About Data Services


What is Data Services?

Data Services helps current students, faculty and staff at Memorial University to identify, locate and download electronic data files.

Aspi Balsara (abalsara@mun.ca) is the data contact at Memorial University and can be reached at 864-7427. In his absence, contact Erin Alcock (ekalcock@mun.ca) at the same number. For spatial/geographical data, contact Danial Duda (dduda@mun.ca) at 864-3198.


What data files are available from Memorial University libraries?

The major data source for Memorial University students, faculty and staff is from Statistics Canada's Data Liberation Initiative (DLI). The DLI collection contains socio-economic and demographic data derived from Statistics Canada surveys. The library also subscribes to a collection of international data files from ICPSR. From the Data page, click the International Data tab for further information.


What is the Data Liberation Initiative (DLI)?

The DLI is a cooperative effort among various academic organizations, Statistics Canada and other government departments, whereby subscribing Canadian academic institutions gain access to a large collection of Statistics Canada's electronic data files on CD-ROM, FTP or the Web. Memorial University subscribes to the DLI.


Who can use DLI data?

As per the DLI licence, data is restricted to Memorial University of Newfoundland students, faculty and staff for teaching and research as well as for commercial purposes.


How is the data accessed?

This depends on the electronic format in which it is provided.

  1. If it is on CD-ROM, it may be used or signed out at the Map Library on level 2 of the Queen Elizabeth II Library. Brief guides are available for some CD-ROM titles.
  2. If the data is available through FTP, the data contact at Memorial (see above), will download the data and place it in an FTP directory on the Library server, where it will be available for downloading to your PC. You will then have to use statistical software such as SPSS or SAS in order to analyze and interpret the data.
  3. If available through the Web, you can access it directly from the Equinox or DLS websites, accessible from the Canadian Data page.

May 23, 2013
Aspi Balsara