Sociology: Find Statistics & Websites
Oregon & Portland Websites & Statistics
- Census Quick Facts for OregonAnnual Estimates of the Resident Population for Selected Age Groups by Sex for Oregon, collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.
- City of Portland's Maps, GIS, and Open Data SiteProvides links to other repositories of data including from various city bureaus.
Census/Population Data
- Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive statistical reference on the economic, social and political organization of the United States.
- Census DataPrimary online interface for viewing US Census data, including population, housing, economic, geographic, and governmental data.
- Neighborhood Profile MapsDemographic data for each Portland neighborhood and comparing data from 2020 to 2010.
- National Historic GIS Census Data and Mapping TablesFrom this web site you can access aggregate census data and GIS-compatible boundary files for the United States between 1790 and 2010 for free. To download data, you will need to register.
- U.S. Census Bureau Geography ProgramYou can access geographic data and products such as the TIGER/Line Shapefiles, KMLs, TIGERweb, cartographic boundary files, geographic relationship files, and reference and thematic maps.
Centers & Institutes
- Institute for Research on PovertyIs a university-based center for research into the causes and consequences of poverty and social inequality in the United States. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan.
- Pew Research CenterIs a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.
- Population CouncilConducts research to address critical health and development issues.
- National Opinion Research Center (NORC)NORC at the University of Chicago is an independent research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions.
Advanced Google Searching
Google's advanced search lets you limit your search to more reliable resources, like education sites or government sites. To do this, add site:edu or site:gov to your regular Google search.
For example:
- If you do an ordinary Google search for nutritional supplements, most of your top results will be commercial (.com) sites trying to sell you vitamins.
- If you search for nutritional supplements site:gov , the top results (except for the sponsored ads) will be sites such as the National Institute of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, which are authoritative, unbiased sources that are not trying to sell you anything.
- If you search for nutritional supplements site:edu, your top results will be from universities providing research on nutritional supplements.
Learn more Google Search tips from "6 Google Tricks That Will Turn You Into an Internet Detective" in the New York Times.