For data dictionaries and/or questions about using or accessing the FSRDC, please reach out to: Dean Lillard, Executive Director (lillard.13@osu.edu); Sarah Hayford, Director of the Institute for Population Research (hayford.10@osu.edu); Carlos Lopes, FSRDC administrator (j.lopes@census.gov)
Type of Data
Survey data and Administrative data
Years Available
- Varies depending on data source
Short Description
The Federal Statistics Research Data Centers are a resource managed by the United States Census Bureau to provide access to highly restricted data from the Census and 16 other federal agencies. Both survey data and administrative data (tax data, social security records, birth and death certificates) are available through the FSRDC, and data from different sources can be linked at the individual level. Participating agencies include the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Center for Health Statistics, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Internal Revenue Service, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the National Center for Education Statistics, and others. More information is available at https://www.census.gov/about/adrm/fsrdc.html
Strengths
- Using restricted data through the FSRDC can provide more detail and larger sample sizes than available in public-use versions of the data.
- The FSRDC makes it possible to link data across sources, for example combining detailed information on cause of death from death certificates with employment histories from surveys or residential history from the Census or American Community Surveys.
Limitations
- Because the data available through the FSRDC are highly restricted, there are strict regulations on how the data are used.
- All analyses must take place in the data center, and output can only be shared with approved users
- The available software is currently: Anaconda Python, GRASS GIS, Mathematica, MATLAB, R, Rstudio, SAS®, Stat/Transfer, Stata (SE/MP), Tomlab
- All manuscripts and presentations must be reviewed by the Census prior to release.
Availability
The FSRDC is available to all OSU, OSUMC, and NCH faculty, staff, and students.
- All users must submit an application detailing the specific research questions and analyses to be conducted and must apply for Special Sworn Status with the US Census Bureau (including undergoing a background check and fingerprinting).
- NOTE: The full approval process typically takes several months.