LibGuides: Chicana(o) & Latina(o) Studies: CLS 3770 --Environmental Justice: Background Information

Research Question

Once you have a general idea what you are interested in researching, such as a topic like freeways in Los Angeles, toxic waste in minority communities, or environmental justice groups you can develop a research question to guide you in your search for information.

Ask yourself:

What do you want to know about this topic?
Are there specific groups of people, locations, environmental issues, or outcomes involved?
Can your question be answered with yes or no? If so, re-think your question to make it broader
Is the question researchable? Make sure your question is not too broad or too narrow.
- Narrow enough that you can attempt to answer (no big 'meaning of life' type questions)
- Broad enough that you can find information about it

Background Information

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. You can search a single eBook or across an entire eBook collection.

Databases for Statistics

SimplyAnalytics This link opens in a new window
A web-based mapping application for creating maps, charts, and reports with demographic, business, and marketing data. It offers over 200,000 data variables. Some of the features include: interactive maps, ranking tables, local data, visual maps, and a business and competitor finder.
The maps can be exported as high-resolution images for use in reports and presentations, and data can be exported into Microsoft Excel worksheets and Microsoft Word documents. It includes target marketing, advertising campaigns, commercial and residential real estate development, retail store site selection, ranking studies, and social and demographic analyses.

Access Limitation: This database allows five concurrent access at a time. Instruction faculty: please contact your liaison librarians should you need to use the database for class instruction.

Help
- SimplyAnalytics Help Center
- SimplyAnalytics Data Documentation
FedStats This link opens in a new window
U.S. federal statistics produced by over 100 federal agencies.
Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window
A standard source for the quantitative facts of American history. Data (1790-2000) includes history, economics, government, finance, sociology, demography, education, law, natural resources, climate, religion, international migration, and trade.

Government and Non-Profits Information & Stats

Local
U.S.

CA Department of Public Health Data & Statistics
Access to public health data and information, such as queries, resources, statistics, surveys, informatics, GIS, and health indicators.
CA Health and Human Services Open Data Portal
Non confidential health and human services data that can be easily retrieved, combined, downloaded, sorted, searched, and analyzed.
Data LA
Open datasets to analyze and create visualizations with from all LA agencies.
LA Homless Services Count
Data sets and service planning areas for homelessness in LA.
CA Geoportal
The California Geoportal provides easy and convenient ways to discover and share geospatial data resources.
CalEnviroScreen
This update to CalEnviroScreen, Version 4.0, continues to evolve as a science-based
method for identifying impacted communities by taking into consideration pollution
exposure and its effects, as well as health and socioeconomic status, at the census-tract
level. This updated version includes more recent data, improved methodology, and an
additional indicator.
City of Los Angeles Dept. of Sanitation
Information on programs and services from the department.
LAPH Neighborhood Health Hazard Investigations
Information regarding specific environmental incidents and to learn about reducing your exposure to environmental hazards.
California Healthy Places Index
Neighborhood-by-neighborhood, the HPI maps data on social conditions that drive health — like education, job opportunities, clean air and water, and other indicators that are positively associated with life expectancy at birth. Community leaders, policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders use the HPI to compare the health and well-being of communities, identify health inequities and quantify the factors that shape health.
Envirostar
EnviroStor is the Department of Toxic Substances Control's data management system for tracking our cleanup, permitting, enforcement and investigation efforts at hazardous waste facilities and sites with known contamination or sites where there may be reasons to investigate further.
The Urban Displacement Project
The Urban Displacement Project (UDP) is a research and action initiative of the University of California Berkeley and the University of Toronto. UDP conducts community-centered, data-driven, applied research toward more equitable and inclusive futures for cities. Our research aims to understand and describe the nature of gentrification, displacement, and exclusion, and also to generate knowledge on how policy interventions and investment can support more equitable development.

Census Survey of Business Owners
The Survey of Business Owners (SBO) provides the only comprehensive, regularly collected source of information on selected economic and demographic characteristics for businesses and business owners by gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Data & Statistics
Data and statistics from the CDC organized by disease.
Envirofacts
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) portal for statistics and data on air, water, land, and pollution.
General Social Survey (GSS)
Since 1972, the GSS has provided politicians, policymakers, and scholars with a clear and unbiased perspective on what Americans think and feel about such issues as national spending priorities, crime and punishment, intergroup relations, and confidence in institutions.
Pew Research Center
Public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. Topics range from politics, technology, social trends, religion, science, and race and ethnicity.

National Centers for Environmental Information This link opens in a new window
Climate data, historical weather data, local and global climatological data, storm data, hourly precipitation data, and monthly climatic data for the world.
Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
U.S. Census statistics on population, health, education, employment, public aid, and more. Data is available through 2011.
The Statistical Abstract of the United States web site contains statistical tables from the print version of the Statistical Abstract, tables from USA Statistics in Brief, tables giving state rankings (in population, health, education, employment, public aid, social security, income, crime, energy, business, federal funds, motor vehicles), state and county statistical profiles, and tables giving economic statistics for the United States.
There is a special page highlighting all Frequently Requested Tables from the Frequently Requested Tables from the Statistical Abstract

NOTE: IMPORTANT: If you do not know EXACTLY which number table you want, use the INDEX at the end of the Table of Contents!

Environmental Protection Agency
Information on pressing topics and environmental concerns.
CDC Envrironmental Justice Dashboard
Explore data on environmental exposures, community characteristics, and health burden — factors important to understanding and addressing environmental justice issues.

Chicana(o) & Latina(o) Studies: CLS 3770 --Environmental Justice

More Helpful Guides

Research Question

Background Information

Databases for Statistics

Government and Non-Profits Information & Stats

Company Information