LibGuides: Agribusiness Technology: 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.
AccessNC This link opens in a new window
North Carolina economic data, workforce information, and commercial property information.
"With ACCESSNC, you can find properties statewide that meet your business needs. Our system allows you to map these properties and create custom demographic reports for the site-specific locations you select. From community demographic reports to labor market and education data, ACCESSNC lets you access the data you need to make important business decisions."
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.
North Carolina Agricultural Statistics Service This link opens in a new window
Provides statistical information in table, map, and graph format on farm animals, crops, cash receipts, and weather.
"NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS brings together current and historic data relating to North Carolina agriculture. This service has been provided by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in cooperation with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) since 1919. The collection and dissemination of agricultural statistics began in 1863 and is one of the oldest activities of the USDA."
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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