The government is an excellent source for statistics, and usually you will find the raw statistical data, without bias. Government agencies gather, analyze, and publish a wide variety of statistical data on numerous topics.

One of the first places you can go to find statistics is The Statistical Abstract of the United States. It presents summary charts and tables of the most requested statistical data. One important thing it does is cite the source of the data.

For example, below you will find statistics on "Students Who Reported Carrying a Weapon: 1995 to 2005" listed with the source in which you can find out more about how the statistics were gathered, etc.

To find statistics, think about what group, agency, or organization might collect statistics on your particular topic. You'll also want to think about the time frame (current or historical statistics) and geographical location.