Georgetown Outbreak Activity Library (GOAL) dataset

The Georgetown Outbreak Activity Library (GOAL) dataset is a research effort led by Dr. Rebecca Katz at the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security. The data is designed to support responders in understanding what needs to get done, by whom, and when in the context of an event, providing information on existing guidance and authorities and to define response requirements for new and emerging events. GOAL can also be used for preparedness and planning efforts to ensure that this work is comprehensive and based in the practical realities of outbreak response. The GOAL dataset is available as an Excel file (.xlsx) which includes data coded about response activities needed throughout all phases of an outbreak, with case studies available to exemplify these activities during preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. The GOAL dataset contains a comprehensive set of fields describing what needs to be done for each response activity, when, by whom, and under what circumstances. A Data Dictionary and Glossary are included in the Excel file download. In addition to the coded data, the GOAL Case Study PDF Files (.zip) folder contains the original case studies written by Georgetown researchers which exemplify many of the activities described in the GOAL dataset. To learn more about the project and interact with the data, visit https://outbreaklibrary.org/. The complex data contained within the GOAL dataset have also been translated for a public audience into The Outbreak Atlas, a book by Rebecca Katz and Mackenzie S. Moore.