey type.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Data includes employment and unemployment, payroll, consumer price index, and producer price index. Keyword searching is available via the search bar in the top right corner of the page.
CIA World Factbook
Provides basic intelligence on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, environment, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for 266 world entities. This resource will be useful if your research is international.
Surveys of Consumers from University of Michigan
This site contains links to data and surveys on consumer sentiment, attitudes, behavior, spending, and expenditures.

ICPSR (Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research) This link opens in a new window
Contains social science research data files for use with statistical software, such as SAS or SPSS. Users must create an individual account to access data. Getting Started Using ICPSR (WKU Guide)

For more comprehensive information about how to find company and industry data, please visit the Library guides on Industry Research and Company Research.

WITS (World Integrated Trade Solution)
Provides access to databases covering imports, exports, and protection data (tariff and non-tariff measures), as well as tools to assess the impact of trade policy scenarios in terms of various economic indicators. Developed by the World Bank in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Trade Center, the United Nations Statistics Division, and the World Trade Organization (WTO), among others.
WTO (World Trade Organization) Data
The WTO provides quantitative information in relation to economic and trade policy issues. The data portal includes data on trade flows, tariffs, non-tariff measures (NTMs), and trade in value added.

Census of Governments
Authoritative data on the size and financial condition of state and local governments, compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.
IRS Tax Statistics
Data on corporate and personal taxes and income from the IRS.
TreasuryDirect (U.S. Department of the Treasury)
Provides current and historical information on public debt, federal investments, and trust funds; state and local government series securities; interest rates; and federal borrowing.

FDIC Bank Data and Statistics
Includes both industry-level statistics and data on individual banks and bank branches.
Federal Reserve Board Data Download Program
Includes detailed data on topics including consumer credit, banking, and interest rates.
National Information Center (NIC)
Information about financial institutions (banks, bank holding companies, etc.) collected by the Federal Reserve System. You can search by institution or browse large holding companies.
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Data
HMDA data provide information regarding home mortgage lending activity.

Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) Data
HMDA data provide information regarding home mortgage lending activity.
HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) Data
Includes data on housing, rents, and more.
National Association of Realtors (NAR) Research and Statistics
Includes data about real estate sales as well as research reports.

Contact Your Librarian

Sara McCaslin

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The Commons at Helm Library 2019

Subjects: Accounting, Analytics and Information Systems, Business, Business Data Analytics, Computer Information Systems, Economics, English, Finance, Management, Marketing & Sales, Special Collections