LibGuides: Accounting, Banking, & Finance: Data & Statistics

Using Statistics in Your Research

Numbers are powerful. Words can sometimes be difficult to define, and are therefore ambiguous, but numbers and statistics tend to provide a feeling of solidity and security. 5 is always greater than 4, and 10 is always half of 20.

As sure as numbers can be, statistics can be confusing, and easily misunderstood or misused. Even when used correctly some writers and presenters make the mistake of assuming that the statistics speak for themselves. A statistic is a measurement of something, and in order for an audience to understand the statistic they need to be aware of exactly what was measured, how it was measured, and how that information was reported.

The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill has an excellent online handout about understanding the using statistics effectively.

Databases for Data & Statistics

ABI/INFORM Collection This link opens in a new window
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Magazine and journal articles, news and reports in business, management and trade.
Business, Management and Trade - scholarly and trade journal articles, dissertations, market reports, industry reports, business cases and global and trade news

The most comprehensive ABI/INFORM™ database, this comprises ABI/INFORM Global, ABI/INFORM Trade and Industry, and ABI/INFORM Dateline. The database features thousands of full-text journals, dissertations, working papers, key business and economics periodicals such as the Economist, country-and industry-focused reports, and downloadable data. Its international coverage gives researchers a complete picture of companies and business trends around the world.
Data-Axle Reference Solutions This link opens in a new window
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Provides real-time access to accurate, in-depth information on 24 million U.S. businesses and 235 million U.S. residents.
Formerly ReferenceUSA. Reference and research tool providing instant, real-time access to accurate, in-depth information on 24 million U.S. businesses and 235 million U.S. residents. Data-Axle makes it faster and easier to find new business opportunities, research executives and companies, find news articles, conduct job searches, research papers, locate addresses and phone numbers, conduct market research and much more.
Morningstar Investing Center This link opens in a new window
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Includes research and independent opinions on thousands of mutual funds, stocks, and hundreds of ETFs.

"Morningstar® Investment Research Center offers public, corporate, and academic libraries real-time access to comprehensive data and independent analysis on thousands of investments, spanning mutual funds, stocks, exchange-traded funds, and closed-end funds. Customized to meet any organization’s needs, Investment Research Center serves all levels of investors with a range of dynamic tools and thoughtful perspectives to help them make more informed investment decisions."
Regional Accounts Data This link opens in a new window
U.S. Dept. of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis data: income & population estimates, employment, wage and salary estimates.
Includes information on National Data (GDP and Personal Income; Fixed Assets); Industry Data (GDP by Industry and Input-Output); International Data (International Transactions, Services & IIP, Direct Investment and MNEs), and Regional Data (GDP & Personal Income).
Statista This link opens in a new window
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Statista includes over one million data from over 18,000 sources, related to marketing, demographic, government & industry information.
"Statista is one of the leading statistics companies on the internet. With a team of over 450 statisticians, database experts, analysts, and editors, Statista provides users with an innovative and intuitive tool for researching quantitative data, statistics and related information." About 20 percent of the total data, which is international in scope, comes from sources available free online, such as the World Bank and the U.S. Census, but the data also includes numerous exclusive sources which include industry, marketing, and trade groups. Data can be downloaded in image (PNG), Excel (XLSX), PowerPoint (PPTX), or PDF.

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