LibGuides: Graduate Research in Education: Finding Datasets

Finding and Using Data

This section provides resources for finding education and social sciences datasets. For more information about types of data, finding data, and more, see our Data and Statistics Guide.

ODU Library Databases

ICPSR -- Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research

Historic and current (Restricted to ODU)
Find, deposit, and manage access to a vast archive of social science data. A unit within the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, ICPSR has over 800 member colleges and universities around the world.
Web of Science
Coverage varies by Index (Restricted to ODU)
Provides access to Science Citation Index 1900-Present, Social Sciences Citation Index 1900-Present, Arts & Humanities Citation Index 1975-present, and Journal Citation Reports (JCR). Perform cited reference searches by author, work, year, volume, issue, page, and title.

Agency Websites

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Data Tools
A great place to begin your research and to find data sets for in-class use and practice.
NCES Bibliographic Search Tool
The bibliography search tool allows you to search for research articles that used data from NCES programs.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Access to international education data.
US Department of Education Data Profiles
An open data catalog by the US Department of Education that makes the Department's data searchable.
Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Statistics
Allows users to access data in excel on topics ranging from test data to post-secondary achievement.

Other Dataset Resources

Figshare
Open source repository of international research data.
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
Provides data from surveys conducted annually in excel format. It is helpful for finding statistics on broader topics and for finding data sets for in-class use.
IPUMS International
Collects and distributes international global microdata for social science and health research.
Open Data Network
Fosters data-centered collaboration between governments and the private sector.
Qualitative Data Repository
"QDR curates, stores, preserves, publishes, and enables the download of digital data generated through qualitative and multi-method research in the social sciences."
World Data Atlas
A comprehensive resource for global data, covering politics, economics, demographics, health, and more.