Restricted Datasets

Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) is an international consortium of 800+ academic and research bodies. As a unit within the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and analytical methods for social and behavioral sciences. 

ICPSR hosts raw data about individuals and organizations on a wide range of topics representing current and historical research in the social and behavioral sciences. Data are primarily quantitative (numeric), although mixed-method and qualitative work is becoming more common.

The University of Texas at San Antonio has an institutional membership in ICPSR.

How to Apply

Most ICPSR data are public use. In those cases where removing potentially identifying information would significantly impair the analytic potential of the data, or data contain highly sensitive personal information and cannot be shared as a public-use file, researchers may apply for access to restricted-use data under controlled conditions.

Access is only granted following an application process during which researchers agree to follow strict legal and electronic requirements for maintaining data confidentiality. Please review detailed information on locating, applying for, and accessing restricted data at ICPSR on this page:

Application Requirements

Information about applying for access to restricted-use data is available on the home page of each study within the Notes section.

The application requirements for the different restricted data types will vary depending on methods of access, but you may expect to see the following:

• Investigator information: Includes name, contact information, and institutional affiliation of the principal investigator. In most cases, the principal investigator must have a Ph.D., J.D., or M.D. degree and be affiliated with an academic or research institution.
• Research staff information: Includes name, contact information, institutional affiliation, and computer make and model of all research staff members who will access the data. All research staff members must be affiliated with the same institution as the Investigator.
• Research description: Applicants will submit a research description which includes a description of the research project that the data will be used for and clear information about why these specific data are being requested. If multiple restricted studies or series are being requested, applicants should explain why each study or series is required.
• Confidential Data Security Plan: Applicants will select a confidential data security plan and agree to all terms included therein. The fundamental goals of this plan are to ensure that the restricted data are stored securely and are accessible only to the people listed in the application. ICPSR offers three confidential data security plans for secure download data: External hard drive, non-networked computer, and local virtual or physical enclave on an isolated network.
• Restricted Data Use Agreement: Applicants must submit a Restricted Data Use Agreement. This is an agreement between the University of Michigan and the investigator’s institution, signed by both the investigator and a legal representative of the University of Texas at San Antonio, which specifies the terms of use of the restricted data.
• IRB approval or exemption: Applicants must provide documentation of IRB approval or exemption for the proposed research project.

You may review the terms of the ICPSR Restricted Data Use Agreement by logging in using your UT San Antonio's SSO, ORCID iD, or other methods. You will be prompted to verify your institutional email address in your Inbox.

This is an agreement between the University of Michigan and the University of Texas at San Antonio, signed by both the investigator and a legal representative of UTSA, which specifies the terms of use of the restricted data.