IR 308 Economic Globalization: Finding Data

Quick Guide to Finding Data for the IR 308 Data Project for Professor Nina Rathbun, Fall 2016

Finding Data

Data used in research for International Relations comes from a multitude of sources including: government organizations, international organizations, and individual researchers/research groups. This is best illustrated by the many organizations from which Gapminder obtained data (for details, see https://www.gapminder.org/data/). 

Unfortunately, there is not one comprehensive data source that will address all the topics for this assignment. The sources listed below are provided as starting points to give you a sense of the types of data available. Many of you will have to locate additional sources for your data. International/intergovernmental organizations are great places to start. For example, if you are researching trade, you might check the website of the World Trade Organization and other trade-related organizations to see what statistics they publish. 

Selected Statistical Sources for IR

Two Rules for Using Data

  1. Go to the original source. If you see data quoted someplace that you would like to use for this project, see if you can track down the original source of the data. This way you can be confident the data have been accurately reproduced and when you go to the original source you might find more current data as well as additional data points on the topic.
  2. Know what is being measured. Take time to make sure you fully understand what the data represent.  If it isn't readily clear how Official Development Assistance is being measured, for example, find out!