Data Access and Archiving: Options for the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch

The primary objective of the DBSB of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is to advance the field of population research. In the past, the Branch has contributed to this objective by funding innovative population research and
data collection efforts. DBSB- and NICHD-funded datasets, Datasetsuch as the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH), and the Integrated Public Use Micro Surveys (IPUMS)
datasetare useful for answering a wide range of empirical questions that had previously seemed out of reach. Challenges associated with sharing sensitive data have prompted the principal investigators (PIs) of these data collection projects to develop data-sharing
processes that are now commonly accepted as exemplars in the field. As the amount of information that can be collected and analyzed about an individual further multiplies, future technological, cultural, and legal developments will force future PIs to seek out
even more effective ways to protect and share data. These conventions will not only enable the population research community to produce a large number of secondary analyses of these data, but will also allow the larger research community to take
advantage of unique data resources.