README.md

---
dataset_info:
  title: Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Dataset
  author: Yonathan A. Arbel
  contact: yaarbel@ua.edu
  license: MIT
  citation: |
    Arbel, Yonathan A. "The Readability of Contracts: Big Data Analysis."
    Journal of Empirical Legal Studies 21, no. 4 (2024): 927-978.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jels.12400
  description: >
    Comprehensive collection of Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs)
    from various U.S. states. One of the largest publicly available
    FDD datasets to date, useful for empirical legal research, NLP,
    and franchise law analysis.
---

# Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Dataset

This repository provides a comprehensive dataset of Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) from several U.S. states. It represents one of the largest publicly available collections of FDDs to date.

If you use this dataset, please cite:

> **Arbel, Yonathan A.** (2024). "The Readability of Contracts: Big Data Analysis." *Journal of Empirical Legal Studies*, 21(4), 927ΓÇô978.
> DOI: [10.1111/jels.12400](https://doi.org/10.1111/jels.12400)

Latest manuscript: [SSRN](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4962098)

---

## 📑 What are FDDs?

Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) are legal documents franchisors must provide to potential franchisees before selling a franchise. FDDs contain essential information about the franchisor, franchise system, and terms of the franchise agreement. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) mandates these documents to ensure prospective franchisees make informed investment decisions.

---

## 📂 Dataset Overview

The dataset contains **22,986 text files (.txt)** organized by U.S. state, as follows:

| State           | Number of files                                 | ZIP Archive                           |
|-----------------|-------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| California      | 15,276                                          | `CA_FDD_split.zip` + `.z01ΓÇô.z03`      |
| Wisconsin       | 1,660                                           | `WN_FDD.zip`                          |
| Indiana         | 1,606                                           | `ind_fdd.zip`                         |
| New York        | 1,396 (1,394 in New_York, 2 in New York)        | `FDD_in_TXT_Format.zip`               |
| North Dakota    | 1,376 (1,374 in North_Dakota, 2 in North Dakota)| Inside `FDD_in_TXT_Format.zip`        |
| Virginia        | 753                                             | `NASAA_FDD.zip`                       |
| Minnesota       | 568                                             | `mn_fdd.zip`                          |
| South Dakota    | 169 (167 in South_Dakota, 2 in South Dakota)    | Inside `NASAA_FDD.zip`                |
| Maryland        | 111                                             | Inside `NASAA_FDD.zip`                |
| Rhode Island    | 48 (47 in Rhode_Island, 1 in Rhode Island)      | Inside `NASAA_FDD.zip`                |
| Illinois        | 23                                              | Inside `NASAA_FDD.zip`                |

**Total files**: 22,986
**Compressed size**: Approximately 108 GB

---

## 🛠️ File Structure & Data Format

Each ZIP archive contains plain-text (.txt) documents representing individual FDDs, organized into folders by state.

- For multi-part archives (California):
  - Download all parts (`.zip`, `.z01`, `.z02`, `.z03`) into the same folder.
  - Open `CA_FDD_split.zip` with 7-Zip or run:
    ```bash
    7z x CA_FDD_split.zip
    ```
  - 7-Zip will automatically include the `.z01`, `.z02`, etc.

---

## 📈 Suggested Usage

This dataset supports diverse research activities:

- Analysis of contract terms and readability.
- Comparative franchise law studies.
- NLP analysis of legal and contractual language.
- Trends and policy implications within franchising.

---

## ⚠️ Disclaimer

This dataset is compiled from publicly available FDD documents. Efforts were made to ensure accuracy, but users should verify critical information against original sources. Dataset maintainers are not responsible for errors or omissions.

---

## 🙋 Contributing

Please report issues or suggest improvements by opening an issue or pull request.

---

## 📜 License

This dataset is provided under the MIT license. No copyright is claimed over the underlying public documents.

---

## 📧 Contact

For inquiries or additional information, contact: [yaarbel@ua.edu](mailto:yaarbel@ua.edu)