What makes administrative data research-ready?
Introduction Administrative data are a valuable research resource, but are under-utilised in the UK due to governance, technical and other barriers (e.g., the time and effort taken to gain secure data access). In recent years, there has been considerable government investment in making administrati...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Swansea University
2022-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Population Data Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ijpds.org/article/view/1718 |
| _version_ | 1797428096566034432 |
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| author | Louise Mc Grath-Lone Matthew A Jay Ruth Blackburn Emma Gordon Ania Zylbersztejn Linda Wiljaars Ruth Gilbert |
| author_facet | Louise Mc Grath-Lone Matthew A Jay Ruth Blackburn Emma Gordon Ania Zylbersztejn Linda Wiljaars Ruth Gilbert |
| author_sort | Louise Mc Grath-Lone |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Administrative data are a valuable research resource, but are under-utilised in the UK due to governance, technical and other barriers (e.g., the time and effort taken to gain secure data access). In recent years, there has been considerable government investment in making administrative data "research-ready", but there is no definition of what this term means. A common understanding of what constitutes research-ready administrative data is needed to establish clear principles and frameworks for their development and the realisation of their full research potential.
Objective
To define the characteristics of research-ready administrative data based on a systematic review and synthesis of existing literature.
Methods
On 29th June 2021, we systematically searched seven electronic databases for (1) peer-reviewed literature (2) related to research-ready administrative data (3) written in the English language. Following supplementary searches and snowball screening, we conducted a thematic analysis of the identified relevant literature.
Results
Overall, we screened 2,375 records and identified 38 relevant studies published between 2012 and 2021. Most related to administrative data from the UK and US and particularly to health data. The term research-ready was used inconsistently in the literature and there was some conflation with the concept of data being ready for statistical analysis. From the thematic analysis, we identified five defining characteristics of research-ready administrative data: (a) accessible, (b) broad, (c) curated, (d) documented and (e) enhanced for research purposes.
Conclusions
Our proposed characteristics of research-ready administrative data could act as a starting point to help data owners and researchers develop common principles and standards. In the more immediate term, the proposed characteristics are a useful framework for cataloguing existing research-ready administrative databases and relevant resources that can support their development.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:54:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7c5b67eb48e84b78b01688f348f5789d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-4908 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:54:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Swansea University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Population Data Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-7c5b67eb48e84b78b01688f348f5789d2023-12-02T13:33:11ZengSwansea UniversityInternational Journal of Population Data Science2399-49082022-04-017110.23889/ijpds.v7i1.1718What makes administrative data research-ready? Louise Mc Grath-Lone0Matthew A Jay1Ruth Blackburn2Emma Gordon3Ania Zylbersztejn4Linda Wiljaars5Ruth Gilbert6Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, UKPopulation, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, UKInstitute of Health Informatics, University College London, UKAdministrative Data Research UK, Economic & Social Research Council, Swindon, SN2 1UJ, UK.Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, WC1N 1EH, UK.Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, WC1N 1EH, UK.Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, UK; Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK Introduction Administrative data are a valuable research resource, but are under-utilised in the UK due to governance, technical and other barriers (e.g., the time and effort taken to gain secure data access). In recent years, there has been considerable government investment in making administrative data "research-ready", but there is no definition of what this term means. A common understanding of what constitutes research-ready administrative data is needed to establish clear principles and frameworks for their development and the realisation of their full research potential. Objective To define the characteristics of research-ready administrative data based on a systematic review and synthesis of existing literature. Methods On 29th June 2021, we systematically searched seven electronic databases for (1) peer-reviewed literature (2) related to research-ready administrative data (3) written in the English language. Following supplementary searches and snowball screening, we conducted a thematic analysis of the identified relevant literature. Results Overall, we screened 2,375 records and identified 38 relevant studies published between 2012 and 2021. Most related to administrative data from the UK and US and particularly to health data. The term research-ready was used inconsistently in the literature and there was some conflation with the concept of data being ready for statistical analysis. From the thematic analysis, we identified five defining characteristics of research-ready administrative data: (a) accessible, (b) broad, (c) curated, (d) documented and (e) enhanced for research purposes. Conclusions Our proposed characteristics of research-ready administrative data could act as a starting point to help data owners and researchers develop common principles and standards. In the more immediate term, the proposed characteristics are a useful framework for cataloguing existing research-ready administrative databases and relevant resources that can support their development. https://ijpds.org/article/view/1718administrative dataresearch-readysystematic reviewthematic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Louise Mc Grath-Lone Matthew A Jay Ruth Blackburn Emma Gordon Ania Zylbersztejn Linda Wiljaars Ruth Gilbert What makes administrative data research-ready? International Journal of Population Data Science administrative data research-ready systematic review thematic analysis |
| title | What makes administrative data research-ready? |
| title_full | What makes administrative data research-ready? |
| title_fullStr | What makes administrative data research-ready? |
| title_full_unstemmed | What makes administrative data research-ready? |
| title_short | What makes administrative data research-ready? |
| title_sort | what makes administrative data research ready |
| topic | administrative data research-ready systematic review thematic analysis |
| url | https://ijpds.org/article/view/1718 |
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