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Digital files in their native formats are acquired for the Carleton University Library collection by the Data Centre. Files are acquired first based on their relevance to academic programs and research interests.

Most data are collected through consortium arrangements that involve cost-sharing among academic institutions.

  • We routinely collects data from Statistics Canada (through the Data Liberation Initiative) and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research via annual subscriptions. Access to Statistics Canada data delivered through the University of Toronto CHASS interface is by subscription with the Centre for Computing in the Humanities and Social Sciences for its interfaces to CANSIM, Census and Trade Analyser. Research level (4+)
  • Since Carleton University is responsible for the Canadian portion of the International Social Survey Project, we acquire all national and international files from the ISSP. Comprehensive level (5)
  • We actively pursue other data that are relevant to Carleton’s social science programs. These include polling data from sources such as POLLARA, CRIC and other organizations, as well as individual files such as the Millenium Scholarship data and the Canadian Addiction Survey. Research level (4)
  • Other data sources collected include data from the International Federation of Data Organisations, campus researchers, including the Carleton University Survey Centre, other educational institutions, national data archives in Europe, Israel, Australia and India and from various government and private sources, again largely on request. Study/Instructional support, Advanced (3B)

Requests for specific data sets are evaluated for purchase according to their relevance to the teaching and research needs of the university. Such requests from researchers are filled where possible; decisions not to acquire are affected by availability, cost, dependability of the data producer, data management issues and licensing restrictions.

Data Formats

Numeric and polling data are collected in the format in which they are produced.

Software

Data management and statistical software is available, including SPSS, SAS, STATA, NESSTAR, StatTransfer and Excel.