MKT / PSY 365: Consumer Behavior: Consumer & Lifestyle; Public Opinion; Voter Behavior; etc.

A small selection of think tanks and university-affiliated research centers that may be relevant to your projects include:

• The Pew Research Center - includes projects such as the Pew Internet & American Life Project, Pew Research Center for People & the Press, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, the Pew Hispanic Center, and the Pew Social & Demographic Trends.
• CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) - research on the civic and political engagement of young Americans. Useful starting points are Research Topics and Quick Facts.
• Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.  Research areas include Political Communication.
• The General Social Survey (GSS) is an ongoing project (data has been collected since 1972) of the NORC at the University of Chicago.  The data is available for statistical analysis using the Survey Documentation and Analysis site at UC Berkeley. This site includes a series of quick tables.

Commercial (subscription-based) sources

National demographic analysis and lifestyle trends

Social Explorer [a TCNJ subscription database]: provides quick and easy access to modern and historical U.S. Census data and demographic information, including data on crime, economics, elections, health, and religion.

Experian: Simmons National Consumer Survey and National Hispanic Consumer Survey; also New Media. [Select "Resources" from the menu at the top of the page for a user guide and other helpful information.]

• After connecting to the database, use the "Study" tab to select the most recent NCS/NCHS data, or the New Media data.
• Use the menu to build criteria for comparison (lifestyle and demographic information), then run crosstabs.

Local-area demographic analysis and lifestyle trends

Claritas 360 (from SRDS):  offers demographic and market segmentation data of consumers by focusing on a variety of lifestyle and behavior descriptions.

• After connecting to the database, select Local Market Audience Analyst from the menu at the left side of the page.
• Available reports include the following:
• Market Profile Reports – explore by market, gaining insight into the demographic makeup and high-indexing behaviors of individual DMAs or counties.
  • Lifestyle Analysis Reports – explore by lifestyle behavior, gaining insight into related behaviors, cross-sell/synergy opportunities, and market potential.
  • Demographics Reports – explore by demographic variable, gaining market-by-market insight into where to find your key audiences.
  • PRIZM Reports – explore using industry-standard PRIZM groupings, gaining unique insight into the household makeup and lifestyle traits of your target audiences.
• For this project, the PRIZM Target Group Lifestyle Report (the last choice on the menu) will likely be the most relevant, as this provides demographic and lifestyle profiles that are not restricted by geographic segment.

Free online resources

U.S. Census: age, ethnicity, income, educational attainment, etc.

State and County QuickFacts - includes statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with more than 5,000 people.

Census 2010 Interactive Population Map - details about population, age, race/ethnicity and housing status, for counties and subdivisions within counties.

• Select a topic, then follow the step-by-step instructions shown on the map to find and compare data.

American Community Survey - includes updates and projections since the decennial census.

Sample search -- Educational attainment in Trenton:

• Under Data (from the left-side menu) follow the links to "Data Tables & Tools" and then choose the Data Profiles geography selector from the text in the middle of the page
• Then Select New Jersey from the first pull-down list on the left side of the box displayed, and then choose "Place" to select "Trenton City" from the pull-down list on the right side of the selection box.
• Choose the Social Characteristics link from the results
• View Educational Attainment (about halfway down the table that's displayed)

American FactFinder (U.S. Census Bureau - "Your source for population, housing, economic, and geographic information". Search for data from the comprehensive decennial census (latest = 2010) as well as samples and projections from data collected annually.  For help, see Using FactFinder.

EasiDemographics / this is mostly a fee-based service, but look for the link at the top of the page to free reports, ring studies, maps, and more -- based on 2010 US Census data [a brief registration form is required]

• http://www.easidemographics.com/
• New from EasiDemographics: The Right Move (mobile app).  A free version is available.

The New Jersey Data Book: "Published as a free public service by Rutgers' Center for Government Services (CGS), the New Jersey Data Book includes statistics on New Jersey’s 565 municipalities, its legislative districts, counties, schools, elections, and people." Note that in order to access the data, one-time registration (free) is required for first-time users. Earlier editions of this resource (before the print version ceased) are available in print in TCNJ Library.

New Jersey State Data Center: a faster path to NJ-based statistics (at the state-, county-, municipal- or zipcode-level), mostly sourced from US Census data.

More data and statistics sites

• Statista (a TCNJ Library subscription database) -- search by keyword or topic to find statistics; source details may provide pointers to underlying data
• ICPSR (the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research)