Library News

The Removal of US Government Data

What's happening?

Recent shifts in the US government’s administration have raised concerns about the removal, alteration, or restriction of access to key datasets, research findings, and public information resources. These changes have been particularly evident in areas such as public health, education, and science, with instances of data related to protected characteristics—such as race and gender—being modified or erased. Concerns are also growing over bias in indexing decisions and the potential impact on research reliability.

Why this matters

The US is a major global hub for research, and many services worldwide, including in the UK, rely on data from US institutions. One key provider is the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which hosts free-to-access resources such as:

• PubMed and PubMed Central (PMC) for medical and health research.
• ClinicalTrials.gov for clinical trial data.

While access to these resources remains unchanged for now, there is growing concern that:

1. The infrastructure supporting these platforms may become less robust, leading to slower search performance.
2. Collection policies could shift, allowing journals of questionable quality into the dataset or leading to politically sensitive material being removed at the journal or article level.
3. Access could become restricted, either by imposing paywalls or limiting availability based on geographic location or user type.

How to navigate this uncertainty

Given the potential risks to data availability, researchers and information professionals should consider alternative sources:

Subscription Access to Medline

DMU has a subscription to Medline via the EBSCO provider. EBSCO ensures continued availability of NIH-provided data, even if content is removed from PubMed. However, if PubMed indexing policies change, newly added content may still be affected.

You can access Medline via relevant subject guides or via our A-Z list of databases.

Crossref

Crossref, a non-profit organisation, allows users to search for DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) of journal articles. This ensures access to metadata and helps track publications even if content is removed from government databases.

OpenAlex

A Canadian non-profit, OpenAlex serves as an open-access alternative to Web of Science and Scopus, with a strong focus on STEM fields. It aggregates research from Crossref and other open sources, providing a valuable tool for researchers seeking non-restricted content.

WHO International Clinical Trials Registry

For those relying on ClinicalTrials.gov, the World Health Organization’s international trials portal provides an alternative for accessing global clinical trial data.

Finding archived and removed material

Several initiatives have emerged to preserve and rescue government data that may be at risk of deletion:

• Policy Commons: A new platform dedicated to archiving government reports, blog posts, videos, and podcasts, ensuring content remains discoverable via Google Scholar and academic databases. Learn more here.

• Alternative sources for US government information: The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has compiled a blog post listing alternative sources. Read it here.

• American University of Washington Data Rescue Guide: An overview of major initiatives working to secure long-term access to government data. View it here.

• University of Virginia’s Trusted Repositories: A guide to US government data archives. Explore it here.

• University of Leicester FAQ: Links to resources on finding archived federal data. Access it here.

• LOCKSS: DMU has long been an active participant in the Global LOCKSS network that allows for local preservation of electronic journals and books for post-cancellation access, and post-disappearance access. Around 80 libraries are currently participating in the network. More information here.

Responses from the Information Community

Professional organisations are already voicing their concerns:

CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) has issued a statement warning that the removal of data is beginning to hinder the work of UK librarians, researchers, and educators. They are inviting professionals to report missing content. Read the statement.

Final thoughts

As uncertainties around US government data access continue, it’s important for information professionals and researchers to stay informed and proactive in consulting alternative resources.