CDC WONDER

Rating: Excellent

Strong Points: Numerous databases to search; easy to tailor search results.

If you’re looking for public health or epidemiological data, look no further than the Center for Disease Control’s WONDER website. WONDER, which stands for Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research, lives up to its acronym. The website compiles an enormous number of databases into one convenient location. The databases contain information ranging from HIV/AIDS public use data, cancer and cause of death statistics, environmental data such as heat waves and precipitation levels, and population statistics such as adverse vaccine reactions and sexually transmitted disease morbidity. Each database includes extensive search features, allowing users to include specific locations, demographics, and years in their search. Search results are conveniently organized into tables or maps and each dataset comes with additional information about how it was collected. For new users, a substantial FAQ and help section makes getting started with WONDER, well, wonderful.

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