DATA SERVICES
Bits and Bytes
March 2025
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We hope you’re enjoying Spring Break! As you’re getting ready for the push to finals, remember that Data Services is here to help. Explore the many ways we support researchers at NYU by visiting our website.
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Image credit: NYU Data Services
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| Data Services is Hiring!
Do you have advanced skills with computational research tools? Are you passionate about public service? Are you a critical thinker with excellent communication skills? Data Services needs you! We are currently hiring student specialists to work on-site at Bobst Library during the Summer 2025 term with potential to stay on in the following academic year. Open positions include specialists in Data Visualization, GIS, Python, Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis, Research Data Management, and Survey Design. Full job descriptions and details on how to apply are on Handshake right now! Search for On-Campus Jobs for all the Data Services postings. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until positions are filled. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Evaluating Generative AI Tools for Academic Research
It seems like everyday there’s a new platform or tool being marketed for academic research. How do you know which one is right for you? Our new Research Guide, Evaluating Generative AI Tools for Academic Research, aims to help you navigate this emergent landscape. It provides overviews of types of tools and the tasks they perform, as well as frameworks you can use to critically assess them in the context of your workflow. Remember: GenAI tools are not a substitute for learning the fundamentals of conducting research. All of these tools can produce misinformation, misleading and biased outputs, fabricated citations, etc.. Any use must align with the guidelines set forth by your instructors/evaluators.
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Photo credit: Desola Lanre-Ologun on Unsplash
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Data Drop-Ins: Open Hours for Data Services
Stuck on a final project? Need help with your data analysis? Stop by Bobst Library (Room 617) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12–3 PM for Data Drop-Ins.
Each session focuses on a specific software or method we support and our Data Services staff and student workers will be there to assist!
No appointment needed—just drop in! Bring your laptop or use one of our workstations. First come, first served.
Data Drop-In Schedule (Spring 2025)
- GIS & Storymaps - Tuesday, April 15 - 12-3pm
- ATLAS.ti and MAXQDA - Wednesday, April 16 - 12-3pm
- Data Finding - Tuesday, April 22 - 12-3pm
- R - Wednesday, April 23 - 12-3pm
- Stata - Tuesday, April 29 - 12-3pm
- Python - Wednesday, April 30 - 12-3pm
We’ll also offer 2 additional as-needed drop-ins on May 6 and 7th, for particular subjects in high demand.
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Photo credit: NYU Dibner Library
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| Introduction to Machine Learning Clinic Series at Dibner Library
Calling all Brooklyn Campus regulars! Fabiha Khalid, our Data Services Specialist at Dibner, is hosting the final Introduction to Machine Learning Clinic session on April 3rd at 2 PM at Bern Dibner Library. Don’t miss your last chance to attend - be sure to register now!
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NYU Tech Fest 2025
Join us for NYU Tech Fest 2025 on Monday, April 28, from 11 AM – 3 PM ET at Kimmel Center! Celebrate innovation and creativity across the IT @ NYU Community with inspiring presentations, lightning talks from tech leaders, networking, and a keynote by Clay Shirky, NYU’s Vice Provost for AI and Technology in Education. Enjoy food, games, prizes, and even professional headshots (limited spots available).
Register by March 28 to secure your spot!
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UltraViolet is part of a suite of repositories at NYU that provide a home for research materials. Got your own data, code, or other research materials? Check out our UltraViolet deposit guide and get in touch! preservation.
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What's New in UltraViolet
This month, we worked to publish a dataset on statutory damages awards in U.S. copyright cases. This dataset underlies a 2022 publication in the Michigan State Law Review, Statutory Damages Under The Copyright Act: An Empirical Study and contains information on 277 statutory damages awards made in 240 copyright cases between 2009 and 2020. Co-authored by Roy Germano, Senior Law Scholar at the NYU School of Law, it covers not only the type and number of infringed works, but the amount of damages sought vs awarded, who decided the damages, and the express rationale provided by the court for the award, among other variables.
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Data in the Library
NYU Libraries provides access to a range of data to use in your non-commercial, academic research, teaching/learning. Our collection includes individual-level data from several Gallup surveys including Gallup World Poll, US Daily Poll, Gallup Poll Social Series (GPSS), and COVID-19 panel microdata. These datasets provide insight into public opinion around politics, business, health, and the world around us.
Current NYU researchers can request extracts of the data by reviewing our Gallup Research Guide and the Codebook(s) to understand the data available, and emailing Data Services the name of the survey and list of variables you want. We don’t provide full survey data, so you must review the codebook(s) to send us your wish list!
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 | Image credit: datarescueproject.org |
| Spotlight: Data Rescue
As mentioned in our last newsletter, there have been significant changes to the availability of federal data recently. To support the continued preservation, discovery, and access of these materials, we added a new page called “Alternative Sources for Government Data: Web Archiving and Data Rescue” to both our Data Sources Guide and the U.S. Government Documents Guide. If you are having difficulty accessing data you use for your research and/or teaching or are concerned about posting data you have created on federally-hosted websites, please reach out to Data Services. We can work with you on access and storage plans.
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Data Services Team Spotlight:
Godfried Junio Matahelemual!
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Photo credit: Godfried Junio Matahelemual
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What's your name, program, and year?
Godfried Junio Matahelemual, MS in Applied Urban Science and Informatics, Class of 2025.
What's your service area at Data Services and how long have you worked here?
I specialize in Geographic Information System (GIS) and Data Visualization, and I’ve been working at Data Services for almost a year (since May 2024).
What do you like most about working at Data Services?
I find it rewarding to help patrons overcome their data challenges and see them walk away with new insights. It’s also exciting to be exposed to disciplines I hadn’t explored before which expands my perspective on how data is used across different fields.
Describe your favorite data-related project that you've worked on.
GIS Day 2024 has been my favorite project because it brought together a community of GIS enthusiasts to explore real-world applications of spatial data. The event featured insightful talks from experts in various fields, and I had the opportunity to conduct a workshop on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) coverage in NYC.
What's your favorite place to get a meal or a snack near Bobst Library?
Me Chicken Rice for a meal, and Think Coffee for a caffeine boost.
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Thanks for reading! We hope to see you soon either on the 5th floor at Bobst or online.
- Your friends at NYU Data Services
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