The data from my study are on very sensitive topics such as Alzheimer’s disease. I fear there may be a risk to participants if they should they be reidentified. How can I protect these respondents if I release data to the public?

For curated studies, to address potential re-identification risks, ICPSR conducts a through disclosure risk assessment on all submitted data, using advanced, NIH-supported methodologies. Based on this assessment, ICPSR staff will recommend the most suitable data release strategy that balances participant privacy with the utility of the data.

Available release options include:

• Public release or public online analysis (for datasets with low re-identification risk or those that have been adequately altered to minimize that risk)
• Restricted-use release, which requires approved user agreements and additional security measures
• Enclave-only access, where users can analyze data on-site under controlled conditions
• Online access with enhanced disclosure protections applied

A full public release is only considered when the risk is deemed minimal. If you have concerns about your dataset, our staff can advise on protecting confidentiality by guiding you through restricted-use or other appropriate access options.