U.S. Government Publications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison : Data

UW-Madison Libraries have created several subject-specific guides to datasets.  The following research guides link to numerous U.S. government sources of data:

• Agriculture: Data and Statistics : Research Data, Datasets
• Climate Data Sources
• Health Data and Statistics
• Mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Social Science Data
• U.S. Census of Population and Housing Basics

Data.gov

• Provides public access to high-value, machine readable-datasets generated by the executive branch of the federal government.
• Also covers some data sets by state and local governments, and by a few universities.
• Contains
  • descriptions of datasets (aka "metadata")
  • information about how to access the datasets
  • tools that leverage government datasets (aka "apps" developed by citizens)
• Dataset catalog allows to you search by keyword, and limit by formats, organization types, and organizations, among other limits.
• User guide includes information on how and why Data.gov harvests the datasets it does.

Sage Data (formerly Data Planet Statistical Datasets)

• Available for use in campus libraries, or off-campus use by UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff.
• Provides access to statistical information produced by U.S. federal agencies, states, private organizations, and major intergovernmental organizations.
• Information available in tabular and graphical form; tables and graphs can be reformatted in a variety of ways.
• How to Use Sage Data--guide from the vendor.

Finding, Reusing, and Citing Data page from UW-Madison's Research Data Services

• Contains
  • A description of Data.gov that highlights some of the datasets available.
  • Tips on reusing data.
  • Links to non-governmental sources of data.
• Research Data Services "is a free resource for anyone on the UW-Madison campus that provides consultations, best practice information, and education and training on research data management and sharing." 

Social Explorer

• Available for use in campus libraries, or off-campus use by UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff.
• Three simultaneous users from UW-Madison licensed.
• Provides access to demographic and housing data from the American Community Survey, and the Decennial Census back to 1790.
• Allows users to create maps and reports at all geographic levels, including the state, county, census tract, block group, zip code and census place.

List of datasets from the UW-Madison Libraries databases. 

As part of the Federal Depository Library Program, the UW-Madison Libraries make U.S. government publications available to the public at no fee.

Government Information Data Rescue:  This research guide from American University Libraries describes strategies for finding rescued data.  The first step is “confirm the data has actually been removed” and the guide gives suggestions for how to do that.

2025 Federal Data Availability: Part of the Ohio State University University Libraries research guide to Data has a section on "Archived Federal Data Sources."  It lists resources from colleges and universities, other research organizations, and advocacy organizations.  It groups sites into three types:

• Data Repositories & Archives
• Mirrored Data: "Mirrored data copies are typically more extensive in their coverage, but require more advanced skills to search and access."
• Web Applications: "Re-created versions of web applications, such as interactive dashboards, maps, and other data tools. In many cases, the underlying data for these tools is also separately archived."
  • As of 4/22/25, lists two applications

How are statistics and data different? The following comparison comes from a presentation by Mike McCaffrey, lecturer at the Faculty of Information of the University of Toronto.

Data

• “Disaggregated” collection of observations with one or more characteristics
• Generally require manipulation or extraction using utilities
• Can be values or observations of characteristics “numerically coded”
• Raw material for statistics

Statistics

• “Aggregated” and tabulated or cross-tabulated tallies based on data
• Counts, tallies, totals, “averages”
• Can be found in print or electronically
• Normally used as they are presented or retrieved
• “Facts numerically represented”

From: McCaffrey, Mike. “International Statistics: Helping Library Users Understand the Global Community.” Presentation at the American Library Association’s Government Information Round Table Pre-Conference, International Statistics: Helping Library Users Understand the Global Community, Chicago, IL, June 28, 2013.

For additional statistical resources, see the list of statistics databases provided by the UW-Madison Libraries.