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Buena Vista University

STPR330 Applied Strategic Communication

This guide gathers library resources that will assist students with the research required in this course.

Statistical web sites

Explore Census Data - find population statistics from the U.S. Census

Data.gov   Portal for all available U.S. government data 

Economic Census - Every 5 years the Census does a special review of businesses in the country.  The most current information is from 2017.

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. 

Research reports on the web

Congressional Research Reports  

 CRS is a branch of the Library of Congress that produces reports for Congress.  Here is a great place to find unbiased information about issues before Congress, especially those that could use a legal solution or government intervention.

Think Tank Search

The Kennedy School at Harvard has a Custom Google Search to search the web pages of hundreds of think tanks.  Use this to find think tank white papers, research, and other reports on any topic.

In-Class Exercise

Compare Site 1 with Site 2, using the attributes described below.

Which would be the better source for your research looking at future trends and how it might impact the organization you are profiling?