Access

A Steering Committee is responsible for the future preservation of the access to the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank with data from 1949 onwards.

The MRC Medical Sociology Unit collaborated in and has a responsibility for the Databank up to and including data for 1983 only.

Regulations for access have been agreed as follows:

1. All requests for access must be made through the Databank Steering Committee in order to ensure that the proposed use of the data conforms to accepted scientific standards in terms of methodology, confidentiality and ethics.
2. Access will only be available to applicants who, in the opinion of the Committee, are bona fide research workers and who have received any necessary approval for that research from an appropriate Research Ethics Committee. They will be required to complete and sign the application form, and forward a copy of their letter of approval from the Ethics Committee.
3. Data will be provided for access in the Grampian Data Safe Haven. Files will not normally include identification data. Data may also be given in tabular form or as a report, if requested. When an applicant for data has provided identification data, the extract file will contain the requestor's identifiers and the additional items requested from the Databank. Any transfer of data from a researcher to the Grampian Data Safe Haven or release from the Safe Haven must follow all legal and governance requirements as required by the Safe Haven and in the signed Investigator Declaration
4. Processing and use of data must comply with the requirements of the UK Data Protection Act and GDPR. All applicants will be required to forward any relevant papers using the supplied data to the Databank Steering Committee prior to submission for publication in order to ensure factual accuracy and correct interpretation because of the material and to ensure appropriate acknowledgement to the Databank.
5. The Databank Steering Committee, as far as possible, will encourage collaborative research with one or more members or designated colleagues in order to facilitate accurate use and interpretation of the data.
6. Charges for supplying data will depend on several factors: 

• origin of the request
• whether there has been a previous extraction for the same project
• the complexity of the extraction requested

Feedback on charges to be levied will be given once the Committee have agreed in principle to the request.

• Request Forms

• To download a Databank request application form click on the link.
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• All enquiries and completed request forms should be addressed to:
• Heather Clark
• Databank Administrator, University of Aberdeen
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• Email: amnd@abdn.ac.uk