How to Use This Guide
This guide provides access to and information about United States government data and webpages that have been removed since January 2025. It is divided into Environmental Data, Health and Medical Data, Other Data, and Government Websites. A list of groups working to rescue government data is also available.These resources are intended for research purposes and will be updated as new information is available. If you are have data resources to share, please contact your subject librarian.
When searching for government data that may have been removed, search in this order:
- Data.gov - Confirm the data is not active or relocated.
- Internet Archive Wayback Machine - Locate past versions of web pages.
- Data Rescue Project's Data Rescue Tracker - Check for rescued datasets.
- Other Archives - Consult relevant domain-specific or institutional repositories. Some of these can be found in this guide. If you are having difficulty finding a data set, please contact your subject librarian.
Not sure what dataset you need? Here are some search tips. Your subject librarian can also help you with this.
Information Impermanence
As you search for information, save your sources, particularly datasets and government publications. Note the date you were last able to access a source in case it isn’t available later. Check the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine and other repositories for removed data sources or websites.
Citation managers can help you manage the information you save about your sources. You can reference and cite information that is no longer available where you found it. For these citations, include a last accessed date.
Having trouble finding data or a source? Talk with your subject librarian.
General Government Data Resources
- data.gov archiveThis is a regularly updated mirror of all data files linked from data.gov. The repository is maintained by the Harvard Law School Library Innovation Lab as part of our project to preserve U.S. federal public data.
- End of Term ArchiveCaptures and saves U.S. Government websites at the end of presidential administrations. The EOT has thus far preserved websites from administration changes in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. They are currently accepting URL nominations for the End of Term 2024 Web Archive.
- Finding Government Information during the 2025 Administration TransitionA guide providing links to resources that identify and track steps taken by the Trump administration and Congress to scale back or eliminate access to federal government information. It also provides links to groups performing data and website rescue.
- Find Lost DataSearch across several data archive/rescue sites
Alternative Data Sources
These are lists of free, non-governmental resources for environmental, health, and medical data. Library databases are also an essential tool for finding research data and publications. You may also find it useful to search for needed data on government and non-governmental websites outside of the United States.
- EuropePMCEurope PMC provides comprehensive access to life sciences literature from trusted sources including publications, preprints, and other documents enriched with links to supporting data, reviews, protocols, and other relevant resources.
- Journalist's Resource: non-government data alternatives and archivesNon-government websites with health databases, curated by the Journalist's Resource
- WHO-International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) Search PortalThe Clinical Trials Search Portal provides access to a central database containing the trial registration data sets provided by international organizations. It also provides links to the full original records.
General Transition Resources
- COGR 2025 Administration Transition Information & ResourcesGeneral, comprehensive overview of transition information, beginning in January 2025. Includes Executive Orders & Related Resources, Department/Agency Directives/Memoranda, Lawsuits Related to the Freeze on Payments for Grants & Contracts, and OSTP/OMB Archived Resources
- Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration ActionsThis public resource tracks legal challenges to Trump administration actions.