Highlight-Pew Research Center data on internet use and social trends

Pew Research Center is an independent public opinion survey research group that studies attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues. Pew offers charts and Free Data Downloads. These often include historical data. Internet and Information Technology Trends offer some very interesting studies on internet use.

Projects include:
Polls on Politics, Policy and Media
Research and Analysis on News Media
State Policy and Political News
Internet and Information Technology Trends
Religion in Politics and Public Policy
Latino Trends and Attitudes
International Opinion Polls
Social Trends Surveys

ICPSR Undergraduate Research Paper Competition

The purpose of this competition is to highlight exemplary undergraduate student research papers that are based on quantitative analysis.

* First place winner receives $1,000! Second place receives $750 and third place $500!

* Each winner receives a plaque and certificate in recognition of the award.

* On request, ICPSR will provide letters of achievement for use in development of your student portfolio.

* The first place paper will be published in ICPSR’s Bulletin, and all three winning papers will be published on the ICPSR Web site.

* Deadline for submission — January 31, 2008

More Information:

Find Quick Stats: OECD Country Statistical Profiles

OECD Country Statistical Profile, updated yearly, is a snapshot of more than 100 indicators covering a wide range of areas: economy, agriculture, education, energy, environment, foreign aid, health and quality of life, industry, information and communications, population/labour force, trade and investment, taxation, public expenditure and R&D. Select a county, then click on Statistics tab. Click on OECD Statistical Profile. Statistics can be exported in Excel format. Includes multiple years of data and comparisons to other OECD countries.

OECD Index of Statistical Variables

OECD offers quick access to ready-made tables for some frequently-requested statistics including crime, education, health, housing prices, retirement and unemployment. You can also find some select economic indicators such as Consumer Price index and GDP. The web page also mentions the OECD Database or Publication where the statistics are found. Some spreadsheets include charts.
Sample: Standardized Unemployment Rates
Infant Mortality Rates

Introduction to ArcGIS 9.1

2:00 - 4:00 October 24, 2007 Gasson 9

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used today to analyze and represent data with geographical reference on maps. It is widely used in academia, private industry and government agencies and the number of applications is increasing. ArcGIS Desktop software products from the Environmental Research Systems Institute (ESRI).
ArcGIS Desktop is an integrated suite of advanced GIS applications and interfaces, including ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcGlobe, ArcScene, ArcToolbox, and ModelBuilder. Using these applications and interfaces, you can perform any GIS task, from simple to advanced, including mapping; geographic analysis; data editing, compilation, and management; visualization; and geoprocessing. ArcGIS Desktop is scalable to meet the needs of many types of users.

This session will introduce users to: 1) GIS software, data and technical support at Boston College; 2) License options; 3) Main ArcGIS features and capabilities (ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcTool, ArcGlobe); 4) Present available extensions and capabilities (Spatial Analyst, Geostatistical Analyst, etc); 5) Demos using Census data; Demos using Environmental data. Options to get data and training will be also discussed.

To register, please send email to researchservices@bc.edu with the name of the tutorial that you are interested in attending.

Data Resources At Boston College

Boston College offers many sources and repositories of data for secondary research in the social sciences, education, nursing, economics, business and other disciplines. This workshop is particularly geared to researchers who need to access, analyze and manipulate data from BC's subscription data repositories. This tutorial will help you: find the data you need for your research or class project; learn about the Boston College collection of data resources in the Statistical Data Catalog; and how to download the data onto your desktop, including how to import into quantitative analytical tools such as SPSS. Get a tour of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, a data archive that includes over 5,000 datasets. We will also discuss the library’s guides to key Business, Economics, Education, Health, and General U.S. and cross-national data sources. Topics may be customized based on attendees’ research interests.

2:00 - 3:30 October 10, 2007 Gasson 9

To register, please send email to researchservices@bc.edu.

Enhanced ICPSR Authentication Allows Off-Campus Downloads

Boston College ICPSR users can now download data from off-campus without using a proxy server. All you need to do is log on to the ICPSR Web site from a campus computer and either set up a MyData account or log on to your current account. Do this once at the beginning of the semester, and your account is validated for off-campus access for the next six months.

Please contact Barbara Mento:mento@bc.edu if you have any problems.

General Social Survey (GSS) 2006 Available

GSS 2006 is now available and includes data on issues such as quality of working life, attitudes towards firearms, knowledge about and attitude towards science, religious trends, sexual behavior, social-welfare and economic regulation, civil liberties, spending priorities, and political efficacy. The ICPSR file cumulates data from 1972. Review documentation for changes in the study over time. Download GSS 1972-2006 Data