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Preface
The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published since 1878, is the best-known statistical reference publication in the country. As a comprehensive collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States, it is a snapshot of America and its people. In the spring of 2011, the Census Bureau announced that the edition published that year would be the last one produced at government expense. Beginning in 2012, ProQuest took on responsibility for updating and releasing this publication, the most used statistical reference tool in U.S. libraries.
The editors at ProQuest have endeavored to continue the tradition established by the Census Bureau Statistical Compendia Branch. Like its predecessors, the ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States is designed to serve as a convenient volume for statistical reference and as a guide to other statistical publications and sources. The latter function is served by the introductory text to each section, the source note appearing below each table, and Appendix I, which is comprised of the Guide to Sources of Statistics, the Guide to State Statistical Abstracts, and the Guide to Foreign Statistical Abstracts.
This volume includes a selection of data from many statistical sources, both government and private. Publications cited as sources usually contain additional statistical detail and more comprehensive discussions of definitions and concepts. Data not available in publications issued by the contributing
agency, but obtained from the Internet or unpublished records are identified in the source notes. More information on the subjects covered in the tables may generally be obtained from the source.
Except as indicated, figures are for the United States as presently constituted. Although emphasis in the ProQuest Statistical Abstract is primarily given to national data, many tables present data for regions and individual states and a smaller number for metropolitan areas and cities. "Appendix II, Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: Concepts, Components, and Population," presents explanatory text, a complete current listing, and population data for metropolitan and micropolitan areas defined as of February 2013. Statistics for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and for Island Areas of the United States are included in many state tables and are supplemented by information in Section 29.
Statistics in this edition are generally for the most recent year or period available, as of early September
2015. Each year over 1,400 tables are reviewed and
evaluated, new tables of current interest are added, continuing series are updated, and less timely data are condensed or eliminated. Text notes and appendices are revised as appropriate.
Changes in this edition—This year ProQuest introduces 39 new tables, presenting new material on a variety of topics, including charter schools; women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings by
occupation; terrorism related deaths, injuries, and kidnappings of private U.S. citizens; child immunization by State; and health care spending by medical condition. For a complete list of new tables, see "New Tables," p. xi.
Additionally, within the Health and Nutrition section, tables presenting data on health measures have been arranged into two separate subsections - health measures and health measures for children.
Online edition—ProQuest Statistical Abstract is also available in an online edition. This dynamic edition features table-specific capabilities for narrowing results by source, data date, subject, and type of data breakdown. Importantly, the online edition is updated with new statistical content on a monthly basis, enabling users to regularly access new and revised data. The online product functions as a repository for additional back year's data that cannot fit into the print publication. Users will find spreadsheets that correspond to each table in the book. In many cases, these spreadsheets present expanded coverage of the data shown in print. It is available as a stand-alone product or a fully integrated component of ProQuest Statistical Insight.
Limitations of the data—The contents of this volume were taken from many sources. All data from censuses, surveys, and administrative records are subject to error arising from a number of factors including the following: sampling variability (for statistics based on samples), reporting errors in the data for individual units, incomplete coverage, nonresponse, and imputation and processing errors (see also Appendix III). ProQuest cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy or limitations of the data presented here. However, selection of the material and its proper presentation is the responsibility of ProQuest.
For additional information on data presented—Please consult the source publications available in local libraries and on the Internet, or contact the agency or organization indicated in the source notes.
Review:
ProQuest and Bernan made a splash in 2012 when they took over the government's long-running publication of Statistical Abstract. If you bought the title back then are thinking that edition will suffice for a while longer, you might want to reconsider. This year's edition includes a number of new tables on topics that have been running through the media lately and which your patrons might be seeking statistics - for example, rape and sexual assault among college-age women; terrorism deaths, injuries, and kidnappings of private U.S. citizens by country; and veterans' income, education, and poverty and disability status compared to nonveterans. The majority of the data is annual...so that skipping a year means missing out on new and revised data for about 1,200 of the 1,400 tables in the book. (Library Journal)
Following the earlier editions, this venerable reference source is still one large volume of ready-reference statistical information. The majority of the data in the book has been updated, with about 1,200 of the 1,400 tables new and revised. New information includes data on such 'hot topics' as terrorism deaths, injuries, and kidnappings of private U.S. citizens by select countries; tables on earnings by sex and women's earnings as a percent of men's earnings by occupation; figures on sexual assault among college-age females; and veterans' income, education, and disability status compared to nonveterans. This remains a classic and important reference work, suitable for most public and academic libraries. (Booklist)
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