Fall colors with MSU sign.

About Us

Social Data Collection and Analysis Services (Social Data) is a fee-for-service university core facility at Montana State University Bozeman. Previously known as the HELPS Lab (2014-2024), Social Data enables the collection, cleaning, and presentation of high-quality data for researchers using a variety of social and behavioral methods. Social Data specializes in data collection and analysis involving human subjects.

Social Data is open to the broader community of researchers, with an emphasis on providing tools for studying interactions between human systems and other complex phenomena like ecosystems and public health. Social Data is supported in part by Montana INBRE and is an element of its Data Science Core. We have successfully served clients throughout Montana State University and beyond, with over 225 projects to date. Our internal rates extend to all entities associated with the State of Montana government, both academic and non-academic. We have also successfully served a variety of non-governmental organization clients across several states.

We offer a free initial one-hour consultation and a free line-item estimate of costs for proposed work. Contact us today!

Our Objectives

Social Data's primary objectives are to:

  • Improve the productivity and quality of research for investigators and decision-makers;
  • Promote university competitiveness in securing external research funding;
  • Increase the capacity for social and behavioral research generally and more specifically in the areas of complex and cross-disciplinary research; and
  • Provide opportunities to enhance research skills to faculty, students, and other investigators.