• Start with a compendium. (Exercise 1)
  
  1. Look in compendia for general statistics of interest.
  2. Look in the source notes for the source(s) of information. 
  3. Find those sources. Often they will contain more detailed statistics than the compendium.
• Start with an agency. (Exercise 2)
  1. Look for agencies and statistical programs that may produce statistics of interest.
  2. Look at the statistical publications from those statistical programs. Look at other statistical publications produced by the agency.
  3. Look at statistical compendia, especially one produced by the agency of interest, that might include relevant data from that program.
• Start with an index, guide, or gateway that provides subject access to statistics. (Exercises 3, 4, and 5)

Exercise 1: Start with a statistical compendium

1. Find compendia that include statistics of interest to you.
   • Federal: Use one of the compendia listed on the Find Federal Statistics tab. An excellent choice is the Statistical Abstract of the United States.
   • Illinois: Use one of the compendia listed on the Find Illinois Statistics tab.
   • For other states, use a state statistical abstract from the list at State Abstracts.
2. Use source notes (in footnotes, appendix, etc.) to find the names of agencies, statistical programs, and statistical reports that might provide more detailed data or that might provide other data of interest.
3. Find the statistical reports cited in the source notes.
   • Search the SIUE catalog by title to see whether Lovejoy Library holds it and, if so, where it is located.
   • Otherwise, use the Catalog of Government Publications to try to find a SuDocs number.
   • Otherwise, if you have a SuDocs number, look for the publication by SuDocs number in the US Documents Collection on the 3rd floor of Lovejoy Library.
   • Otherwise, ask for the worker at the Microforms desk on the 2nd floor to search for it by SuDocs number in the US Documents Microfiche collection
   • Otherwise, use the Catalog of Government Publications or a Google search to try to find an electronic version.
   • Otherwise, ask Barbara Levergood for assistance. 

Exercise 2: Start with an agency, also being a lesson in civics

1. Find out what agencies run statistical programs that may be of interest to you.
   • Federal
     • Use FedStats.
     • Browse the Detailed Table of Contents in the Abstracts volume of American statistics index. At Lovejoy Library
   • Illinois
     • Use the list of "Illinois State Agencies having Statistical Programs" on the "Find Illinois Statistics" tab.
     • Use the Illinois Blue Book. At Lovejoy Library
     • Working from the list of State Agencies, look for statistical programs or annual reports of the agencies of interest.
   • Other states
     • For other states, use a blue book from the list at State Blue Books.
2. For each agency, find out where it is in the federal or state government. In which branch (executive, congressional, judicial)? If executive, in which department is it? What is the agency's mission?
   • Federal: Use United States Government Manual. At Lovejoy Library
   • Illinois
     • Use the Illinois Blue Book. At Lovejoy Library
     • Use the Illinois Handbook of Government. Earlier editions. At Lovejoy Library
     • Working from the list of State Agencies, look for annual reports of the agencies of interest.
   • Other states
     • For other states, use a blue book from the list at State Blue Books.
3. (Optional) Find out what the most recent policies and planning are for each of these agencies and statistical programs.
   • Federal
     • Use Statistical Programs of the United States Government.
     • Annual reports of the agencies may outline their statistical programs. Find these using Catalog of Government Publications. Hint: Search on the name of the agency and "annual report", e.g.
       "Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration" and "annual report"
       Some sub-agencies may not publish an annual report. In this case, look for the annual report of the parent agency.
   • Illinois
     • Working from the list of State Agencies, look for annual reports of the agencies of interest.
4. Find statistical publications from the statistical programs of interest.
   • Federal
     • Browse agency websites, using FedStats to find agencies that run statistical programs.
     • Use J. L. Andriot. Guide to U.S. Government Statistics. 1998. SIUE US Document Index Z7554.U5 G8. Use the Table of Contents to find the agency. Browse through the agency's section, looking for the statistical programs of interest.
     • Search by the name of the statistical program in the "Index by Subject and Names" in the Index volume of American statistics index (At Lovejoy Library).
       
     • Use Catalog of Government Publications. Hint: Search on the name of the program, e.g.
       "National Survey on Drug Use and Health".
   • Illinois and other states
     • Search WorldCat for the name of the program.
5. Find other statistical publications from the agencies that run the statistical programs of interest.
   
   • Federal
     
     • Browse agency websites for statistical publications, using FedStats to find agencies that run statistical programs.
     • Use Catalog of Government Publications. Hint: Search on the name of the agency and "statistics", e.g.
       "Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration" and statistics
     • J. L. Andriot. Guide to U.S. Government Statistics.  1998. SIUE US Document Index Z7554.U5 G8. Use the Table of Contents to find the agency. Browse through the agency's section.
     • Use the Detailed Table of Contents in the Abstracts volume of American statistics index (At Lovejoy Library) to find abstracts about agency statistical publications.
       
   • Illinois and other states
     • Browse agency websites.
     • Search WorldCat for the name of the agency, e.g.
       "Healthcare and Family Services"

Exercise 3: Start with a gateway

• Start with a gateway that provides subject access to statistics such as:
  • Federal
    • FedStats
    • Another gateway under "Gateways to Federal Statistics" on the "Find Federal Statistics" tab
  • Illinois: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. University Library. Illinois Statistics by Subject

Exercise 4: Subject search using an index to statistics, American Statistics Index (ASI)

• American statistics index. At Lovejoy Library
• ASI is an index to statistics produced by the U.S. government. It indexes statistics at the table level, not at the variable level. Thus, the description of the publication and its indexing will be very general. You should expect to find much more detailed statistical tables in the statistical publication itself.
• Unfortunately, Lovejoy Library holds only years 1960-1980, 1983. However, this will be sufficient to find statistical publications that have been issued during and since that time. Of course, one cannot find publications that have only been issued after 1983.

1. Search in the ASI index for fairly general terms. For items of interest, note the abstract number, e.g. 4002-5, 108-32, or 2551-1.18, etc.
2. Look up the abstract number in the ASI abstracts volume of the same year.
3. For publications that you would like to examine, (a) search the SIUE catalog by title to see whether Lovejoy Library holds it and, if so, where it is located. If it is not in the catalog, make a note of the SuDocs number (preceded by the degree sign, e.g. °HE20.8212/6); (b) look for the publication by SuDocs number in the US Documents Collection on the 3rd floor of Lovejoy Library; if it is not there, then (c) ask for the worker at the Microforms desk on the 2nd floor to search for it by SuDocs number in the US Documents Microfiche collection; if it is not there, (d) ask Barbara Levergood for assistance. Alternatively, (e) use the Catalog of Government Publications or a (f) Google search to try to find an electronic version.

Exercise 5: Subject search using Guide to U.S. Government Statistics

• J. L. Andriot. Guide to U.S. Government Statistics. 1998. SIUE US Document Index Z7554.U5 G8
• Unfortunately, Lovejoy Library holds only years 1997-1998. However, this will be sufficient to find statistical publications that have been issued before/during and since that time. Of course, one cannot find publications that have only been issued after 1998.

1. Search in the Guide for fairly general terms. For items of interest, note the SuDocs number, e.g. HE 20.7009:.
2. Look up the SuDocs number in the main body of the volume to find very brief information about the publication.
3. For publications that you would like to examine, (a) search the SIUE catalog by title to see whether Lovejoy Library holds it and, if so, where it is located. If it is not in the catalog, (b) look for the publication by SuDocs number in the US Documents Collection on the 3rd floor of Lovejoy Library; if it is not there, then (c) ask for the worker at the Microforms desk on the 2nd floor to search for it by SuDocs number in the US Documents Microfiche collection; if it is not there, (d) ask Barbara Levergood for assistance. Alternatively, (e) use the Catalog of Government Publications or a (f) Google search to try to find an electronic version.