Each year we publish more than 250 statistical products, providing a holistic picture of health and welfare in Australia and how this is changing over time.

Our data on request service provides clients with custom data, where data is not publicly available.

Please note:

  • some data collections cannot be made publicly available
  • access to others need special approval
  • in some instances, access is available through tables prepared by the AIHW for specific requests, (charges may apply).

 

Requesting data under the DATA Scheme

Some data may also be requested under the Data Availability and Transparency Scheme (DATA Scheme). To request data under the scheme you must be an accredited user.

All DATA Scheme requests must be submitted via Dataplace. See Data sharing under the DATA Scheme for more information about requesting data under the scheme.

All requests for sensitive data are assessed against legislation and privacy principles and agreements with partner policy agencies, to determine if the information can be lawfully disclosed.

How does data on request work?

Our data on request service enables you to request new data tables within one specified data collection at new and different levels of disaggregation using different or derived data items.

Before deciding to request data, complete the following steps:

  1. Make sure what you require for your research project is not already publicly available. Check data tables under each topic area. This is an important step since it can save you time and money.
  2. If you do not find what you need by topic, check Our data collections section. Here you will find information on our range of data and its availability.
  3. If you are unsure, contact experts via the email address provided in the data collections you are interested in, to determine if what you need, is available through them.
  4. Complete a data on request form only after experts confirm this is required.

Charges

  • The AIHW generally charges for data requests at an hourly rate on a cost-recovery basis. The minimum charge is $300 + GST for each request.
  • You will be given an estimate of the charge for a request for your approval before it is actioned. Once approved, it will be supplied as an AIHW tax invoice.

Time to provide data

  • It takes between two weeks and several months to provide data, depending on the complexity of your request.

Ethics approvals

  • The AIHW follows Australian research ethics guidelines with data, including:
    • National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human research
    • Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research
    • Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth).
  • Some data requests require ethical approval. These are considered by the AIHW Ethics Committee at its scheduled quarterly meetings.
  • For information about fees payable for ethics applications, please see Lodging an application to the AIHW Ethics Committee.

Data linkage

Data linkage is when data from more than one source, but relating to the same individual or institution, is brought together. This is also known as 'data integration' and 'record matching'.

The AIHW collects and holds data on many subjects, and from multiple administrative datasets. This means the AIHW is in a unique position to link data across many health and welfare spheres.

All data linking requests must be approved by the AIHW Ethics Committee.

Five Safes assessment

Some requests may be subject to a Five Safes assessment.