Museum Data Files, United States (ICPSR 36288)

Principal Investigator(s):
Institute of Museum and Library Services

This is an external resource to which ICPSR links as a courtesy. These data are not available from ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners (via Museum Data Files, United States) directly for details on obtaining these resources.

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Alternate Title

MDF

Summary

The purpose of the Museum Data Files (MDF) is to provide information about museums and related organizations in the United States. These data are a set of three files, based on museum discipline, and available through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Museum Data Files contain information about museum location (including geocode data), museum discipline, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities codes, DUNS, EIN, Regional classifications (American Alliance of Museums and the Bureau of Economic Analysis categorization schemes) and IRS 990 revenue information. For more information, see IMLS's Data File Documentation and Users Guide.

Previous files were posted under the name "Museum Universe Data File (MUDF)" in FY 2014 Q1, FY 2015 Q1, and FY 2015 Q3. IMLS has no plans to update the museum files. Other researchers are working with the data in the three museum files and will share their findings as these are available.

Researchers, journalists, the public, local practitioners, and policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels use the MDF data for planning, evaluation, and policy making purposes.

The latest MDF data can be downloaded in Comma Separated Values (CSV) format.

Subject Terms

Geographic Coverage

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Data Collection Notes

  1. These data are not available from NADAC. Users should consult the Museum Data Files page for details on obtaining the data and other resources. Also, users are encouraged to explore the IMLS Web site for related information and projects.

  2. The MDF file entries were compiled from multiple sources, including IMLS administrative data and records, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) nonprofit data (e.g., 990, 990-EZ, 990-N), lists of grantees from private foundations, museum associations, and data obtained from third-party commercial vendors. As with any compilation of data from multiple original source lists, file entries were de-duplicated to the extent feasible using a combination of statistical algorithms and manual entry review. Additionally, file entries were subjected to review to update and verify data elements, identify duplication not captured algorithmically, and identify entries that were not eligible for inclusion. These methods are more fully described in the IMLS's Data File Documentation and Users Guide.

  3. If you have questions about these data, please send a message on the IMLS's Contact Us page.

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