Even with the university closure and other uncertainties, DiSC staff continues to provide assistance to the Mason community.
Services Summary
| Service | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Email Help | AVAILABLE | Email datahelp@gmu.edu |
| Consultations | Virtual Only | Use the Appointment Scheduler to self-schedule |
| Workshops | Virtual Only | See the Workshop Schedule or request one for your small group. |
| Class Instruction | Virtual Only | Contact Us with your needs. |
| Computer Lab | CLOSED | See below for access to the most popular software. Contact us for additional options. |
| Drop-In Assistance | Virtual Only | See Drop-In Hours |
Details
Advice
DiSC has many online InfoGuides with information about the most common issues people encounter. These will continue to be available and updated.
To task general questions or get help making an appointment with the right person, you can join our Virtual Drop-In Room during selected hours. As always, you can get assistance with any of your data needs by emailing datahelp@gmu.edu. We typically reply within 1 business day.
Consultations
DiSC consultants continue to be available for appointments, but all will be conducted virtually. The university has a subscription to Zoom and WebEx which enable video chat and screensharing.
Computer Lab
See below for advice on access to the most popular software. We can also suggest alternative solutions using free and open software. If you need additional assistance, please contact datahelp@gmu.edu.
Access to Data
Almost all library resources, including data, are available from off campus. For subscription sources, be sure to use links to the databases through the library website such as Subject List or the A-Z List so that you will be asked to log in. Again, if you can’t find what you need, ask us.
- Find Data & Statistics: Best Places to Start – useful for accessing sources for looking up statistics on a topic or building a quick table.
- Find Data for Analysis – useful for finding datasets and data sources for data analysis projects.
Software Access
The university has a Virtual Computing Lab that provides access to some of the software through Microsoft’s Remote Desktop application (PC and Mac). With additional needs, it may not be as available as it has been. In addition, many have difficulty connecting to and using it. Those using Stata tend to be the most satisfied with it.
It may be best for students to install or have individual access to software. Here are some options for student access to the most popular software, as well as some alternatives that should be considered. The purchase column lists the lowest cost option.
Bold indicates temporary accommodations.
| VCL (how to) | Free Trial | Student Purchase | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NVivo | No | 14 days | 2yr, $64/$80 | Teachers can request additional trial codes for NVivo. Consider Atlas.ti Cloud, or MAXQDA for teaching. |
| ArcGIS | Yes | See Instructions | Consider ArcGIS Online (FREE through Mason) or QGIS | |
| SPSS | Yes | 14 days | 6mo, $35 | Consider the free, cross-platform softwares PSPP (intentionally like SPSS) or Jamovi |
| STATA | Yes | 7 days | 6mo, $48 | Instructors can request 7-day licenses for their students. Contact DiSC if these options do not meet your needs. |
| SAS | Yes | Free University Edition | Free edition may not have advanced features | |
| R | Yes | Free | Consider also RStudio Cloud, currently free. | |