Perceval is a software tool that gathers data from various sources and formats it consistently. It retrieves information like issues, commits, and other items from sources like GitHub. Perceval can be run from the command line or used as a Python library. It allows users to analyze software project data over time to answer questions about new contributors, bugs fixed, and changes in gender diversity. Perceval retrieves data and stores it in a standardized format to facilitate analysis of software projects and communities.