Data sources on the internet vary in their variety, size, source and specificity. Some include very large databases collected nationally or internationally covering a wide variety of topics. Others are more specific to the world of business, offering information on the economy, commerce and market trends, etc. A third type are even more specific, covering the results of just one survey studying a single topic.
National Statistics Online, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ , is a useful first site to explore. Its key statistics are:
- GDP and other economic measures
- Retail sales
- Inflation
- Public sector
- Population
- Employment.
It also includes links to a variety of other datasets and information.
The United Nations Statistics Division ,
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htm, offers similar information on an international level. It lists its key areas as:
- Economics
- Demographic and social statistics
- Environment and energy statistics
It also offers links to other statistical databases.
Mosaic, is a commercial agency offering a database about all consumers in the UK on a mosaic of household and postcode. It contains information on demographics, lifestyle, etc.
Information on single organisations such as Tesco, can be found on their own websites which are probably most easily found through a search engine such as Google.
Information on a specific topic such as house prices, is probably also easiest found through a search engine.
The results of a single survey, such as one on clothes sizes, can be exttremely useful if you are interested in a specific topic. How to calculate a variable such as body mass, may be useful for a project or presentation. Again start looking with a search engine.
