A. Curricular/Research/Programmatic needs
Data is purchased to ensure that the MSU community has access to data information needed to support curricular, research, and general information needs. This data includes both datasets and statistical tables. Data sets are sometimes referred to as “raw” data or machine-readable data files and are used in analysis requiring the use of statistical software programs such as SPSS or Stata. Statistics are the human-readable published results of data analysis and may be in either print or electronic format. This collection policy focuses specifically on commercially published sources of numeric information, membership-based research/academic sources, and freely available sources (e.g., government data).
Handbooks for data analysis software programs are also needed to support the use of data.
Data and statistical information is collected across all subject areas. However, the greatest purchases have been in the social sciences due to higher use of secondary data.
B. History of the collection/Existing strengths and emphases
While we subscribe to many multidisciplinary access to statistical databases in both table and geographic map displays and memberships that are purchased by individual collections funds, the data fund has focused on actual datasets and statistical tables purchases. We have also purchased access to Dryad, a data repository.
Breezy Silver
Interim Director and Collections Coordinator, Gast Business Library
Liaison: Hospitality, Supply Chain Management, Business Data Services, and Economics
517.432.4181
silverbr@msu.edu
