Research Guides: Chemistry: Data

Finding Data

There are numerous sources of data in chemistry and related fields. This page lists a variety of places you can look for different types of data. Finding the type of data you need in the correct file format can be challenging, so please do not hesitate to contact your librarian if you need assistance along the way.

Open Data Repositories

These databases contain datasets on a huge variety of topics. They are a great starting point for your research. If you are having trouble finding the dataset you need from one of these sources, you may have more luck with a more specialized resource from one of the following sections on this page.

Dryad
Dryad provides access to the datasets associated with published research articles. You can search for the title of an article to see if their data is published in Dryad, or you can search for a specific topic or keyword to see which datasets are available in this area.
Figshare
Figshare is a repository containing a wide variety of research outputs, including datasets. After you search, you can limit your results to just datasets by checking the box next to "datasets" in the Item Type section on the left side of the screen.
Mendeley Data
Mendeley Data provides access to over 26 million open access datasets. It searches several data repositories at once, including Dryad and ICPSR.
Harvard Dataverse
Harvard Dataverse contains datasets on a wide variety of topics, including biology and health sciences.
Open Science Framework
Open Science Framework (OSF) is a platform where research can choose to make specific aspects of the research, including datasets, available to the public. Not all OSF projects have datasets attached to them, so it may take some trial and error to find what you need. Search for your topic, click on a project, and then check the files section to see what datasets are available for download.
ICPSR
The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) provides access to datasets on a wide range of topics. It is especially useful for topics in the social sciences. While most datasets in ICPSR are free and publicly available, some of them may require you to create an account in order to download them.
re3data.org
The Registry of Research Data Repositories contains a list of data repositories, rather than the datasets themselves. It is a great place to look if you are not sure where to search for the dataset you need.

Chemical Data

SciFinder-n
A research discovery tool that allows students and faculty to access research from many scientific disciplines, including biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, and materials science. Registration is required to access SciFinder-n.

PubChem
PubChem provides information on the biological activities of small molecules. It is a component of NIH's Molecular Libraries Roadmap Initiative.
Cambridge Structural Database (CSD)
The Cambridge Structural Database contains data on small-molecule organic and metal-organic crystal structures.
MatWeb Material Properties
MatWeb contains detailed property information for metals, plastics, ceramics, and composites.
NIST Chemistry WebBook
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Chemistry WebBook contains thermochemical, thermophysical, and ion energetics data for primarily organic compounds.
SpectraBase
SpectraBase provides access to NMR, IR, Raman, UV-Vis, and Mass Spectra data for chemical compounds.
EPA Reference Absorbance Spectra
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides access spectra information for common environmental pollutants.
Protein Data Bank
The Protein Data Bank contains 3D structure information for DNA, RNA, and proteins.

Government Data

Maryland Open Data Portal
The Maryland state government provides access to a variety of open data sets, organized by topic. Try browsing the Agriculture, Environment, and Health sections to find data relevant to biology.
Baltimore Open Data Portal
Baltimore City provides access to a data sets on a variety of topics.
data.gov
Data.gov provides access to all of the United States government's open datasets.
data.census.gov
The Census Bureau website provides access to demographic information about the United States. Click on Advanced Search to limit your search to a specific region, topic, or year.

Ask a Librarian

Chemistry

Finding Data

Open Data Repositories

Chemical Data

Government Data