ED Data Inventory - Beta

ABOUT THE ED DATA INVENTORY

The Ed Data Inventory serves as a comprehensive repository of data collected, reported, and managed by the U.S. Department of Education. It provides detailed metadata on datasets related to grant activities, administrative processes, and statistical studies, offering transparency and accessibility in alignment with federal open data initiatives.

PURPOSE AND STRUCTURE

The ED Data Inventory is designed to enhance data usability by providing structured, descriptive information about each dataset and its components. It categorizes data into series and studies:

Studies refer to individual surveys or research efforts conducted by the Department.
Series represent recurring collections of related studies, such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), which consolidates all IPEDS surveys from a given year.

FEATURES AND COMPONENTS

For each series, the Inventory includes:

Series title and investigator(s)
Overview and list of studies within the series
Comprehensive file details, such as:
- File names and locations
- Dataset titles and formats
- Searchable variables by keyword

For each study, the Inventory provides:

Alternative survey titles
Investigator information
Study summaries and scope
Series affiliation
Relevant URLs and reports
System of Records Notice (SORN) numbers
Data access and availability notes
Methodological details, including:
- Respondent demographics, response rates, and data sources
- Purpose of data collection
- Collection methodologies, confidentiality pledges, and voluntary/mandatory status

BACKGROUND AND OPEN DATA COMMITMENT

The Ed Data Inventory aligns with the federal government’s commitment to data transparency. Following the May 9, 2013, Executive Order “Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information” , federal agencies, including the Department of Education, adopted policies to ensure data is accessible, machine-readable, and managed as a public asset.

The Open Data Policy (OMB Memorandum M-13-13) mandates the maintenance of internal and external asset inventories across agencies. The ED Data Inventory fulfills this mandate by serving as the Department’s external catalog, promoting open data practices that support innovation, economic growth, and informed decision-making in education policy and research.