The United States federal government collects, aggregates, and disseminates a large volume of information and data. This content is used by researchers, policymakers, and many others for various purposes. MIT’s research community relies on federal data for continuation of current research and replicability of past research.

Protecting access to federal government data between and during presidential administrations is important. Data can potentially disappear because of government shutdowns, broken links, and policy shifts. MIT Libraries’ Data Management Services has developed a checklist with steps researchers can take to ensure the government data they use remains accessible. An accompanying guide provides further information and context.

“We wanted to create resources that would be valuable both for our local research community and for the broader research and library community,” says Amy Nurnberger, the Libraries’ program head for Data Management Services. “The checklist provides a starting point for these important conversations and considerations.”

MIT Libraries’ Data Management Services partners with the MIT research community to manage, store, and share data and information they produce. Learn more about these services and the team at the Data Management Services website.

Related Event: End-of-Term Data Preservation at MIT
Thursday, January 9, 2025, 3:30-5pm
The Nexus, Hayden Library, and Zoom
This hands-on session will cover some steps researchers can take to ensure preservation of U.S. federal government data. Participants will also collaborate to nominate websites and databases for the End of Term Archive project, which captures U.S. federal websites at the end of a presidential term.
Registration required