The World Bank web site offers a helpful Statistical Manual, which provides definitions and methodological discussions of statistics collected by the World Bank and other institutions concerned with comparative international data. Their abstract: “The Statistical Manual brings together definitions of and explanations of the relationships between concepts used in economic statistics such as the balance…
GEsource – World Guide – GIS Application – 2005 European Data An interactive map of Europe using 2005 CIA World Factbook data. Good for: Visualizing publicly accessible socioeconomic data about Europe. It’s a little tricky to learn, but some of the visualization tools are excellent for demonstrating the relationships between statistics and mapping. Geographic coverage:…
The Academic Commons blog brought my attention to a special issue HumanIT devoted to dynamic maps in research. It is a Swedish publication, but this issue is in English. Of special note is an article about dynamic maps and the humantities.
Maplecroft’s Global Maps series announced two new maps today. Maplecroft’s Global map of aid explores the contributions made by developed country governments and their role in development, specifically the Millennium Development Goals. It is intimately linked with the map of debt through the issue of debt relief, the advantages and disadvantages of which are discussed…
The NCES web site is an abundant source of education data and statistics. Just one example of elegant web delivery of statistical information from their site is the State Education Data Profiles. Each results page offers download and graphing options. Search for statewide information in elementary/secondary education characteristics and finance, postsecondary education, public libraries, assessments,…
CensusScope: Census 2000 Data, Charts, Maps, and Rankings is a great supplement to the United States Census’s FactFinder web site. It’s strength is its graphics which help make Census data more clear and accessible to a wider audience. With just a few clicks, you can view maps, trend lines, charts and rankings for your state,…
ICPSR has a glossary of terms, formats, and statistical vocabulary used on their site. This glossary is broad enough to be of use well beyond the ICPSR site. Another great glossary is the one provided by Jim Jacobs of social science computer and social science data terms. See also the SSRIC glossary.
If you’re looking for some supplementary reading for teaching students research methods and how to critically read research in the social sciences, Ellen Girden’s Evaluating Research Articles From Start to Finish is an excellent reference. Also great as a quick reference for anyone constructing research, this text features chapters on the following: case studies, narrative…
Anyone interested in mapping Census information might want to look at a new book in the Libe’s reference collection entitled Unlocking the Census with GIS. This text is especially helpful to students because it does not assume familiarity with the organization of the Census nor expert GIS abilities. For each of several topics (e.g. using…
This post is just a reminder that the library’s reference collection contains such works as The Oxford Dictionary of Statistical Terms, ed. by Yadolah Dodge. Oxford, 2003. Reference HA17 .K4 2003 This dictionary was developed by the International Statistical Institute and has come be considered a standard reference in the field. One of the great…