It is difficult to outline a general strategy for finding data because so much depends on the topic of interest. But here are a few general starting points:
- Governmental and International organization sources are critical collectors of data. See:
- ICPSR is the largest archive of social science data in the world. A first stop for most users of detailed data.
- Data-Planet indexes a wide range of government and private sources, with convenient ways to graph, export, and combine data.
- The Roper Center specializes in polling data, but does cover some other topics as well
And don't forget to consult the rest of this guide for more data resources on additional subjects!