Highlights: Research Data Access Portal

Research Data Access Portal

In 2016/17 Northgate Public Services began a project in conjunction with a team from the University of Sheffield to implement a Data Access Portal for use by researchers wanting to use NJR data.  User Acceptance Testing of the Portal commenced in February 2018 and it is anticipated that it will go live in August 2018.  

The portal will provide a secure working environment, including analysis tools, for researchers and users of NJR data, whilst enabling the NJR to manage and control its data more effectively.  The University of Bristol are designing the data structure, developing the accompanying data dictionary and will be producing an annual ‘Research Ready Database’.  

Researchers wishing to undertake analysis using NJR data apply to do so via the NJR website.  Once approval for a project has been granted by the NJR’s Research Committee, a project area will be set up on the portal which will contain the subset of data requested.  Statistical analysis tools (Stata, initially) and standard office tools are available on the system.  The principal investigator, who will be set up with the initial user account, can add more users as required.  

Initially, the data available to researchers will be NJR data only, but it is hoped to set up a sub-licencing arrangement with NHS Digital and the NHS Wales Health Informatics Service to sub-licence data from HES, PROMs, ONS, and PEDW linked to NJR data.

For further detail about NJR Research, please see the report by the Chair of the NJR Research sub-committee in the section ‘Work of the NJR Steering Committee and its sub-committees’ under the section ‘Annual Progress’.  For information about how to apply for NJR data for analysis and research purposes, please visit the ‘Research’ section on the NJR’s website.