Requesting Datasets

If you want to request a dataset, please click "Request" button at the bottom right of the Dataset view. You will be asked to fill in some information, such as who will use the dataset, for what purpose and their contact information. You will also be shown a Data Use Agreement. Filling in your information and submitting a dataset request counts as you legally accepting the Data Use Agreement.

Once request is submitted it will go through our approval process, and you will receive regular email correspondence about its progress. Once you are approved, you will receive an email with directions how to access the dataset.

Some datasets can be downloaded onto your machine. Some require access via Google Big Table or similar public cloud service. Some datasets can only be used at a given machine, administered by the dataset provider. The approval email will contain all the necessary information, and it will also provide a contact information that you can use if you have any questions.

In some cases, a dataset you request may be part of a bigger collection of datasets, which use the same Data Use Agreement. If you were already approved to access another dataset from the same collection, your request may be expedited. In any case, the email correspondence you receive from us will guide you through the process.

In some cases, your request may be declined. Since each data provider has their own criteria for approval, some providers may be very restrictive, while others may be more open. If your request is declined, you will receive an email detailing the provider's reason for this decision. Please understand that many data providers must work with their own and their customers' legal departments to provide these datasets, and that some approval criteria may seem unfair to you, but it is legally required by entities that govern the provider's business. Approval criteria may also change over time as providers learn about benefits of sharing their datasets with researchers.