Government data can be a powerful starting point for a health story, but what happens when the data changes, disappears, stops being updated or quietly loses important variables? DataIndex.us offers journalists a way to monitor those changes across the federal data system and investigate what they might mean for the communities and populations represented in the data.
The resource is particularly useful for health equity reporters, because changes to who is counted — and what information is collected about them — can affect our ability to see disparities and understand who is most affected by a health problem.
What dataindex.us tracks
The site monitors federal datasets and their documentation, flagging when data become unavailable, are reposted or fail to appear as expected. It also tracks proposed changes to federal data collections through Information Collection Requests, which generally must be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget.
Its Federal Data Terminations Tracker provides a searchable record of datasets that have been terminated or had substantive data elements removed. As of October 2026, the tracker included 375 entries: 38 terminated data products and 337 data elements removed from continuing products. The site documents the evidence behind its classifications and distinguishes permanent terminations from temporary takedowns.
The tracker can surface changes to datasets involving health care, demographics, substance use, maternal and child health, sexual orientation and gender identity, and other areas central to health equity.
What reporters could do with it
- Check whether a dataset has changed. Before relying on a familiar federal dataset, search Data Index to see whether its availability, methodology or data elements have changed.
- Find a story in what disappeared. A terminated or altered dataset can itself be a news lead. Ask what the data were used for, who relied on them and what information will no longer be available.
The Guardian used Data Index to report that nearly 400 federal datasets had been deleted or altered, with health data accounting for about 40% of the affected collections tracked by the site. The Guardian’s reporting examined changes ranging from the removal of demographic questions from health surveys to health datasets that were no longer being updated. The story illustrates that the disappearance or alteration of data can become the story.
- Track changes affecting health equity. Look for the loss of demographic variables or other information that makes it possible to identify disparities among populations.
- Get ahead of changes. The site’s Change Requests section can help reporters identify proposed changes to federal surveys and forms before they take effect—and potentially find opportunities for public comment.
- Document the change. If you find a federal webpage or dataset that has changed, save the original version, document what changed and check the underlying federal notice or other primary source.
Another resource for your toolbox
For reporters monitoring a particular government webpage, Klaxon can provide another layer of protection. The free, open-source tool monitors webpages and sends an alert when something changes, allowing journalists to keep track of pages they might otherwise have to check repeatedly. Klaxon was developed in a newsroom setting and has been used to monitor everything from public records and government pages to other sites that may change without notice.
Used together, the tools serve different purposes. Data Index helps you identify and investigate changes across the federal data system; Klaxon can help you watch specific webpages for changes over time.
The dataindex.us team apparently welcomes reports of missing or altered federal data. Reporters can contact the team at removals@dataindex.us with information about datasets or data elements that have disappeared or changed. The team says on its site that every reported termination is reviewed against primary evidence before being added to its tracker.
