WiscRDC Data

Qualifying for access to data in the FSRDC requires Bureau approval of a research project that is not only scientifically rigorous but, crucially, satisfies the Bureau’s own need for feedback about the quality and coverage of its data and that of its partners in the FSRDC program. A central responsibility of those who administer an FSRDC is to work with researchers to craft proposals that will be acceptable to the Bureau in both respects.

To conform to the law respecting the confidentiality of microdata gathered in federal censuses and surveys, individual researchers must be granted Special Sworn Status (SSS) by the Census Bureau.

Proposals to use the data in an FSRDC are subject to very specific standards and the approval process can be time-consuming. Researchers should begin with a meeting with the WiscRDC administrator, a Census Bureau employee who is trained to provide guidance to researchers on both proposal preparation and the suitability of FSRDC data for a particular project.

The Census Bureau will not approve a proposal that fails to satisfy the following criteria. The proposed project must:

1. Provide benefit to Census Bureau programs.

2. Demonstrate scientific merit.

3. Require data that is available only in the FSRDC.

4. Be feasible given the nature and coverage of data available in the FSRDC.

5. Pose no risk of disclosure of confidential information.

Please contact Robert Thomas, the current WiscRDC administrator, or read the following guide from the Census Bureau, on developing and submitting a research proposal.

All WiscRDC projects are IRB conformant by default, unless research involves data external to the FSRDC network. Researchers wishing to bring external data into the FSRDC data environment must demonstrate IRB approval for the data in conjunction with their project proposal.

For questions about IRB issues around your RDC protocol, feel free to contact Steph Wilson.