A method for gathering data from memory of a computer system is operable to gather scalar information, linked list information, or both. When gathering data from a linked list the method involves parsing a linked list to extract data therefrom by constructing a record list having a list memory element descriptor descriptive of the list head and data to be retrieved the list, following a list head locator of the list element descriptor to a head of the linked list, following links of the head and nodes of the list to a node of the linked list, interpreting a tag of the list element descriptor to locate data of the node, and extracting data from the node.