Questions about the Contract
GENERAL
- I have a current contract and would like to pay the $100 processing fee for the Wave IV data. How do I make a payment?
- I don’t wish to renew my contract. What do I need to do to terminate it?
- Will you list my publications and presentations on Add Health’s website?
ADDING RESEARCHERS OR STAFF TO A CONTRACT
- How do I add researchers to my contract?
- What is the procedure for adding systems staff who will have access to the data but will not use the data for analysis?
DATA ACCESS, STORAGE, AND SECURITY
- Can I save my temporary data analysis files after I terminate the contract and return the data CDs?
- How can we consolidate the data storage and security administration for two Add Health contracts at the same institution?
WAVE III ROMANTIC PAIRS DATA CONTRACT
- What’s the difference between the standard data contract and the Romantic Pairs contract?
- Can we put the Romantic Pairs data on the computer that researchers currently use to analyze the Restricted-Use data?
- Can I add another user to my Romantic Pairs contract?
- I am currently working with the Restricted-Use data and would like to get the 1,507 Romantic Pairs sample in Wave III. Are they included in the data that we already have?
Where can I find the contract?
The restricted-use data contract is temporarily unavailable. In January 2010, responsibility for the dissemination of Add Health restricted-use contractual data will shift from Add Health at the Carolina Population Center to the Data Sharing for Demographic Research (DSDR) project at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). To facilitate this transition, no new restricted-use data agreements are being accepted at the present time. Initiation of new contracts will resume in January 2010 when ICPSR launches an online Add Health restricted-use data contracting and dissemination system, which will ultimately allow certified researchers to gain access to the data more quickly and efficiently. Continue to check this website for updates on the launch of the new online contracting system.
I have a current contract and would like to pay the $100 processing fee for the Wave IV data. How do I make a payment?
You may write a check for $100 payable to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or you may use the online credit card option.
I don’t wish to renew my contract. What do I need to do to terminate it?
To terminate your contract, please send the following:
1. A letter stating that all Add Health files have been securely removed from your computer and that the server/ external hard drive/ hard drive of the computer has been erased with the secure erasure program named in your approved data security plan.
2. The original data CD(s) to Add Health by UPS or Fed Ex to:
Add Health
Carolina Population Center
123 W. Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
3. A final annual report, or a statement that you have no publications, presentations, dissertations, or grants to report since we received your last annual report.
Will you list my publications and presentations on Add Health’s website?
Absolutely. Any results produced from analysis using the Public-Use data or the Restricted-Use data are eligible for posting. Please email your completed references to us. Please include the email address of the first author for all publications.
How do I add researchers to my contract?
Submit two forms to add researchers to your contract.
Attachment C, Supplemental Agreement with Research Staff, should be signed by the investigator and researchers to be added.
Attachment D, Security Pledge, should be signed by the researchers. You may fax the forms to Add Health at (919) 966-7019 or send them as scanned attached files by email.
What is the procedure for adding systems staff who will have access to the data but will not use the data for analysis?
Staff members should sign security pledges (Attachment D). Forms can be emailed to us as PDF attachments.
Can I save my temporary data analysis files after I terminate the contract and return the data CDs?
You can create a constructed variable file that contains variables that you’ve created without the original data components and it doesn’t have to be deleted every six months. It should be sent to Add Health upon contract termination and we will securely store the CD for 3 years, or until a new contract is established.
How can we consolidate the data storage and security administration for two Add Health contracts at the same institution?
1. One researcher (R1) decides to be responsible for the data.
2. The non-responsible researcher (R2) will return his/her copy of the data, submit a final annual report, and terminate the contract
3. R2 and data users listed in the terminated contract will be added to R1's contract as supplemental researchers.
4. R1 (or a systems admin) trains the new users about data access and security for the new contract. All users from R2's contract must be able to have access to the one copy of the data from R1's contract.
If there are many users located in different buildings, it’s helpful if the institution’s computing is centralized so that they can all have accounts on the one server.
What’s the difference between the standard data contract and the Romantic Pairs contract?
The Romantic Pairs data are available through a separate contract, which is available upon request. There is an extra processing fee of $750 to obtain the Romantic Pairs data. The main differences between a Standard contract and a Romantic Pairs are the renewal schedule, security plan requirements, and access to the data:
1. The Romantic Pairs contract must be renewed every year, while the Standard contract is on a three-year renewal cycle. Renewal of the Romantic Pairs contract requires an annual report, an updated Data Security plan, a Request for Extension, and Institutional Signatures.
2. The security plan options for housing the Standard contract data are many, but you must house the Romantic Pairs data on a separate, Stand-Alone computer.
3. Only one person may access the Romantic Pairs data, while the Standard contract allows more flexibility. If there are other researchers interested in working with the Romantic Pairs data, they must apply for separate contracts.
Can we put the Romantic Pairs data on the computer that researchers currently use to analyze the Restricted-Use data?
The Romantic Pairs data are the most sensitive and restrictive data that we disseminate. Initially, users were required to use these data in the Secure Data Facility (cold room) at the Carolina Population Center, but in order to allow researchers easier access, we developed a modified plan that would approximate the security of the cold room at the researcher's institution. To maintain the security of the files, it is important that the requirements are strictly followed. Only one user can work with these data; it is not possible to store the Romantic Pairs data on a computer that is accessible to multiple users. An additional $750 fee is required for the Romantic Pairs contract, unless your Restricted-Use data contract has only one user and you want to convert it to a Romantic Pairs contract.
Can I add another user to my Romantic Pairs contract?
Only one user can have access to the Romantic Pairs data. If you add a researcher or programmer to your contract, he/she only will have permission to use the data with the partner-linking file.
I am currently working with the Restricted-Use data and would like to get the 1,507 Romantic Pairs sample in Wave III. Are they included in the data that we already have?
The Wave III Romantic Pairs data are not part of the Restricted-Use data. These data are the most restricted data that we disseminate and are only available through a separate, single user contract. The Romantic Pairs data contract requires additional security (stand-alone computer in a locked office, used only by one researcher). Your current PI (or another PhD researcher) would need to enter into a separate contract in order to get the Romantic Pairs data.
