To be included in our collections, data can be purchased, licensed, or open. Numeric, spatial, and textual data will all be considered.
- Purchased data are data that the Library owns outright (although there may be terms of use in a contract).
- Licensed data are data that the Library essentially rents for a period of time, which may be predetermined or on-going.
- Open data are data that are openly available to the public.
- Any time period, geography, or language will be considered, with preference given for data that is of direct use for UW areas of teaching and research.
Quality:
- Data are up to date and/or historically relevant, and do not require frequent or costly updates.
- Data are from a credible and reliable source.
- The vendor is a reliable business partner.
- Data must be accompanied by adequate documentation and metadata.
Chronological
No limitation placed.
Geographical
No limitation placed, but there is an emphasis on materials related to Washington State and the Pacific Northwest region.
Language
No limitation, but there is an emphasis on materials able to be used by English speakers.
Cost
- While there is no set limit on data purchases, expenditures will be dependent on current budgetary constraints.
- Joint purchases between the UW Libraries, researchers, and/or departments are encouraged.
- The library can typically allocate funds for a research data acquisition that is of value to a wide range of research interests. Expensive datasets or databases that have high value – meaning broad impact across research and instruction at UW – will be considered. In these cases, data purchased with collaborative funding from researchers or schools will be given higher priority.
Format
All materials collected are in an electronic format, but there is no restriction on file format. There is a preference for file formats conducive to long-term sustainability. For more information, see the Smithsonian’s Recommended Preservation Formats for Electronic Records. Materials with the following access methods are preferred:
- Online licensed databases with IP-access (e.g., Social Explorer),
- Online data repositories with institutional memberships (e.g., ICPSR),
- Online licensed databases with dedicated terminal access (e.g., Geolytics),
- Freely available online resources
Preference is also given to data that can be stored online and remotely accessed, as well as to software-independent (“standard”) formats. If not software independent, the interface must offer ease of use.
Exclusions
No materials in hard copy format. Materials already part of the Libraries’ collections are generally not duplicated, unless it is determined that acquiring the electronic version would be more cost effective than converting the hard copy.
Non-cash gifts
All non-cash gifts will be handled by the Gifts department and/or the relevant subject selector.