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Research Applications and Data Management

Research Applications and Data Management

Service Description

The Research Applications and Data Management team provides assistance with the building of research applications and data management services to researchers within the University of Aberdeen, NHS Grampian and external clients. We operate on a cost recovery basis and this cost should be included where possible in grant applications. All team members hold up-to-date GCP certificates and certain members of the team hold NHS honorary contracts.

Features

  • Database Design: The team can provide a service to design and develop databases (either Microsoft Access Web or SNAP) to capture data from on-line or paper questionnaires. This will significantly enhance data quality and ensure that data analysis can be successfully carried out at a later stage.
  • Database Support and/or Development: The team are able to provide support for existing research databases and development services ranging from generation of reports, customised queries, forms design, data analysis right through to re-development of the database.
  • Database Analysis: Data can be extracted in a variety of formats to allow ease of analysis, e.g. into SPSS, SAS or Stata. For larger databases using SQL Server, applications can be developed to carry out more complex analyses, such as event-time cubes, life tables and survival analysis.
  • Web Applications: For studies with geographically diverse subjects and/or locations, internet based data collection is ideal. We have dedicated staff to design, manage and host your data collection website. We can design and build highly scalable and customised websites hosted on a secure, confidential platform.
  • Record Linkage: A service can be provided to match participants in research projects to patients registered on CHI and upload the corresponding CHI Numbers to the clinical database, enabling follow-up of patients where ethical approval has been obtained.
  • Population Studies: The team can provide a service to extract random samples of patient demographic information from the Grampian CHI population, subject to Caldecott Guardian approval. A CHI patient matching service is also available, to enable research databases to be populated with patient CHI Numbers for later follow-up or record linkage. Control patients can be extracted from CHI according to specified criteria for case-control studies.
  • PCCIU Research: The team also works on extracting data for collaborations using the Primary Care Data sets. This is an extensive anonymised database which details patient encounters, diagnoses, measurements and prescriptions from GPASS practices and is collected bi-annually. For more information on how you may be able to use this database please email pcciuresearch@abdn.ac.uk or visit their website -
    www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/research/primary-care/pcciur/.
  • Safe Haven: For more information regarding the Grampian Data Safe Haven (DaSH) please email dash@abdn.ac.uk or visit their website -
    www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/facilities/grampian-data-safe-haven
  • AMND Extractions: The team also works on extractions for the AMND database, for more information on this please visit their website. www.abdn.ac.uk/amnd

Users

  • All UoA Staff  and Students
  • Approved external individuals with a UoA External Account

Service Hours

  • The office is manned Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm

Level of Service

  • Backup and Restore of items: Backed up as per University standards.
  • Downtime: If there is to be an outage then users directly supported by the Research Applications and Data Management Team will be contacted via email. 

Support and Documentation

Request Process

User Responsibility

Costs