About the NORC Data Enclave
NORC Data Enclave provides a wide range of data services to researchers and data producers. One of the main services we provide is a confidential, protected environment within which authorized researchers can access sensitive microdata remotely. While public use data can be disseminated in a variety of ways, there is a more limited range of options for disseminating sensitive microdata that have not been fully de-identified for public use. Some data producers have sufficient economies of scale to develop advanced in-house solutions that serve the needs of external researchers, but most lack the resources to archive, curate, and disseminate the datasets they collect. NORC Data Enclave provides our partner organizations a secure platform where they can both host and build a research community around their data. NORC Data Enclave currently serves more than 250 researchers and hosts confidential data for numerous Federal agencies and foundations.
Major Capabilities
Our team values NORC’s core mission of conducting research of the highest quality that serves the public interest. The NORC Data Enclave offers the full cycle of data services, ranging from study design and concept to data archiving and access. In addition to being experts in metadata documentation and data dissemination, we provide a comprehensive set of analytic services. Members of our team come from a wide range of backgrounds and are thoroughly trained in research methods, statistical analysis, and can leverage this full array of analytic capabilities of NORC.
In addition, the NORC Data Enclave engages the research community in developing a knowledge infrastructure around each dataset through its virtual collaboration, which enables geographically dispersed researchers to share information, replicate results, and provide feedback to fellow researchers, data producers, and archivists.
Core Service Offering
- Disclosure analysis
- Statistical analysis
- De-identification & micro-aggregation
- Visual and Spatial Analysis
- Data diagnostics and harmonization
- Data security
- Secure remote access technologies
- Metadata management
- Virtual collaboration
- Data dissemination
The NORC Data Enclave has been made possible by funding from the Technology Innovation Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Kauffman Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the National Science Foundation (NSF).