Research Guides: ENG 603: Technical and Professional Writing: Finding Reports, Demographics & Government Sources

Finding Statistics

Demographic Resources

Demographics

Visit the links below to gather demographic information

United States Census Bureau
Use the search window at the top right to search any location in the United States.
American FactFinder
The official source for Census 2010 and Census 2000 data.
Consumer Expenditure Survey
Provides information on the buying habits of American consumers, including data on their expenditures, income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers) characteristics.
County Business Patterns
An annual series that provides subnational economic data by industry. Businesses use the data for analyzing market potential, measuring the effectiveness of sales and advertising programs, setting sales quotas, and developing budgets.
Census Bureau Economic Statistics
Includes the Economic Census as well as economic indicators (monthly and quarterly) from selected sectors (national statistics only).
Statistical Abstract of the United States
Statistical Abstract of the United States is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. Please note, this series runs through 2012.

Searching Effectively with Google

Tips for Searching Google

Search keyword(s) + Type of File + URL domain type: Locate PDF reports or publications by specific types of organizations (educational = .edu; non-governmental organization = .org; governmental organization = .gov)
EX: "immigration process" filetype:pdf site:gov
Search a keyword + Specific website or domain: Search any page containing the keyword on a specific site
EX: "immigration process" site:http://www.uscis.gov
“Use Quotations Around Phrases”
EX: "art in rural schools"

Industry Reports

Visit the research databases below to gather industry and company information

Business Source Premier This link opens in a new window
Includes scholarly articles, market research reports, industry reports, country reports, company profiles, and SWOT analyses. Use the "Company Profile" feature to do company research.
Buckmaster Annual Stockholders’ Reports This link opens in a new window
Annual Reports from the top 500 corporations. ***Off-campus access requires username and password and is limited to one user at a time. Please use the Ask-a-Librarian chat option or email refserv@fhsu.edu to obtain access.***

Industry Statistics Portal
Search for statistics by NAICS code from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Current Industrial Reports
Non-textual manufacturing reports with production data only (Excel spreadsheets), by industry from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Industries at a Glance
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
SBA Guide to Planning Your Business
Tips from the Small Business Administration (SBA) about doing market and competitive analyses. Suggests reliable sources that provide customer and market information at no cost.

Federal Resources

Government publications including statistics, reports, and other documents might provide helpful information for your feasibility study.

Congressional Research Service
The official archive of the Congressional Research Service reports. Created by experts in CRS, the reports present a legislative perspective on topics such as agriculture policy, counterterrorism operations, banking regulation, veteran’s issues and much more. Founded over a century ago, CRS provides authoritative and confidential research and analysis for Congress’ deliberative use.
NOTE: clicking on some titles may result in a 404 notice. However, clicking on the "prior versions of this report" icon located below the title will redirect you to the report.
Every CRS Report
A non-governmental archive of Congressional Research Service Reports
Government Documents Libguide
This guide will provide you with various useful information on the different branches of the government. It includes information on the Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, Judicial Branch, Selected Websites, and Selected Statistical Resources
HeinOnline
HeinOnline is the world's largest fully searchable, image-based government document and legal research database. It contains comprehensive coverage from inception of U.S. statutory materials, U.S. Congressional Documents and more than 2,500 scholarly journals. HeinOnline provides topic specific databases including all of the world's constitutions, all U.S. treaties, collections of classic treatises and presidential documents, Criminal Justice, Religion and the Law, and Women and the Law among others. Full text of state and federal case law powered by Fastcase is included.
The Official Website of the State of Kansas
A gateway state resources, this portal will direct you to state agencies and resources germane to your topic.