Contributing Data to the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect

General Information

If you are in the stage of writing a research grant proposal, NDACAN recommends incorporating a Contributor Data Management Plan. NDACAN has published its own Contributor Data Management Plan Guidelines.

The Children’s Bureau and NDACAN share the belief that secondary analysis of archived data is a vital aspect of research. Archiving the data with NDACAN benefits the contributor by preserving the original data and increasing the potential number of author citations. Your contribution also benefits the scientific community as a whole, bringing greater understanding to the study of child well-being through replication and extension of your previous research. NDACAN also serves recipients of Children’s Bureau grants who are required to archive their data.

NDACAN evaluates the archiving suitability and feasibility of submissions on a case-by-case basis.  In order to be considered for archiving, the dataset must have adequate documentation.  Please note that we are not able to archive data from a secondary data analysis project and at this time, and we are not able to archive qualitative data unless it has been summarized into quantifiable form.

Archiving Application Process:

1. Complete the Investigator Contact Sheet and Study Submission Form: Part I electronically, save the files, and send them to the NDACAN Support & Acquisitions Specialist via e-mail attachment: hl332@cornell.edu
   
2. The Support & Acquisitions Specialist will schedule a conference call to discuss your dataset. The results of the discussion will determine the next steps. Here are some of the things that will be discussed during the call:

• Unique qualities of the study

• Potential confidentiality concerns

• Data file format (SPSS, SAS, Stata)

• Next steps in the archiving process

If NDACAN decides to archive the data, some of the items the Contributor will need to provide are (starred * items are required):

• * Study Submission Form: Part II and Part III (Excel format)
• * Signed Contributor’s Agreement
• * The data file or files (preferably in SPSS, SAS, or Stata)
• * Reprints of articles (in .pdf, if possible)
•  Variable labels in computer-readable form (e.g. Variable label commands in SPSS or SAS)
• * A copy of the informed consent form (for internal use only)
•  Accompanying computer programs (e.g. syntax for linking files or deriving variables)
•  Glossary of terms related to the project
• * Codebook
• * Final report
• * Study protocol
• * Copy of the IRB's letter of approval (for internal use only)
•  Data collection instruments information (use the Study Submission: Instrument Information Form)
  

Also, please review all string variables for potential identifiers and remove them from the files or recode them into new variables. 

Place all documents into one .zip folder in preparation for upload to the Cornell Dropbox. Instructions and password for depositing the dataset with NDACAN will be provided during your conference call with the Support and Acquisitions Specialist.

 Required Grantees

Recipients of research funds provided through the Child Abuse and Prevention Treatment Act (CAPTA) are required to archive their data with NDACAN.

Required Grantees must submit their study documentation and data files to NDACAN prior to their funding end date. Follow the archiving process described on this page. Even if it appears that your study meets one of our exclusion criteria, you are still required to complete the archiving application process. If NDACAN determines that your study is unsuited to archiving, we will send written notification of the decision to you, your federal project officer, and the NDACAN federal project officer.

Once archived and processed, NDACAN will distribute the data to the child maltreatment community two years after the study’s funding end date or upon your consent, which ever comes first.

Failure to meet your archiving requirement
If reasonable attempts to resolve grantee non-compliance fail, the Archive will refer the matter to the federal project officers of both the investigator grant and the Archive. Failure to fulfill the archiving requirement could have a negative impact on future Children’s Bureau grant applications.