Restricted Use Microdata in the FSRDC
Lanwei Yang (Economist and Administrator, UIUC Federal Statistical Research Data Center), will discuss the newly opened UIUC Federal Statistical Research Data Center and the research opportunities that it offers for ACE faculty and students. The FSRDC allows statistical analysis of economic, population, and health data not otherwise available for public use collected internally and confidentially by federal statistical agencies.
Lanwei Yang will discuss the types of data available in the FSRDC system and how to apply for access. I strongly encourage everyone to attend if they have any interest at all in the use of microdata for research.
If you’re not familiar with the Research Data Center system, FSRDCs allow statistical analysis of economic, population, and health data collected internally and confidentially by federal statistical agencies. These data are not otherwise available for public use, and having ready on-campus access to this resource offers a major potential benefit for researchers in economics. In many fields – applied economics fields in particular – the use of such microdata is becoming borderline pre-requisite for conducting top-level research, so having the new FSRDC on campus at Illinois is a big deal.
A bit about what’s available at the FSRDC:
Economic Data: Censuses and surveys of business establishments and firms. Linked Business and Household Data combine federal and state administrative data on employers and employees with core Census Bureau censuses and surveys.
Population Data: US Census data and surveys of households and individuals includes all records and complete geography (in many cases down to the block).
Health Data: Restricted data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), including various surveys that have been linked with death records, Medicare and Medicaid enrollment and claims, and Social Security benefits.
