Research data
Research data
The library provides access to multiple sources of research data, including the UK Data Service, Mass Observation, OECD iLibrary and Statistica, available in the A-Z databases list for sociology.
There are also many sources of research data that are freely available online. Below is selection of these open access sources that are relevant to sociology. For a list of qualitative, or quantitative data sources, or if you need help with finding data, have a look at our guide to Finding Research Data.
Data sources
Data sources
Below is a list of freely available data sources relevant to sociology. The library also subscribes to paid-for data sources, such as the UK Data Service, Mass Observation, OECDiLibrary and Statistica, available in the sociology A-Z databases list. For a list of qualitative, or quantitative data sources, or if you need help with finding data, please see Finding Research Data.
- Data.gov U.S. Government open data, providing access to hundred of thousands of datasets from state and federal agencies
- General Social Survey Nationally representative survey of adults in the United States conducted since 1972. The GSS collects data on contemporary American society in order to monitor and explain trends in opinions, attitudes and behaviours
- Google dataset search Discover data sets hosted in thousands of repositories across the web. Filter results based on type of dataset (e.g., tables, images, text), or whether the dataset is available for free from the provider
- Harvard Dataverse Research data from across research fields, from Harvard University, USA and beyond
- HealthData.gov Health data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Henry A. Murray Research Archive Repository for quantitative and qualitative research data at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science in the USA, comprising over 100 terabytes of data, audio, and video
- ICPSR - Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research Mixed methods and qualitative research studies available for download from an international consortium of more than 750 academic institutions and research organizations. a data archive of more than 250,000 files of research in the social and behavioural sciences. It hosts 21 specialized collections of data in education, aging, criminal justice, substance abuse, terrorism, and other fields.
- Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) Microdata for social and economic research containing census and survey data from around the world
- Qualitative Data Repository A dedicated archive for storing and sharing digital data (and accompanying documentation) generated or collected through qualitative and multi-method research in the social sciences and related disciplines
- UN DataEconomic, social and environment indicators for all countries from the United Nations Statistics division.
Finding Research Data
If you are looking for research data, check out our guide on Finding Research Data
Help with finding data
If you need help with finding data for sociology or politics and international studies, please email me at Catherine.Downs@bristol.ac.uk.