Public Data Sets

The use of data from the following list of IRB approved datasets is not considered human subject research and no IRB application is required as long as the following two criteria are met:

  • Research will NOT involve merging any of the data sets in such a way that individuals might be identified, AND

The researcher will NOT enhance the public data set with identifiable, or potentially identifiable data

If restricted datasets will be used, IRB application will most likely be required.  If unsure, contact compliance@cofc.edu.

NOTE:  This list is not exhaustive.  If you plan to use a dataset that you believe qualifies for this list, contact compliance@cofc.edu.

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  • Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)
  • American College of Surgeons
    • National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB)
    • National Surgical Quality Improvement Program( ACS-NSQIP) - participant use data file
    • National Cancer Data Base Participant User File (NCDB PUF)
  • Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) public data only
  • Bureau of Labor Statistic National Longitudinal Surveys  - public-use data files only – excludes restricted and geo-coded/zip code datasets
    • NLSY97 Youth
    • NLSY79 Youth
    • NLSY79 Children and Young Adults
    • NLSW Young Women and Mature Women
    • Young Men and Older Men
  • California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) - public use file
  • Center for Health System Change
  • Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
    • CDC WONDER: Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research
    • Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
    • Youth Risk Behavioral Survey Study (YRBSS)
    • National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS)
    • National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS)
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
  • Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS)
  • The Commonwealth Fund
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission:
    • Death Certificate Database
    • Injury and Potential Injury Incidents Database
    • In Depth Investigations Database
  • Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) - public side only
  • Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care and Utilization
  • Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health
    • National Survey of Children’s Health
    • National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs
  • Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Service - public use file only
  • Database of Genomic Variants (DGV)
  • Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (H-CUP) healthcare databases
    • The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS)
    • The Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID)
    • The State Inpatient Databases (SID)
    • The State Ambulatory Surgery Databases (SASD)
    • The State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD)
  • Health Care Financing Administration National Health Care Expenditures and Payor Source tables
  • HIV Prevention Trials Network D01: Vaccine Preparedness Study/Uninfected Protocol Cohort
  • Immigration and Intergenerational Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles (IIMMLA)
  • Integrated Public Use Microdata Series – International
  • International HapMap Project
  • International Neuroimaging Data Sharing Initiative (INDI)
  • Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research  (ICPSR)
  • Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations
  • Kaiser Family Foundation
  • Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
  • Medicare Payment Review Commission
  • National Academy of State Health Policy
  • National Association of State Budget Officers
  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)
    • The Applied Research Branch
    • Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEERS)
    • The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Open Access data tier - data levels 3 & 4
  • National Center for Biotechnology Information dbGAP  - all datasets except those which specifically require IRB approval
  • National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) - public use data files including, but not limited to School Survey on Crime and Safety
  • National Center for Health Statistics - public use data files and documentation
    • NHANES:  National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
    • NHCS:  National Health Care Survey
    • NHIS:  National Health Interview Survey
    • NIS:  National Immunization Survey
    • LSOAs:  Longitudinal Studies of Aging
    • NSFG:  National Survey of Family Growth
    • SLAITS:  State & Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey
    • Vital Statistics:  National Vital Statistics System
  • National Child Development Study
    • Household Component Full-Year files
    • Household Component Event files
    • Household Component Point-in-time files
    • Pooled Linkage files
  • National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance Program (ISP)
  • National Committee for Quality Assurance
  • National Conference of State Legislatures
  • National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect
    • National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) – general use files only
    • National Study of the Incidence of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • National Election Studies
  • National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS)
  • National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) - Waves 1 & 2
  • National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS)
  • National Library of Medicine; National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment
  • National Poison Data System
  • National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH)
  • National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS- CSHCN)
  • RAND Corporation Health Division
  • Roper Center for Public Opinion Research
  • Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF)
  • The UCLA Health Policy Center
  • U.S. Bureau of the Census
  • Current Population Survey (CPS)
  • Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) 
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Food and Nutrition assistance research Database
  • U.S. Department of Energy Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource
  • United Way of America Caring Index by state
  • University of Michigan Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured
  • University of Michigan Institute of Social Research - public versions only
  • Urban Institute
  • WHO Member States’ Health Statistics