Where to find statistics
Statistics can be tricky to locate as they are available in many forms, in many places.
When looking for statistics, it is useful to consider:
- Who would collect the data that you are seeking?
- Who else might collate and present those statistics?
- Where would they publish those statistics?
| Who would collect the data that you are seeking? | Official statistical agencies (e.g. Australia Bureau of Statistics). Government departments and agencies (e.g. health departments, police). Non-government organisations. Research and academic institutions. Researchers (as part of their methodology). Private companies (e.g. market research) |
Who else might collate and present those statistics? |
Researchers (presented as part of their introduction to give context to their research). Academic publishers (presented to help demonstrate or explain an issue). |
| Where would they publish those statistics? | As raw data on their website. Within reports on their website. Within journal articles. Within textbooks or other reference sources. |
How to search for statistics
There are a few options to search for statistics:
| Go to the website of the organisation | Search or browse. |
| Search Google or other search engine | Include the topic and "statistics or data". |
| Use Google Advanced Search | Select the file type: Microsoft excel. |
| Search journal databases | Search for the topic and browse relevant articles to see if they include statistics. |
| Search findit@flinders | To find textbooks on your topic that may include statistics. |
Key statistic websites
Australia
For further websites, you can view a list of federal government organisations or South Australian departments and agencies.
International
Datasets
Can't find the statistics you want?
Sometimes the statistics that you want are not available.
This could be for a range of reasons:
- It takes time to collect and publish statistics, so you may not find current statistics.
- Data has not been made openly available to the public.
- No data on the topic has been collected.
Another reason may be that your topic or search is too specific. In this case, you can look broader. For example:
- Specific: Ages 5-7. Broader: Children
- Specific: Adelaide. Broader: South Australia
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Email: library@flinders.edu.au
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