Guide - Statistical Universe
OVERVIEW
Statistical Universe is a searchable database that describes federal, international, state, and other statistical publications available at Northwestern University Library. In addition, it provides access to the full text and complete tables of many of the federal materials indexed. The topics covered in this database are diverse and range from agriculture to economic indicators to health to paper to zoos. If a statistic is needed on virtually any topic, this is a good resource to consult since it is so large and inclusive.
The core of this service is made up of the following titles. Each title has a counterpart microfiche set.
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American
Statistics Index (ASI)
(1973 -- )
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Covers
federal agency materials such as the Census reports and Crime
in the United States. Non-Depository microfiche set is
in Gov Pubs-- holdings are 1984 to date. Most of the other
publications indexed are available in the department in either
paper or microfiche.
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Index
to International Statistics (IIS) (1983
-- )
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Indexes
international governmental organization materials such as
those produced by the United Nations and the International
Monetary Fund. The corresponding microfiche set is in Gov
Pubs. Microfiche holdings are 1995 to date.
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Statistical
Reference Index (SRI)
(1980 -- )
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Identifies
other statistical materials such as those generated by associations,
business organizations, commercial publishers, state governments,
and university research centers. The corresponding microfiche
set is in News/Micro/Peridocals. Microfiche holdings are 1983
to date.
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ACCESS
Statistical Universe is available from computers in the University Library, and other computers on campus. It is also accessible to NU persons from off-campus sites if accessed through a Northwestern account. Use this URL for such access: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/statuniv/
SEARCH FEATURES
Power Tables
Begin most searches by using the Power Tables feature which leads easily and directly to tables with basic statistics. The statistical tables are from various agencies and publications of the U.S. federal government, international community, and U.S. states. Search by key terms or words that describe the statistic sought. It is also possible to increase search precision by specifying geographic region, date or dates, and category.
Search Abstracts
If the desired statistic is not found in a Power Table, or if a topic is complex, or is not expected to be found in a federal source, use this feature. The results of these searches will include descriptions of the statistical publication as well as some links to full text documents and complete tables.
Subject or keyword searching is recommended if particular titles or publishers of interest are unknown. Enter keywords into the search bars or click on subject list to choose CIS subject descriptors for more refined searching. If the desired statistical breakdown is known (e.g. by age, by race, by foreign country), specify the breakdown by using the Find statistics shown by.... pull-down menu feature.
In addition, it is possible to choose a publishing date or date range; the option of searching either all words in the summaries or only the subject descriptors; and whether or not to limit your search to ASI, IIS, SRI, or a combination of the three simply by selecting from choices in the Statistics published by.... pull-down menu.
Advanced Search Strategies
To do complex searching in Statistical Universe, create search strings using term connectors and field names. These strings can be composed in any keyword or subject search space provided. For help with searching, please see the staff in the Government Publications & Maps Department or in the Reference Department.
CONNECTORS AND OTHER
SYMBOLS:
Use these to increase the precision of searching.
and, or, and not
-- e.g. mining and not coal
w/# -- e.g. exchange w/2 rate (any order within 2
words)
pre/# -- e.g. aid pre/2 blind (first term must precede
second)
atleast# -- minimum number of times a word should appear
(....) -- use parentheses for grouping search phrases
* and !
-- single and multiple-character truncation symbols, e.g. wom*n
and transport!
FIELDS:
It is possible to search
specific fields in the records for sharper retrieval.
Available fields are:
title, agency/publisher, author, attachment titles, and document number
LOCATING PUBLICATIONS/STATISTICS
While links to complete tables are provided for many materials listed in this resource (including all of the Power Table entries), many other entries for reports include only index and abstract (or summary) information. Note the title, source, and record number listed in the retrieved records since Northwestern subscribes to the microfiche collections produced in conjunction with Statistical Universe.
The library carries a number of the international and federal titles in print or on CD-ROM. Check NUcat, or consult with library staff for assistance in finding materials. Many federal and international titles are available through the web sites of the issuing agencies--for access to some of these pages, go to the departmental web site or to "Links" on the Statistical Universe start-up page.
Revised by Beth Clausen, September 2000
