Data services at the Map & Data Library

Services for data at the Map & Data Library

Contents:

Research consultations

Acquiring data files

Orientations and class-specific data resources and construction of custom data sets for instructional use

Remote distributed access to microdata

Metadata (aka Codebooks)

Custom subsets of data

Data migration among hardware/software platforms

Help with reading data into statistical software packages

Data deposit and preservation of original research data files deposited by researchers

Citing data files

Research consultations: book a consultation re appropriate resources for your statistics or data needs. The DLS will assist with identifying, locating, and evaluating appropriate sources, and the basics of their use in analytic software. Consultations can be booked by e-mailing the Data Librarian at the Map & Data Library, or by phone to 416-978-5365.

Acquiring new data files: identification and acquisition of new data files and/or related documentation needed for research and/or teaching. The DLS maintains contacts with other data archives and libraries, and can assist with searching for and getting copies of data resources available elsewhere, either via the Internet or through purchase (budget permitting). To request data not currently in the Map & Data Library data collection, contact <berenica.vejvoda@utoronto.ca>. The Map & Data Library maintains memberships and/or subscriptions on behalf of the University in:
Remote distributed access to microdata
The DLS provides remote interactive access to microdata on 2 platforms:

SDA interface, operating on an SDA server, hosted by Computing in the Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS).
The SDA interface provides the capability of doing online, interactive analyses, including cross-tabulations, comparison of means, correlations, regressions, including logit/probit regresssion, along with all appropriate measure of significance etc., as well as downloading raw data with syntax files.
<odesi> platform running a Nesstar server, and hosted by the OCUL Scholars Portal project.
The Nesstar interface provides the capability of creating cross-tabulations and comparison of means, as well as the capability of downloading data in system file format formats.

Codebooks:

The DLS manages a collection of documentation describing the content and format of all data files in the DLS collection, as well as some others not in our collection. Where possible, codebooks are made available on-line. Search the UT/DLS web pages to identify on-line documentation available for data sets.
Selected codebooks from ICPSR are available here listed by ICPSR study number.
Selected codebooks from Statistics Canada obtained under the DLI agreement are available here listed by survey acronym or Statistics Canada catalogue number.
Some codebooks are only available in print form; contact us to request print-only codebooks be made available in a scanned (usually pdf) format.
Circulating copies of print codebooks are listed in the University of Toronto Library catalogue and can be requested with 24-hours notice.

Creating custom subsets: The DLS no longer creates custom subsets in user defined software formats. Instead, we invite users to use the SDA or <odesi> interfaces [see above] to perform their own extracts or analyses.

Transferring data between hardware/software platforms
The DLS can assist with transferring data from punched cards, floppy disks (3.5" or 5.25") tapes of various formats, to contemporary removeable formats such as cd-r or dvd-r. We also have resources to convert among software dependant formats, such as SAS, SPSS, and/or Stata system files. A list of the hardware peripherals and software resources available in the UT/DLS is available.

Statistical packages: help with the use of statistical software in the definition of data files;
Citing data files: help with the composition of bibliographic citations for computer data files.