Statistical
Web sites by the numbers
By
Beverly Butula
Special to Wisconsin Law Journal
August
3, 2005
Numbers
are important. The legal field often utilizes statistics for justification or
explanation. This article highlights several quality Web sites that provide statistical
data on a variety of topics. Some provide information in a simple chart, while
others allow the searcher to query a database and create a graph based on individual
parameters.
The
sites found in this article are reliable and authored by the government, an educational
institution or a reputable organization. This small sampling of statistical Web
pages covers a variety of areas and barely touches the surface of sites offering
this type of information.
In
addition to this select listing, do not forget the “king” and “queen”
of all statistical sites, the U.S. Census (www.census.gov) and the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (www.bls.gov). The possibilities from these two sites are endless.
The Wisconsin State Law Library Web page (http://wsll.state.wi.us/topic/statistics.html)
also has a wonderfully organized listing of statistical sites, most with brief
annotations.
COURT
AND CRIME STATISTICS
National
Center for State Courts
www.ncsconline.org/D_Research/csp/CSP_Main_Page.html
This
site provides extensive data regarding the operation of all 50 state courts, as
well as, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Check out both the static reports
and interactive databases. The static reports, available in .PDF, include caseload
statistics and an in-depth analysis of state court operations. Please note the
most current edition of these particular publications is from 2002. Prior year
reports are also available.
The
database function allows the user to query court filing data by population, region,
and individual state. Searches also may be located by file type (e.g. felony,
civil or traffic) and/or population (e.g. adult or juvenile).
U.S.
Courts Statistics
www.uscourts.gov/library/statisticsalreports.html
Federal
courts are the focus of this site. There is a vast amount of data, gathered by
the government, located on this Web page. Judicial facts and figures, bankruptcy
statistics, annual caseload data, management information, and wiretap reports.
The online reports are extremely thorough and easy to interpret. The only user
manipulation allowed, however, is the selection of specific courts.
The
site also provides a link to other court related publications available via the
Government Printing Office.
Bureau
of Justice Statistics
www.ojp.gov/bjs/
The
Bureau of Justice Statistics scores extra points for providing a summary of the
findings alongside links to statistical data. Information is either available
online or directly through the BJS. For the online resources, choosing a link
will move the user to a brief synopsis and then more detailed information. The
utilization of interactive graphs on this Web site is commonplace.
The
site presents eleven main topics, many having numerous subtopics. Homicide trends,
firearm usage, probation & parole, victim characteristics, sentencing data,
prison expenditures and traffic stop summaries are just a few of the more specific
areas covered.
For
a great overview, choose the “Key Crime and Justice Facts at a Glance.”
BUSINESS STATISTICS
BizStats
www.bizstats.com/
Benchmarking
is common in the business world. Finding this information on an unknown industry
or a new type of client can be difficult. BizStats is an excellent starting point.
A Washington D.C. CPA collects the data for the Web page.
Numerous
static reports populate the site ranging from the safest/riskiest small businesses,
to the number of partnerships per type of business, to average sales per retail
store. Some reports are from a prior year, with the most current data fee based.
Wisconsin
Business Statistics
www.commerce.state.wi.us/MT/MT-COM-3999.html
The
Wisconsin Department of Commerce maintains this site. While there are not a lot
of reports available, they concentrate solely on Wisconsin. The presentation of
some data is in a narrative format, while some combine both charts and discussion.
Many of the larger reports are stored in .PDF.
Titles
located on this webpage include: Metro Area Forecast, Wisconsin Export Data, Wisconsin
Small Business Profile, and Women Owned Businesses.
HEALTH
AND EDUCATION STATISTICS
Wisconsin
Health Statistics
www.dhfs.state.wi.us/stats/
The
Department of Health and Family Services provides an exceptional listing of statistics.
Their “Health Statistics A-Z” link lists all the reports available and
clearly identifies which are query based. The statistics encompass such a wide
range of topics, that one could almost guarantee finding a report of interest.
Topics range from health care charges, to minority health, to vital statistics.
The various searchable databases allow the user to get overall data or refine
it by region or county, and time.
Want
to make your life easier? HFS offers an email service to alert you to when new
information arrives. In addition, they provide a link to publications available
through their catalog.
National
Center for Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/
Need
education statistics? Check this site for almost one stop shopping! “Stats
at a Glance” provides links to statistics on the condition of education,
indicators of school crime, and projections through 2013. This site also includes
information on sources of revenue for public schools.
Users
retrieve much of the other information based on their independent queries. The
Common Core of Data database allows for the creation of tables based on results
of five surveys given to U.S. public schools and census data. Another option for
the searcher is to simply search for information on a specific school (public
or private), district, or public library. The school data includes enrollment
figures (grade, gender, and race), teacher/student ratio, total number of students,
etc.
FEDERAL
STATISTICS
FedStats
www.fedstats.gov/
Like
most federal government sites, this one is big! Their tagline states, “The
gateway to statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agencies.” The site easily
identifies the various federal agencies with statistical programs, the main types
of data collected by each agency and a link to what they consider to be “key
statistics.” The page also offers an index by topic, which hyperlinks directly
to the either the report or the agency page where the information is housed. Depending
on the subject matter, the report may be static or query based.
A
great feature is the ability to keyword search across all the agencies. This writer
tested the search engine using the phrase “violent crime.” The result
showed five hits from various agencies including the Department of Justice, the
Census, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each was relevant and covered a range
of dates.
WISCONSIN
CENSUS STATISTICS
WisStat
www.wisstat.wisc.edu/WHome.aspx
The
Applied Population Laboratory, part of the UW system, has created this wonderful
database utilizing census reports. It allows the user to build a table using various
geographies and existing tables. If that wasn't enough, creating interactive maps
based on particular data is also possible.
WEATHER
AND TRANSPORTATION STATISTICS
Transportation
Statistics
www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/index.html
Reports
from 2000 to the present are located on this site. The link for each year takes
the user to an index of available data. Print the entire report (which would be
huge!)
or select an item from the extensive topic listing and create individual tables
in either .html, Excel or CSV. Main topical areas include: overall transportation
system, transportation safety, economic factors, and environmental issues.
These
are all static reports, but clearly identify the source for every report.
National
Weather Statistics — severe weather, damages, injuries, etc.
www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats.shtml
These
statistics pertain specifically to hazardous weather conditions — lightning,
tornado, flood, cold, storms, heat, etc. They are annual reports starting in 1995.
There is also a 64-year list of weather fatalities. The reports are simple with
no bells and whistles. Each is a basic table with a narrative that summarizes
the year and the final numbers.
COMMERCE
AND ECONOMIC STATISTICS
Bureau
of Economic Analysis
www.bea.gov/
This
is the place to find information on income, the gross product at the state and
national level, international commerce and corporate/industry data. Interactive
tables are available for many of the areas, which improve the data. Create a topical
query for one or more states/regions for a single year or a range of time.
The
Bureau also offers regional economic accounts in narrative form. These accounts
are brief summaries of the economic situation in that region (e.g. Sawyer County,
Wis.).
