Data vs. Statistics
Data refer to observations gathered according to a research methodology (e.g. experiment, simulation, observational study, etc.). Data can generally be categorized as either quantitative (numerical) or qualitative (non-numerical; e.g. text, images, sound, etc.) Qualitative data can sometimes be coded to create quantitative data.
Statistics refer to summaries and/or interpretations of a set of observations (i.e. data). Statistics are calculated from quantitative, or numeric, data.
Library Databases for Business Statistics
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Statista This link opens in a new window
Provides access to over 1 million statistics for these topics: industries; consumer goods; internet; media & advertising; retail & trade; sports & recreation; technology & telecommunications; transportation & logistics; and travel, tourism & hospitality. Also available are government statistics, such as unemployment rates, births, and deaths. For business research, outlook reports, market research reports, country reports, dossiers, surveys, and industry reports are available. Note: The platform is integrated with your SJSUOne account
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SAGE Business Data Decisions This link opens in a new window
This collection features approximately 90 original, multi-part data challenges across five core business disciplines: entrepreneurship, international business, marketing, operations management, and strategic management. Gain hands-on experience in applying business fundamentals and data analysis methods to real-world scenarios through text, visualizations, interactive quizzes, and downloadable quantitative and qualitative data sets. Note: Faculty who wish to use “Teaching Notes” will need to create a profile and use a verification code. Contact Ann Agee or Christine Holmes for the verification code.
U.S. Statistics
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2012 Statistical Abstract of the United States: EducationThis section presents data primarily concerning formal education as a whole, at various levels, and for public and private schools. Data shown relate to the school-age population and school enrollment, educational attainment, education personnel, and financial aspects of education. In addition, data are shown for charter schools, computer usage in schools, distance education, and adult education.
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DOE Data ExplorerUse the DOE Data Explorer (DDE) to find scientific research data - such as computer simulations, numeric data files, interactive maps, multimedia and scientific images - generated in the course of DOE-sponsored research.
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e-Commerce Statistics by US Census BureauE-Stats is exclusively devoted to measure the electronic economy. It features data, news, technical documentations, and more.
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Data & Statistics about the U.S.Find data about the U.S., such as demographic and economic data, population, and maps.
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Occupational Outlook HandbookThe official site of United States Department of Labor which provides information of different professions regarding training and education needed, earnings, expected job prospects and so on.
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Pew Research CenterAn abundance of statistics and reports, organized by topic or by country. Useful for U.S. and worldwide data.
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Research reports by PEW Research CenterReports cover a wide range of topics, such as Media Trends, Internet & Technology, Science, Politics, etc. Datasets are free to download from 2000 to present.
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USA.govSearch through US government websites including travel and tourism, health and nutrition, public service. Use Explore Topics to get ideas.
World Data and Statistics
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Data on eCommerceThis website provides data on various e-commerce, retails and many more categories from around the world. Does not show original sources.
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EurostatWebsite of the Statistical Office of the European Communities, providing extensive statistical data and publications on European Union (EU) countries. Data includes inflation rates; EU policy indicators; general and regional statistics; economy and finance; population and social conditions; industry, trade and services; agriculture and fisheries; external trade; transport; environment and energy; and, science and technology.
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International Labour Association Statistics: IlostatData and metadata on labor statistics for over 200 countries or territories. Statistics are arranged by topic, country, or ILO publication. Country annual statistical data are available from 1999-2008, and include economically active population by industry and occupation, total employment by occupation, unemployment by economic activity, hours of work by economic activity, wages in manufacturing, and much more. Site is managed by the International Labour Office (ILO) Department of Statistics.
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International Trade AdministrationAn abundance of information for U. S. exporters on trade and industry statistics, market data, and export and import data and procedures.
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List of Statistical Agencies Organized by Country NameFrom Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, this page of the Census Bureau's site provides a direct link to more than 200 countries' official source of statistics dated back to 1950. Users can select up to 25 years of data. These agencies are normally part of the government itself and are the primary source of national data on population, economy, trade, and the other key data about the country itself. One caveat: Many of these sources are not in English.
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OECD Stat ExtractsEasy access to data and metadata for OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and selected member countries, using four search methods. Search by: Keyword (with terms such as: Education, Finance, GDP, Health, Income, Prices, Population, or Trade), Theme, Country (via selection of key indicators in latest annual, Country Statistical Profiles), or by accessing your saved queries under “Browse Queries.”
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Pew Research CenterAn abundance of statistics and reports, organized by topic or by country. Useful for U.S. and worldwide data.
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Social Explorer Guide: BusinessSocial Explorer is a web-based mapping and data visualization tool. Find representations for U.S. and worldwide Business Patterns, Corporate Social Responsibility, Strategic Planning and the Product Life Cycle and many other visual reports and downloadable datasets.
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UNdata: A World of InformationPopular statistical tables, country (area) and regional profiles. United Nations statistical databases (32 in all, at last count) are accessible through a single entry point. These databases, tables and glossaries contain over 60 million data points and a wide range of themes, such as Agriculture, Education, Employment, Energy, Environment, Health, Human Development, Industry, Information and Communication Technology, National Accounts, Population, Tourism, Trade, and Millennium Development Goals indicators.
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WorldDataBankThis site provides a wealth of statistics from databases maintained by the World Bank such as World Development Indicators and Global Development Finance. World Development Indicators (WDI) provides data across many categories such as education, the environment, health, and poverty. Global Development Finance (GDF) provides statistics about the economic and financial health of countries.