Delivery postponed until fall due to unforeseen circumstances
This FREE webinar-based training series takes place over three sessions from 2:30pm to 4:30pm PST:
Session 1 - Thursday July 22nd | Session 2 - Tuesday July 27th
Session 3 - Thursday July 29th
If you would like to be notified when the new dates are confirmed, please register here.
Overview
Population Data BC (PopData) provides access to a diverse range of data sets which may be linked together and used to answer a wide array of research questions. Data available through PopData offer a valuable opportunity to researchers; however, navigating the data access request (DAR) process, especially for the first time, can be a challenging undertaking.
The goals of the webinar-based course are to:
- Introduce the tools and resources available to explore the data available through PopData
- Highlight considerations for preparing your DAR including defining your cohort and selecting variables
- Familiarize students with the DAR process including required approvals, costs, and timelines
The course will highlight the opportunities, challenges, and resources available at each step of the DAR process. Participants can expect to come away with a better understanding of the requirements and be better prepared for planning and submitting a DAR of their own.
Topics covered
Module 1 - Data available and resources to guide your Data Access Request (DAR)
- What data are available through Population Data BC?
- What is administrative data?
- How are confidentiality and privacy maintained?
- What projects are eligible for data access?
- What are Population Data BC key holdings
- What datasets are available?
- What are the benefits and potential issues?
- What tools and resources are available to researchers to guide your Data Access Request?
- Data Prospector BC
- Metadata Central
- BC Data ScoutTM
Module 2 - Planning your DAR
- How do we define our cohort?
- What type of cohorts are available?
- What are the common challenges for defining a cohort?
- How can we use Population Data BC’s tools and resources to help us define our cohorts?
- What variables should we request?
- How can a statistical analysis plan (SAP) guide our variable selection?
- What resources are available to help me develop a SAP?
- What are common pitfalls?
- How do we request the right variables?
- What are some common data problems?
- How do we anticipate and plan for problems?
Module 3 - Preparing and submitting your DAR
- What are the project eligibility requirements?
- What projects are eligible?
- What are the costs associated with a DAR?
- How can students access data and when can they receive a waiver for fees?
- What is the DAR process?
- What are the steps to completing a DAR?
- What steps can happen concurrently?
- How do we use the DARonline?
- Introduce and explore the DARonline and demonstrate its functionality
- What are the common mistakes at each step of the DAR?
- What happens after you submit?
- How does the submission process work and how long does it take?
- How do you track your DAR progress? (AppTracker)
- When are amendments required and how much do they cost?
This course is designed for:
Researchers, students, and trainees who want to:
- Discover the tools and resources available to explore the data available through Population Data BC for the purposes of future research
- Learn more about the DAR process
- Submit a DAR to Population Data BC
Webinar-based course format
The interactive Gotowebinar software will provide remote access for participants to view the instructor's screen and connect with the instructor in real time. Online tools such as BC Data ScoutTM, Data Prospector BC, Metadata Central and DARonline will be demonstrated and used during the session. No additional software is required.
Course fees
This webinar-based course is free of charge.
Lead Facilitator
Patrick Daniele is a statistician at Purple Squirrel Economics, a Cytel company. Patrick has a Master of Science in Population and Public Health from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Science in Statistics with an extended minor in economics from Simon Fraser University. His experience has focused primarily on leveraging real world data to facilitate clinician-investigator lead research.
Patrick has extensive experience accessing and analyzing data available through PopData to answer research questions having prepared over half a dozen successful data access requests. His masters thesis was a population-based study of the contemporary epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes of atrial fibrillation in Western Canada which accessed data through PopData.
