Publicly Available Data Sources
Below is a list of publicly accessible data sources that include arts-related variables (some restrictions may apply). This list is by no means exhaustive. If you know of a dataset that belongs on this list, please email nearesearchgrants@arts.gov.
National Endowment for the Arts
National Archive of Data on Arts & Culture (NADAC) Note: NADAC is a data repository that
includes numerous datasets which are fit for exploration of arts research topics, some of which are listed below.
1982-2012 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA)
2012 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA)
2017 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA)
Annual Arts Basic Survey (AABS) (waves 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018)
American Housing Survey (AHS) Arts Supplement (in 2015 wave)
Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA)
General Social Survey (GSS) Arts Supplement (in 2012 and 2016 waves)
Health and Retirement Study (HRS) Arts and Culture Supplement (in 2014 wave)
National Children’s Study (NCS) Vanguard Study Arts module
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Building Strong Families (BSF) 2005-2008
Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES)
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce
Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA)
National Income and Product Accounts Data (NIPA)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
American Time Use Survey
Consumer Expenditure Survey
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
Occupational Employment and Wages/Occupational Employment Statistic
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages/Location Quotient
U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce
American Community Survey
County Business Patterns
Current Population Survey and related supplements (e.g., Volunteers Supplement)
Economic Census
Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics
Nonemployer Statistics
Service Annual Survey
Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rural Establishment Innovation Survey
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
American Housing Survey
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Note: IMLS is a data repository that includes numerous datasets
which are fit for exploration of arts research topics.
Internal Revenue Service
Exempt Organization Business Master File
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
Survey of International Air Travelers
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
Note: additional datasets beyond the list below may exists that are also appropriate for exploration of arts research topics.
Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study
Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study
Early Childhood Longitudinal Program (ECLS)
Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)
Fast Response Survey System
High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09)
High School Transcript Study
National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (such as the 2016 and 2008 arts assessment)
National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88)
National Household Education Surveys (NHES) Program
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
Schools & Staffing Survey (SASS), Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), and Principal Follow-up Survey (PFS)
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), U.S. National Institutes of Health
Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD)
National Survey of Children's Health (with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
National Children’s Study (NCS) Vanguard Study
National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), U.S. National Institutes of Health
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (limited arts variables)
National Science Foundation
National Survey of College Graduates
Universities and Non-Profit Organizations
DonorsChoose.org. Note: DonorsChoose is a data repository that includes numerous datasets, many on this list, which are fit for exploration of arts research topics.
Gallup
Soul of the Community (Knight Foundation)
Indiana University
National Survey of Student Engagement and High School Survey of Student Engagement
Strategic National Arts Alumni Project
International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement
Civic Education Study (1999)
International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009
Progress in International Reading Study (PIRLS)
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)
NORC at the University of Chicago
General Social Survey (GSS), including Topical Modules on Culture
National Archive of Data on Arts & Culture (NADAC)
National Archive of Data on Arts & Culture (NADAC) is part of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan. This data archive includes numerous datasets, many on this list, which are fit for exploration of arts research topics. In addition to free downloading and data analysis on the NADAC website, researchers can find survey questionnaires and related technical documentation.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
ADDHealth