LibGuides: Consumer/Customer Research: Consumer/Customer Data

Researching People and Markets

The sources on this page will help you answer questions like: Where is the greatest concentration of 55+ teachers? How much money does the average family spend on groceries? How has this changed over time? Where do renters live in Rhode Island? How many people have been diagnosed with asthma in my hometown?

Demographic Data and Statistics

For US based market research, most sources are repackaging and remixing data from the US Census Bureau. We have a comprehensive guide on working with US Census data directly and provide several additional sources below that provide alternate interfaces for exploring the data or combining it with third party research on topics like public opinion, health, the economy, and more.

Census Data
by Frank Donnelly Last Updated Sep 14, 2024 3441 views this year

Contact socscilibrarians@brown.edu for assistance with your research, including locating demographic or national census data from international sources.

Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
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A web mapping application for visualizing and accessing historic US census data, 1790-present
Social Explorer helps visual analysis and understanding of the demography of the U.S. through the use of interactive maps and data reports. Primary functions include Demographic Data Analysis, Interactive Map/Report Design and Software Development. The main goal is to visually display the demographic change that has occurred in the U.S. since 1790 through the-present, for the country over all down to the level of the county. For more recent years, users can display areas as small as a neighborhood. Certain cities may even be displayed as far back as 1910. Toward this end, Social Explorer contains a collection of interactive demographic maps that can be viewed, queried and manipulated on the site.
ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
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A comprehensive collection of US government statistics covering all aspects of American society, 1878-present.
1990-2016; the ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States is a one-volume, comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Use the Abstract as a convenient volume for statistical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information both in print and on the Web.

US Census Bureau - International Data
The International Data Base (IDB) was developed by the U.S. Census Bureau to provide access to accurate and timely demographic measures for populations around the world. The database includes a comprehensive set of indicators, as produced by the U.S. Census Bureau since the 1960s.

IndiaStat This link opens in a new window
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Provides national and state-level socioeconomic statistics about India, current.
Current, historical coverage varies; provides national and state-level socio-economic statistics about India culled from various secondary level authentic sources. Includes statistics on population, health, higher education, economy, agricultural and industrial production. Also provides data on sectors like banking and financial institutions, companies, co-operatives, crime and law, environment, foreign trade, labour and workforce, housing, media, energy and power, transport, urban-rural settlements, telecommunications, tourism, and other areas. Data and statistics can easily be downloaded in MS-Excel/Word/ and HTML formats.
To access, click on the "IP login" tab.

Data on Attitudes, Behavior, Spending, Opinions

More sources for data can be found on the Social Science Data Guide and consider looking in an Industry Report for published reports on consumers in a particular segment.

SimplyAnalytics (Formerly SimplyMap) This link opens in a new window
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A web-based mapping, analytics, and data visualization application that incorporates access to many different demographic and consumer data sets. Provides access to PRIZM® Premier Behavioral Marketing & Audience Segments.
SimplyAnalytics is an online data exploration and mapping tool that incorporates access to many different data sets including data from the US Census. Spatial data can be exported to ESRI Shapefile format. Tabular data can be exported in multiple formats for use with Microsoft Excel or other statistical analysis programs and maps and other visualization outputs can be exported to various graphic formats for including in reports and papers.
For first time users, please register with SimplyAnalytics using your Brown email address and do so while you are connected to the internet via Brown University's network.
PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
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A data and web mapping application that provides access to thousands of indicators related to housing, crime, mortgages, health, jobs, demographics and education, current.
Current; Policymap is an online data and mapping application that gives access to over 15,000 indicators related to housing, crime, mortgages, health, jobs, demographics and education. Data are available at all common geographies (address, block group, census tract, zip code, county, city, state, MSA) as well as unique geographies like school districts and political boundaries. Data come from both public and proprietary sources. Many of the public files are available for download. Through PolicyMap, you can access all data in interactive maps, tables, charts, reports and through a unique analytic tool. You may also upload your own address level data and share your data and interactive maps with others.Tutorials.
Statista This link opens in a new window
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Provides statistics, data, market research, and industry reports on a variety of topics.
Current; Statista is a provider of market and consumer data. Statista.com consolidates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources. To provide feedback on this trial, please contact the Social Sciences Librarians.
For off-campus access, please use the VPN.

RKMA Handbooks
This series compiles statistics, trands and data on a variety of consumer industries, including consumers and companies. They can be very long, so review the Table of Contents and 'find within' to find a keyword within the report

Gallup Analytics This link opens in a new window
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Summary statistics from US and international public opinion surveys. Microdata available upon request.
Gallup Analytics is an online platform that provides subscribers with access to nearly a century of U.S. data and a decade of global tracking data known as the Gallup World Poll. The online platform includes new data and historical trends at the country, state and U.S. city levels. All trends are searchable and exportable.
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research This link opens in a new window
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Provides access to polling data from public opinion surveys from 110 countries, 1930s-present.
1930's-present; the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research is one of the world's leading archives of social science data, specializing in data from surveys of public opinion. Most of the data are from the United States, but over 50 nations are represented. Also includes access to iPoll.
Polling the Nations This link opens in a new window
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A compilation of surveys and original poll questions from the United States and more than 80 other countries, 1986-present.
1986-present; Polling the Nations is a compilation of more than 14,000 surveys conducted by more than 700 polling organizations in the United States and more than 80 other countries. Each of the records reports a question asked and the responses given, the polling organization responsible for the work, the date the information was released, the sample size, and the universe, i.e., the groups or areas included in the interview.
ProQuest Business Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to articles, trade publications, market research reports, as well as major news publications for business, marketing and entrepreneurship research and practice
Current; a comprehensive business offering, comprising all content from ABI/INFORM Complete, Accounting & Tax, Asian Business & Reference, Banking Information Source, Entrepreneurship, and the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences. Featuring thousands of full text journals, dissertations, conference proceedings, and working papers as well as trade publications, industry reports, and key periodicals such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Economist. Strong U.S. and international coverage in business and the social sciences.

Public Data Sources

Below are examples of the rich source of public data. Contact socscilibrarians@brown.edu if you would like to explore data with a librarian.

Consumer Behavior Journals

Consumer Behavior
Aims to communicate the latest research and its application in a forum which will include case studies, research reports and forecasting trends.
The Journal of consumer marketing
For marketers and marketing academics who wish to develop further insight into how people behave as consumers worldwide.
The Journal of consumer research
Scholarly research aimed at describing and explaining consumer behavior, in the broadest sense of that term.

Consumer and Market Research Handbooks

Richard K. Miller & Associates (RKMA) publishes 12 biennial business reference handbooks focused on marketing and the consumer marketplace. These handbooks provide easily accessible summaries of market research and statistics - a great place to start your consumer or market research.