Stage 5: Data provisioning and release

 

After a Data Access Request (DAR) has been approved, and a Population Data BC - Researcher Services Agreement has been signed, it can typically take 12 weeks for our Data Services Unit (DSU) to prepare the data.

Data preparation is the process of finalizing the data for the study population/cohort(s) of interest as well as extracting the data for these population(s) in accordance with the approved Data Access Request, including setting up any needed documentation.

The length of time it takes to prepare the data depends on a number of factors.

  • How complicated the request is
    A request for information from one data file for a simply defined cohort may only take a few weeks to prepare. A request with a cohort definition that requires data from three separate data files, with numerous different data fields, will require more time.
  • Where a data request is placed in the queue
    Data Services Unit (DSU) staff may not necessarily be able to commence work on a data request as soon as the Population Data BC - Researcher Services Agreement is signed. It depends on the number and priority of ongoing projects. Data Access Unit staff can give Researchers an indication of when to expect data when the Population Data BC - Researcher Services Agreement is returned.
  • Time of year
    During peak periods data prepation may take longer than usual.

Researchers concerned that it is taking longer than expected for data to be prepared should contact the Data Access Unit, quoting their Data Steward-assigned project number in the subject line and body of the email.

 

 

DARs/Projects snapshot

Total number of DARs/Projects currently with PopData:

472

The breakdown:

DARs in preparation/review

69

Projects with amendments in preparation/review

26

DARs in post-approval

31

Projects with data being prepared

32

Projects being maintained
(inc. 9 DASH, 18 DI Program and 3 ODC projects)

289

CaraSpace projects

25

Last revised March 15th, 2024

Tools and resources

We provide a range of tools and resources for researchers for use at different stages of the data access process.

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Need pan-Canadian data?

The Data Access Support Hub (DASH) is a one-stop data access service portal for researchers requiring multi-jurisdictional data in Canada.

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