The DLI and RDC Programs: Valuable Research Resources for WIHIR Researchers

G. Keith Warriner, Sandra Keys and Pat Newcombe-Welche
University of Waterloo

March 8, 2006
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Davis Centre 1304, University of Waterloo

View Video of Presentation in HI Alive Archive: Research Seminars Archive 2005-2006

Abstract
The Data Liberation Initiative (DLI) and Research Data Centre (RDC) programs are two highly complementary and valuable resources for health researchers and other social data analysts. The DLI provides convenient access to a wide range of government-sponsored data sets in Public Use Microdata File (PUMF) format, allowing many forms of policy-related statistical modelling and hypothesis testing based on cross-sectional samples. At the University of Waterloo (UW), the DLI is administered in conjunction with the TriUniversity Data Resources (TDR) program, permitting swift online retrieval of literally hundreds of data sets via the Nesstar interface.

The Research Data Centre program provides local access for university researchers to the original micro-file records of a number of current Statistics Canada longitudinal surveys. These surveys, which include both the National Population Health Survey (NPHS) and Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), track large, representative cohorts of Canadians, thereby permitting change to be monitored in real time. Research data centres are a relatively new initiative of Statistics Canada whereby access to data is provided to researchers at the level of the individual records under conditions of strict security and a project by project approval basis. The South-Western Ontario Research Data Centre (SWORDC), located at UW and operated in collaboration with WLU, Brock University and the University of Guelph, was one of first research data centres to be opened in Canada. Both the DLI and SWORDC provide faculty and graduate students with access to very rich and varied data resources at no cost to the researcher.

This seminar will provide an overview of the DLI and RDC programs by the managers of these programs at the University of Waterloo. Topics covered will include the DLI, TDR and RDC programs, as well as the Canadian Initiative on Social Statistics (CISS), along with advice on accessing these resources, the relationship between them and the bases for choosing one program over the other. Where possible, the presentation will be illustrated with actual health related research and data from the NPHS and CCHS.

About the Presenters:
G. Keith Warriner is an Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Waterloo, and founding Co-director of the South-Western Ontario Research Data Centre. Sandra Keys is the Liaison Librarian for Accountancy and Business & Entrepreneurship and the DLI Representative for the University of Waterloo. Pat Newcombe-Welch is the Statistics Canada Research Data Analyst attached to the South-Western Ontario Research Data Centre.