A step-by-step guide on how to apply for access to the APCOR data:
- Step 1: Review approved projects, Release Guidelines & Data Dictionary
- Step 2: Submit an online EOI (temporarily unavailable)
- Step 3: Complete data access application
- Step 4: Amendments
- Step 5: Ethical approval
- Step 6: PCOC Data Release Committee recommendation
- Step 7: Sign Data Release Agreement
- Step 8: Data extraction
- Step 9: Prior to publication
Access the Approved projects and Requests under consideration.
Access to the following documents is available using the provided links:
- the ,
- the , and
- the APCOR: Data Access and Release Guidelines
Once the relevant documents have been reviewed, please submit an Expression of Interest to PCOC using the EOI Form, which is currently temporarily unavailable.
PCOC will respond to the EOI within 15 business days.
If support is received to complete a full application for data access, the Registry Coordinator will send a PCOC Data Release Application Form for completion. The application form and the ethics HREA form (draft or submitted) need to be received at least 4 weeks prior to the Data Release Committee meeting to allow time for an internal review and any required amendments.
Based on the feedback provided by the Registry Coordinator, complete any requested amendments to the PCOC Data Release Application Form and re-submit.
All research projects must undertake appropriate applications for ethics and governance approval and provide copies of the approved documentation and approval letter(s) prior to PCOC data being released.
Different levels of approvals are required depending on the data being requested. For more information, refer to the APCOR: Data Access and Release Guidelines or contact the Registry Coordinator.
Once the application has been accepted by the Registry Coordinator, it will be submitted to the PCOC Data Release Committee for review at the next scheduled meeting.
The PCOC Data Release Committee meets three (3) times per year. The PCOC Data Release Committee will review all of the documents and make a recommendation to the Data Guardian, who will approve or deny the data release request. The Registry Coordinator will contact the applicant with the outcome of the review.
Some quality improvement projects will not need to be reviewed by the Data Release Committee and will go straight to the Data Guardian for review.
Once the application has been approved by the Data Guardian, the Registry Coordinator will send the Data Release Agreement. This needs to be signed before the data will be released.
The data extract from the APCOR will be provided to the applicant approximately 4 weeks after receipt of the signed Data Release Agreement.
Data variables will be extracted into a CSV file by the PCOC Data Scientist and Data Manager. For unit record requests, the file will be encrypted and the file protected with a password. The file will be sent electronically to the applicant using a secure data transfer mechanism. The password to access the file will be delivered separately, via telephone, person-to-person. The applicant will use the password to open the file and then unencrypt the data in the file.
Before submitting a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal, applicants must provide a copy to the Registry Coordinator at apcor-coord@uow.edu.au to ensure appropriate use and interpretation of APCOR data. Once published, the full reference must also be shared with APCOR. This may be put on the APCOR website. Abstracts submitted to conferences should likewise be provided.
Instructions for acknowledging and citing APCOR in publications are outlined in the APCOR Data Access and Release Guidelines.