• Email this page

• Printer-friendly version

• PDF reader

• PowerPoint viewer

To use the RDC, researchers must submit a complete proposal. Please refer to the following:

 proposal outline  and a sample proposal .

 

The RDC proposal requirements are similar to a grant or IRB application. The main differences are the researcher must:

1. Provide data dictionaries (lists) of all variables to be used, including NCHS public-use data, NCHS restricted-use data, and any outside data sources.
2. Select a mode of access.
3. Provide examples of expected output (table shells, models, etc.).

Proposal Review Process (approximately 6-8 weeks)

1. Submit a proposal (it must follow the proposal outline).
2. The RDC Director assigns an RDC Analyst to work with you.
3. The RDC Analyst reviews the proposal and works with you to make any necessary changes.
4. The RDC Analyst sends the proposal to the Review Committee which includes the RDC Director, a representative from the data system(s), and the Confidentiality Officer.

They examine the proposal for disclosure risk, consistency with NCHS mission, appropriateness of the chosen dataset(s), availability of RDC resources, and feasibility of the project. The review committee issues of one of the following decisions:

• APPROVE- researcher will have access to the restricted variables requested*
• REVISE AND RESUBMIT- researcher must make suggested changes to the proposal before a final decision can be made
• REJECT- proposal as written is not feasible, content is not available, and/or confidentiality of survey participants is at risk

Once a Proposal Is Approved

1. Submit the 3 confidentiality forms necessary to become a Designated Agent and access restricted data.
   • Designed Agent Form
   • Agreement Regarding Conditions of Access
   • Research Affidavit of Confidentiality
   • Manual on Confidentiality
2. Researcher sends the RDC Analyst the NCHS public use data and any external data sources.
3. Meanwhile, the RDC Analyst collects the restricted data and creates the merged data file.
4. User Fees: RDC sends an invoice for file creation and mode of access fees.
5. Once all forms and payment are received, the researcher can begin his/her study.

Additional Procedures Based on Modes Access

• On Site: (Hyattsville or Atlanta): International researchers must complete additional paperwork. Please contact your RDC Analyst for details.
• Remote Access :Users will receive an email with rules specific to the remote access system. These rules must be acknowledged via email.
• Census RDC Users will need to complete the Special Sworn Status and any additional Census requirement. Please contact your local Census RDC for details.

Upon Completing Analysis

Please submit any publications that result from work using RDC data to rdca@cdc.gov. When publishing, we ask that you specify that you accessed the confidential data through the Research Data Center. Here are some examples based on other published articles.

We accessed county level identifiers which are considered restricted-use variables through the NCHS Research Data center.

 

Because of access to restricted data made possible by the NCHS Research Data Center, we were able to merge respondent residence in a metropolitan statistical area (MSA), data not available in the public-use data sets, with the other public-use data.

 

Residence information is not available in the public use data set to protect respondent confidentiality. Therefore, we accessed residence data through the Research Data Center at the National Center for Health Statistics.

Please avoid statements such as:

Access and analyses of these data were approved by the NCHS Research Data Center.

If you would like, you can add the following disclaimer at the conclusion of your publication:

The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Research Data Center, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

*Approval of an application does not constitute endorsement by NCHS of the substantive, methodological, theoretical, policy relevance, or merit of the proposed research. NCHS approval only constitutes a judgment that this research, as described in the application, is not an illegal use of the requested data file and that there is high probability that the project can be successfully completed in the RDC.

 

For more information, contact

Peter Meyer, Director

Research Data Center

National Center for Health Statistics

3311 Toledo Road, Suite 4113

Hyattsville, MD 20782

PMeyer1@cdc.gov

(301) 458-4375

(301) 458-4039 (fax)

Page Last Modified: April 15, 2009