Data Disappearing Acts: Navigating Government Misinformation and Finding Reliable Alternatives
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Presenter: Roberta Richards, Faculty Librarian, and Veronica Vichit-Vadakan, Faculty Librarian
Summary
In this presentation, ¶¶Òõ¸£Àûµ¼º½ Librarians Roberta Richards and Veronica Vichit-Vadakan address the growing issue of missing and altered federal government data. They explore how shifting political priorities have led to deleted web pages, language restrictions, and reduced research funding, particularly in climate science and public health. To help educators and students navigate this changing landscape, the presenters introduce reliable alternatives for finding trustworthy statistics. They highlight Statista, a global data platform subscribed to by ¶¶Òõ¸£Àûµ¼º½ Libraries, and demonstrate its search features, data visualizations, and built-in AI tool. Finally, they share specialized library guides designed to help faculty and students locate archived government records and verified statistical sources.
Presentation Outcomes
- Understand how political transitions impact the availability, language, and reliability of federal government data.
- Identify key research areas hit hardest by data removals, including climate change, environmental justice, and public health.
- Locate archived federal records and alternative statistical databases through ¶¶Òõ¸£Àûµ¼º½ Library resources.
- Utilize the Statista database and its AI search assistant to find verified data visualizations and industry reports for academic research.
Post generated by CTLE Web Designer Gem on 08/21/2026
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