Q: Can clinical professors, adjunct professors, lecturers, or other non-tenure track faculty access Nielsen data?
A: No. Only tenured and tenure-track faculty, PhD students, and post-docs doing academic research - with approved projects - are eligible.
Q: Can undergraduates or masters students access this data?
A: No. Only tenured and tenure-track faculty, PhD students, and post-docs doing academic research - with approved projects - are eligible.
Q: Can people outside of NYU (consortium members, co-authors) use this data?
A: No. All researchers must have a subscription to the relevant dataset(s) through their home institution. No exceptions.
Q: I am a PhD student and the NYU Contract Administrator has not yet approved me. Why not?
A: This typically occurs when your advisor has not yet registered, which is required for PhD approval. Please email us using our form to inquire about the status of your approval if this does not apply to you.
Q: I have looked at the detailed dataset descriptions on the Nielsen Kilts website. Is there also a codebook or variable list that can help me better understand the data?
A: Nielsen's support documents (the "Dataset Manuals") are confidential and proprietary. Researcher access to these documents occurs only after you are fully approved. If you are struggling to understand if Nielsen datasets can meet the needs of your research, you can search the scholarly literature to deepen your understanding (see below) and reach out to us via email for further advice.
Q: Where can I find papers that have used Nielsen data in the past to learn from their methodology/findings?
A: Nielsen posts some papers on their website and in a portal in SSRN. Google Scholar is also a great place to look: Start by searching for Nielsen and the relevant dataset name. (Optionally, add "Kilts".) Learn how to link Google Scholar to NYU Libraries' full text here. (You may also wish to search disciplinary databases for business, marketing, psychology, etc.)
Q: Does NYU Libraries have access to GS1 US Data Hub to link UPC/barcode data with company data?
A: No. It is not feasible for the library to subscribe to GS1. Typically, PhD students work with their advisors, DGS, or department head to secure funding for individual GS1 access.
Q: I need help setting up a Globus endpoint. Who can help?
A: Reach out to NYU High Performance Computing (or the Stern Center for Research Computing, if you are part of Stern) for guidance.
Q: I need help storing the Nielsen data in institution-owned machines or Nielsen-approved third party hosting systems that have appropriate security certifications. Who can help?
A: Reach out to NYU High Performance Computing (or the Stern Center for Research Computing, if you are part of Stern) for guidance.
Q: I am not looking for this Nielsen data, but rather Nielsen television ratings. Where should I go?
A: Consult the "Viewership and Ratings" page on our Television research guide.
Q: Where can undergraduate and masters students access Nielsen data?
A: Use our Simply Analytics database to access Nielsen Scarborough Local Insights data ("multimarket" and "hyperlocal" modules). Nielsen also publishes some reports for free on the "Insights" section of their website.
