Statistics on the web

Statistical information is based on a study of the number of times something happens or is present. Often, the government carries out large research projects to collect information about people and their lives. These results are often available on the internet and can be used in your DiDA research project.

What can statistics be used for?

Statistics can be used to back up or prove a point. For example, if you wanted to say that the village you live in has a high crime rate, you could prove this by quoting statistics for the number of crimes committed in a year.

In the UK, the census is a massive survey sent to every household in the country. A census is carried out every ten years and is the main source of statistics on income, housing, health and employment.

The census is one of the biggest sources of statistical information in the UK

Where can statistics be found on the web?

It's important to use accurate statistics in your DiDA project. Make sure you use statistics from an official website and, if possible, compare figures with other sources. Listed below are some useful websites providing statistics.

• UK statistics at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
• Local government statistics at http://www.direct.gov.uk/
• Census statistics at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census/
• Crime statistics at http://www.crimestatistics.org.uk/
• Environmental statistics at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/
• Food statistics at http://www.food.gov.uk/
• Health statistics at http://www.dh.gov.uk/
• Met Office weather statistics at http://www.met-office.gov.uk/
• Tourism statistics at http://www.visitbritain.com/research
• Wildlife statistics at http://www.panda.org/news_facts/publications/index.cfm

Don't forget to include the source of your statistics in the bibiography.