Research Guides: Where to find preserved data/websites: Home

Are you looking for government data or publications that are no longer on the web? The resources on this guide may help you find a preserved version of the site or data, but you are also encouraged to reach out to your research librarian for assistance! We're happy to help you find a copy of the data or information you're looking for.

If you have additions for this site - please email either Angela Spencer or Rebecca Hyde.

Selected Data Rescue Efforts

The Data Rescue Project
The Data Rescue Project is a coordinated effort among a group of established data organizations to serve as a clearinghouse for data rescue-related efforts and data access points for at-risk public US governmental data. Includes the Data Rescue Tracker which lists data recently captured or in progress, along with the organization capturing the data. See their FAQs for information about how to contribute. Data captured through this project is being uploaded to DataLumos. Check out the resources page for additional alternative data sources and preservation projects.
MuckRock - Feedback on Removed Data
The MuckRock Foundation is a nonprofit collaborative news sites that focuses on focuses on obtaining public information through Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests. They are focusing on submitting FOIA requests for data that has already been removed and would like submissions for any data sets you know have been removed. They are a partner in The Data Liberation Project which normally focuses on FOIA requests for data that should be released to the public. Current focus is shifting to public data that was removed.
Harvard Law School Library Innovation Lab - Archive of Data.gov
A regularly updated mirror of all data linked from data.gov.
Find Lost Data
Our mission is to provide an easy way to search for datasets across various sites.

Resources

Some of the resources in this list contain "rescued" data or archived web content, and some regularly provide copies of partial or full public government data sets. Not sure where the data/information you're looking for might be? Reach out to a librarian.

Internet Archive's Wayback Machine
The Internet Archive has been crawling and preserving websites since the late 1990s. Us to see previous versions of current websites, or if you have old website links, see what they looked like when they were live on the web.
Data.gov
DataLumos
"An ICPSR archive for valuable government data resources. ICPSR has a long commitment to safekeeping and disseminating US government and other social science data. DataLumos accepts deposits of public data resources from the community and recommendations of public data resources that ICPSR itself might add to DataLumos."
Dataverse
Researcher deposited data from many disciplines. Includes some public datasets used in research projects for replication or archiving purposes.
Dimensions
Register for a free account to search journal publications and datasets. Datasets are generally tied to a publication, but some are public datasets the authors have archived copies of.

ICPSR This link opens in a new window
Social Sciences data repository, including many government datasets. SLU is a member, so any member of the SLU community can make an account and download data.

IPUMS
Primarily provides access to public use microdata from government surveys including data related to demographics, socioeconomic factors, health, higher ed, as well as international data. They also have copies of the recently removed, historical volumes of the Decennial Census of Population and Housing.
Journalist's Resource - Alternative Sources of Health Data
This collection from The Journalist's Resource includes both existing sources of data hosted on on-governmental sites, as well as current data rescue efforts. (Published Feb. 3, 2025)
NIH Figshare
Find NIH funded data in this repository.
OSF

PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
Multi-disciplinary interactive online mapping and visualization tool that provides access to data, including, some government data and some private sector data. Paid for by SLU.
ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
2013-present. When looking for statistics, this is the place to begin. Brief statistics are included on almost every topic with a U.S. focus, along with some international statistics. Tables provide original source. Paid for by SLU.

Public Environmental Data Partners
In the process of archiving 57 high priority climate change related datasets. Currently available: CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index and Environmental Justice Index, Council on Environmental Quality EJScorecard, and Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.

Sage Data This link opens in a new window
Search across federal, state, local, and privately collected statistics from banking to Zillow real estate data. Paid for by SLU.

Using FOIA to Request Missing Reports or Data

National Security Archive - Effective FOIA Requesting for Everyone
The National Security Archive is one of the largest non-governmental archives of declassified material. This guides walks you through the FOIA process.
MuckRock FOIA Request System
The MuckRock Foundation is a nonprofit collaborative news sites that focuses on focuses on obtaining public information through Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests. You can use their site to search any FOIA requests made through their system, or make your own FOIA request.

What's Happening?

With changes happening so fast it's hard to know what the newest information is. Kelly Smith, Government Information Librarian at U.C. San Diego, maintains a "U.S. Government Information: Weekly Roundup" that is extremely useful for getting an overview of how the information landscape is changing week to week.

Where to find preserved data/websites

Pius Data Guide

MCL page on data sources

Saving Data Yourself?

Selected Data Rescue Efforts

Resources

Using FOIA to Request Missing Reports or Data

What's Happening?