Each February, Love Data Week (#LoveData26) celebrates the essential role data plays in research, decision-making, and everyday life. Timed around Valentine’s Day, the international event encourages students, researchers, and data professionals to explore, appreciate, and responsibly use data across disciplines.
ICPSR’s 2026 Data Fair
In 2026, the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research is aligning its data fair with Love Data Week. The event brings together universities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and data professionals from around the world to share innovative approaches to data management, data sharing, and data-driven discovery. Participants can engage in workshops, explore data resources, and join conversations designed to make data more accessible, usable, and meaningful.
Adopt a Data Set: A Hands-On Way to Participate
One hands-on way to participate is by adopting a data set. As ICPSR puts it, “adopting a data set is kind of like adopting a pet—except less messy.” The idea is simple: Choose a data set that sparks your interest, spend time getting to know it, and share what you learn with others.
How Data Set Adoption Works
To get started, review the list of available data sets on the ICPSR Love Data Week page and select one that aligns with your interests or research goals. After completing the data set adoption form, you can download the data, analyze it online, or explore its documentation and summary information. Your role as a “data adopter” is to bring the data to life—by understanding what it contains and communicating its potential value through email, social media, class discussions, or virtual meetings.
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