Student Resources
On-Campus Resources and Opportunities
Library and Computing Resources
- Central University Library Sociology Guide: Research guide put together by SMU’s Central University Library
- SMU Libraries Digital Collection
- SMU Scholar: an online archive for collecting and sharing the scholarly work of SMU faculty, staff, and students.
- Library Services for Persons with Disabilities
- GIS@SMU
Links for Online Media
Citation Help
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CUL Citation Guide: SMU’s library guide on citing correctly.
Social Science Data Resources
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American Community Survey: The American Community Survey (ACS) is an ongoing statistical survey that samples a small percentage of the population every year – giving communities the information they need to plan investments and services.
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Bureau of Justice Crime Statistics: To collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to federal, state, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded.
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Bureau of Labor Statistics: The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor is the principal federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. Its mission is to collect, analyze, and disseminate essential economic information to support public and private decision-making. As an independent statistical agency, BLS serves its diverse user communities by providing products and services that are objective, timely, accurate, and relevant.
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Census Bureau: Quick, easy access to facts about people, business, and geography
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ICPSR-Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research: ICPSR offers more than 500,000 digital files containing social science research data. Disciplines represented include political science, sociology, demography, economics, history, gerontology, criminal justice, public health, foreign policy, terrorism, health and medical care, early education, education, racial and ethnic minorities, psychology, law, substance abuse and mental health, and more. SMU is a member of the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research. Through our membership, SMU faculty and students have ready access to hundreds of datasets on topics that cover virtually all social science interests.
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General Social Survey: The GSS contains a standard 'core' of demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal questions, plus topics of special interest. Many of the core questions have remained unchanged since 1972 to facilitate time-trend studies as well as replication of earlier findings. The GSS takes the pulse of America and is a unique and valuable resource. It has tracked the opinions of Americans over the last four decades.
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National Center for Educational Statistics: The NCES is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.
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The Gallop Student Poll: The Gallup Student Poll tracks the hope, engagement, and wellbeing of students in grades 5 through 12 across the United States.
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United Nations Demographic Yearbook: The United Nations Demographic Yearbook collects, compiles and disseminates official statistics on a wide range of topics. Data have been collected from national statistical authorities since 1948 through a set of questionnaires dispatched annually by the United Nations Statistics Division to over 230 national statistical offices. The Demographic Yearbook disseminates statistics on population size and composition, births, deaths, marriage, and divorce on an annual basis. Demographic Yearbook special topics issues cover a wide range of additional topics including economic activity, educational attainment, household characteristics, housing, ethnicity, and language, among others.