Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


About N C H S graphic and link
Información en Español
Fastats A-Z provides health statistics and links to additional sources of information
N C H S help graphic and link
Coming Events graphic and link
Surveys and Data Collection Systems graphic and link
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey graphic and link
National Health Care Survey graphic and link
National Health Interview Survey graphic and link
National Immunization Survey graphic and link
National Survey of Family Growth graphic and link
State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey graphic and link
National Vital Statistics System graphic and link
Initiatives graphic and link
Aging Activities graphic and link
Disease Classification graphic and link
Healthy People graphic and link
Injury graphic and link
Research and Development graphic and link
NCHS Press Room
News Releases graphic and link
Publications and Information Products graphic and link
Statistical Export and Tabulation System
Listserv graphic and link
Graphic and link to FEDSTATS and other sites
Download graphic
Adobe Acrobat Reader graphic and link
Accessible Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 graphic and link
PowerPoint Viewer 97 graphic and link
National Center for Health Statistics 3311 Toledo Road Hyattsville, Maryland 20782
Toll Free Data Inquiries 1-866-441-NCHS
 CDC Home Search Health Topics A-Z
nchshd.jpg (16250 bytes)

Research and Development graphic
NCHS Home | NCHS Research Data Center | NCHS Data Linkage Activities | Research and Methods | National Death Index | Research Fellowship Program | CDC/NCHS Privacy Policy Notice |
Accessibility  Search NCHS | NCHS Definitions | Contact us

 

Research Data Center
NCHS Research Data Center Opens | Details | Operations
RDC Facilities | Data

graphic of bar graph 

NCHS Research Data Center
The continuing demand for analyses that require restricted data with lower levels of geography such as States, counties, and smaller areas, but without confidential identifiers such as names or social security numbers, has been the impetus for the creation of the Research Data Center (RDC) located at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) headquarters in Hyattsville, Maryland. Designed for the researcher outside of NCHS, the RDC allows access to data that would not be permissible to analyze because of confidentiality/disclosure rules and regulations. Information that would, if accessed with no restrictions whatsoever, be considered identifiable and not releasable can under the restricted conditions of the RDC be subject to statistical manipulation.  While information concerning named geographic entities cannot be accessed, data ordered by such units can be analyzed at a level not possible with public use data.

Prospective researchers must submit a research proposal that will be reviewed and approved by a committee whose judgment is based upon the availability of RDC resources, consistency with the mission of NCHS, general scientific soundness, and the feasibility of the project. It is expected that the user will develop the research proposal with the RDC staff to minimize the time required. Although researchers will sign confidentiality agreements, strict confidentiality protocols require that researchers with approved projects must complete their work using the facilities located within the RDC. Researchers can supply their own data to be merged with NCHS data sets. Completed by the RDC staff, the merged files will be only available to the originating researcher unless written permission is given to allow access to others.

Two access methods are available for researchers to accomplish their tasks: Onsite and remote.

Onsite researchers have the ability to use the full capabilities of the SAS system with the only caveat being a disclosure review. However, major restrictions limit the analysis capabilities of the remote access system. Totally scanned and screened, printed output using SAS procedures and functions adhere to strict minimal disclosure limits and are suppressed if the minimums are not met.

Another analysis option for researchers with large, complex analytic projects may be to subcontract with the NCHS RDC to perform the tasks necessary for the research project.

Regardless of the option chosen, each has an associated cost that includes capital and labor expenses involved in setting up and monitoring each project. Cost estimations both in terms of time and money, can only be as accurate as the degree of specificity of the research. Again, with the help of the staff of the RDC at an early stage, the estimates should reasonably approximate reality.

Details
Research Proposal

bullet graphicSuggest to make a trip early in the application process to RDC

bullet graphicBest to develop in conjunction with RDC staff

bullet graphicPortions of doctoral proposals or grant applications may suffice

bullet graphicDetailed summary of proposed research including why publicly available data are not sufficient

bullet graphicFull personal and institutional affiliation required

bullet graphicDates of proposed visits to the RDC

bullet graphicAn estimation of the total hours expected to be working in the RDC

bullet graphicSpecific NCHS data requested including year or years and variables

bullet graphicDetails of the user-supplied data to be merged with NCHS data

bullet graphicSoftware requirements including language - SAS for Windows and Stata are available

bullet graphicRequired to sign Agreement Regarding Conditions of Access to Confidential Data in the Research Data Center of the National Center for Health Statistics

bullet graphicRequired to sign the Researcher Affidavit of Confidentiality

bullet graphicAcceptability based on availability of RDC resources, consistency with the NCHS mission, and the feasibility of the project

Operations
Guest Researcher (on site)

bullet graphicRDC staff constructs necessary data files including merged user data

bullet graphicPC SAS, SUDAAN, STATA, FORTRAN and HLM  available

bullet graphicOther statistical packages available with sufficient lead time

bullet graphicOutput subject to disclosure review

bullet graphicDisclosure review guidelines published in NCHS Staff Manual on Confidentiality

bullet graphicAnalyses (paper output) passing disclosure review can be taken off site

bullet graphicCenter requires staff oversight

bullet graphicOnly open during normal working hours

Remote Access

bullet graphicRDC staff constructs necessary data files including merged user data

bullet graphicAbility to submit analytical computer programs via e-mail

bullet graphicOutput returned by e-mail to user’s registered address 

bullet graphicSAS programs only, certain procedures and functions not allowed

bullet graphicPROC TABULATE and PROC IML not allowed

bullet graphicLIST and PRINT not allowed - no listing of individual cases

bullet graphicR_, FIRST., LAST., not allowed - no selection of individual cases

bullet graphicNo cell fewer than five observations; if found, other cells also supressed

bullet graphicJob log scanned for conditions that spawn case listings

bullet graphicManual disclosure limitation review where necessary

Staff Programming

bullet graphicSubcontract with the RDC staff to perform programming tasks

bullet graphicSpecifications from researcher with input from RDC staff
Costs

bullet graphicEstimated for each research project

bullet graphicIncludes equipment and space rental, staff overhead and setup

bullet graphicKnowledge of research necessary to estimate costs

bullet graphicSpecific costs:

bullet graphicOn site researcher cost $1,000 per week

bullet graphicRemote access for National Survey of Family Growth contextual data files $500 per year

bullet graphicRemote access for any one data set $500 per month

bullet graphicFile construction and setup $500 per day of effort

RDC Facilities

bullet graphicMultiple workstations

bullet graphicHigh speed Pentium computers

bullet graphicAll have Windows 95

bullet graphicAll have SAS for Windows

bullet graphicNo removable media

bullet graphicSecured printer

bullet graphicServer for RDC private network

Data
NCHS Data

bullet graphicMatched Twins File

bullet graphicNational Health Insurance Survey data file

bullet graphicNational Health Interview (NHIS) - State and County level identifiers

bullet graphic1995 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) - contextual data files

bullet graphicThird National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) - County level identifiers

bullet graphicNational Hospital Discharge Survey - State identifiers

bullet graphicDetailed Mortality, 1968-Present

bullet graphicOther data from NCHS can be made available such as vital statistics or the Longitudinal Study on Aging with restricted data such as lower levels of geography, sample design information, etc., included

Data from other HHS Agencies

bullet graphicAssistant Secretary for Planning & Evaluation (ASPE)-sponsored data on Welfare Outcomes and NEWWS.

User-Supplied Data

bullet graphicCan be proprietary data collected and "owned" by the user

bullet graphicCan be other publicly available information such as census data

Consulting with RDC staff necessary

bullet graphicTo ensure data can be merged with NCHS data

bullet graphicFormat of the data must be consistent with NCHS data

bullet graphicMerge is done before the arrival of the researcher

bullet graphicFiles and information used in linking that will be destroyed after the merged file is created and will not be made available to the researcher

Any merged data set created belongs to the researcher

bullet graphicResearcher can give access to others with written consent only

Periodic backup files created and maintained by RDC staff

bullet graphicContain user-supplied data and merged files

bullet graphicStored in secure area

bullet graphicOnly destroyed upon written request of the user

For complete details and application form contact:
Kenneth W. Harris
Research Data Center
3311 Toledo Road, Suite 4113
Hyattsville, Maryland  20782
Voice Mail: (301) 458-4277

Fax: (301) 458-4039
E-mail: rdca@cdc.gov

 

NCHS Home | NCHS Research Data Center | NCHS Data Linkage Activities | Research and Methods | National Death Index | Research Fellowship Program | CDC/NCHS Privacy Policy Notice | Accessibility  Search NCHS | NCHS Definitions | Contact us


CDC Home | Search | Health Topics A-Z

This page last reviewed March 03, 2003

H H S Health and Human Services logo and link
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
Hyattsville, MD
20782

(301) 458-4000