Social Explorer - Direct

Tabbed

Overview

Social Explorer database contains the entire U.S. census history as well as numerous other demographic and environmental study reports, as well as mapping tools. The website seamlessly integrates spatial and numeric data through an easy-to-use interface and makes working with socio-demographic data simple even for a novice user.

Social Explorer was previously provided by Oxford University Press (OUP). In April 2019, OUP announced that OUP and Social Explorer, Inc. mutually agreed to end its partnership. Beginning on April 22, 2019, Social Explorer, Inc. began to provide subscriptions and services to Social Explorer directly with subscribers.

Provider:

Social Explorer, Inc.

Posted:

Jun 4, 2019 2:58pm

Updated:

Oct 1, 2022 12:05am

Source

CRL reviews are based on independent research. Information is researched by CRL staff and other specialists at CRL libraries. See CRL Review for additional source notes.

Details

Collection Content

Subject Areas:

Social Sciences

Resource Types:

Big data

Census data

Dataset

Geospatial data

Inter-governmental organization data

Maps

Non-governmental organization data

Statistical data

Major Languages:

English

- Denotes data sourced directly from publisher

Content Details:


Topics covered	Demography, economy, health, politics, environment, crime and more.
Geographic coverage	United States
Chronological coverage	1790 through today
Source format(s)	online
Total titles	1
Total pages	NA
Major language (s)	English
Digital collection launch date	1/1/2009
Completion date	Ongoing
Collection ongoing	Y
Update frequency	Yearly
Available supplements	NA

Specifications

Metadata:


MARC records available	N
Creator of MARC records	N
Source for obtaining MARC records	N
Fee for MARC records	N
Subject authorities used	N
Name authorities used	N

Technical Platform:


Browser compatibility	Chrome, FireFox
Authentication options	EZ-proxy / IP Ranges / Log-in page
Archiving solution (master files)	NA
Archiving solution (derivative files)	Within customer account
Available in web discovery tools	Y
Open url target	www.socialexplorer.com
Federated searching, z39.50	NA
Local host option	NA
Usage stats based on Counter code	Yes, starting August 1, 2019

Interface Tools:


Full text displayed	Y
Page images	Y
Color images	Y
Search full text	Y
Advanced search	Y
Search within results	Y
Limit results by dates and/or document types	Y
Display highlighted search terms	Y
Display snippet (search term in context)	Y
Relevance sorting	Y
Save searches	Y
Download PDF	Y
Download HTML	N
Print page	Y
Print full document	Y
Export citations	Y
Annotation tools	Y
Cross-product searching	N
ILL permitted	Y
Text/data mining permitted	Y
Restrictions on use	Y

Terms and Provider Details

Terms:


Subscription option	Y
Purchase option	N
Multiple year payments option	N
Maintenance fees	N
Hosting charges	N
Archiving	Y

Provider:

Social Explorer, Inc.

Website:

https://www.socialexplorer.com/

CRL Review

Collection Content:

Social Explorer (SE) is a browser-based tool that allows researchers to organize raw data into customizable visualizations. The database aggregates statistics directly from the government departments and organizations collecting it, uniquely allowing users to create maps and charts from raw datasets. Users can pull statistical information from a variety of trusted sources including the United States Census, American Community Surveys, House Price Indices, World Development Indicators, and FBI Crime reports, creating eye-catching and accurate representations for more comprehensive analysis.

Social Explorer also provides a selection of “Lecture Launchers” created for students across experience levels, providing educators with pre-generated visualizations of data relating to current events through the lens of different academic disciplines.

New features now available on Social Explorer include:

New Business and Economics Datasets: Social Explorer has added Market Profile Data from Easy Analytic Software, Inc. (EASI) for 2010, 2020, and 2025.
New Election Datasets: These newly added datasets focus on the recent election cycle and provide data on the presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial elections held during 2020.
Teach and Learn Modules: Social Explorer has developed over 175 new Teach and Learn Modules, a zero-cost text option for faculty and students. These new modules can be integrated into many traditional undergraduate courses and are supported by LMS integration and assessment tools.
New Social Explorer LibGuide: Social Explorer has developed a Social Explorer LibGuide to support your patrons. The LibGuide is housed in the SpringShare community forum and can be customized and added to your other LibGuides.
View Change Over Time on Reports: The new Change Over Time feature allows you to view data of interest for multiple years (or easily switch the years) on one report, eliminating the need to download reports for each year.

Terms:

Social Explorer is available as a subscription only.

Accessibility:

SE agreed to amend the license agreement with an updated accessibility clause consistent with Disability Law requirements, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state non-discrimination laws. To view the addendum, login and click on the “CRL Offer & Status” tab.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

One of Social Explorer’s notable strengths is its accessibility to novice users. Creating visualizations is a straightforward process in which users can effortlessly choose appropriate variables and visualization options. Users can search within surveys to find applicable tables, and the database’s “Data Dictionary” allows users to view data points in their full, original context.

SE also allows for accessible visual storytelling by offering a side-by-side view, allowing users to view significant changes in data over time. Another option, the swipe tool, allows users to place maps atop one another and toggle between them for a more thorough understanding of changes over time. The site also supports multiple export options, making Social Explorer’s output easily viewable on a variety of platforms.

Despite its versatility, Social Explorer has some noteworthy limitations. Only "eligible variables," from the same survey year and category can be used in a single visualization, making complex visualizations with multiple variables difficult.

Reviewers:

Center for Research Libraries

Madison Borth - Project Assistant, Acquisitions & Licensing

Sources

Sources for this review include information publicly posted or obtained directly from the publisher; data collected by CRL staff and specialists at CRL libraries; and examination of the digital collection when possible. Other sources are noted where cited. CRL continues to gather additional information on this resource and to solicit critical assessment.

Additional Reviews in Other Sources:

ccAdvisor - Review of Social Explorer (accessed June 2019)

CRL Offers & Status

Status	Current	Description
CRL Flagged	no	Potential interest to CRL community
Offer Pending	no	Currently a candidate for CRL offer
Active Offer	no	Currently offered for purchase or new subscription
Trial Access	no	Available for trial
Renewal Offer	no	Currently offered for renewal
Expired Offer	yes	Past offers
Inactive / Declined	no	No longer under consideration by CRL
Reviewed by CRL	yes	Evaluation available by CRL and community
Special Access	no	Member-only access available for a limited time

The complete offer and activity details for this resource are only available to CRL members.

Community Ratings

Platform and user interface:

Your rating: None

Average: 5 (2 votes)

Content scope and completeness:

Your rating: None

Average: 4.5 (2 votes)

Cost and price-structure:

Your rating: None

Average: 4 (1 vote)