Sample Selector

Sample Selector is a tool for creating and editing samples, or groups of data you compare across—they're not "samples" in the statistical sense, but more like filters.

By default, a single sample exists: "All Data". With the Sample Selector, you can create new samples to organize your data.

You can use samples to:

A sample is composed of one or more filters, specific conditions that narrow down your sample.

Creating a sample

The general process for creating a sample is to:

The effect of multiple filters

DataShop interprets each filter after the first as an additional restriction on the data that is included in the sample. This is also known as a logical "AND". You can see the results of multiple filters in the sample preview as soon as all filters are "saved".

Help

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IRB and Data Shareability

Requirements for all projects

When you add a dataset to DataShop, you must complete the following steps on the IRB sub-tab of your project page. These requirements, specified in the latest IRB for DataShop, apply to all datasets added to DataShop after April 2012.

  1. Specify the "data collection type", which describes what type of IRB (if any) applies to the data. The three options are:
    • Not human subjects data (not originally collected for research purposes) This includes data from a private company, which has no IRB governing how data can be collected and shared.
    • Study data collected under an IRB where consent was not required (IRB approval letter required) This is human subjects data. Please upload the IRB approval letter.
    • Study data collected under an IRB where consent was required (IRB approval letter and consent form required) This is human subjects data. Please upload the IRB approval letter and consent form to DataShop so that we have these on file.
  2. Upload IRB documentation to the project, if the data was collected under an IRB.

Additional requirement for projects where you would like to share your data with others

If you would also like to share the data in your project with others outside of your immediate research team, you will need to complete steps 1 and 2 as described above, as well as an additional step 3 (see below). On the IRB sub-tab of your project page:

  1. Specify the "data collection type", described above
  2. Upload IRB documentation to the project, if the data was collected under an IRB.
  3. Submit the project for a review of its "shareability" by clicking "Submit project for review". The research manager will review your project and respond either through email or DataShop.

What constitutes "shareable"?

Data is shareable if it is not human subjects data, or if it human subjects data obtained under an IRB that provides that the data may be shared. Data must also be de-identified (the identity of subjects is not knowable from the data).

DataShop's IRB dictates that some data cannot be shared. Data falling in this not-shareable category:

  • data from research in which the consent form explicitly states that data collected will not be shared
  • data from research in which it is unclear if data can be shared
  • data from projects where the required IRB documentation is missing

If you have any questions about this process or what constitutes shareable data, please contact the DataShop research manager.

Note that as long as your data is de-identified, you may import it. But we ask that you refrain from using DataShop to share the data outside of your research team or make the data public until you have gone through steps 1-3 above and received notice that your data may be shared.

Note: Data added to DataShop prior to April 20, 2012 is not subject to these requirements.

Examples

Examples of consent wording that make sharing data NOT possible (offending text in red):

  • The records of this study will be kept private and confidential to the extent permitted by law.
  • Research records will be stored securely and only the researcher and team members will have access to the records.
  • No other researchers will have access to the data files.
  • Only project team research staff will view the collected data.

Examples of consent wording that make sharing possible:

  • [specific to storage/sharing through DataShop] Your de-identified data may be stored indefinitely in the DataShop repository at Carnegie Mellon University. Only registered users of DataShop will have access to the data for analysis purposes.
  • [more general but still allows for sharing through DataShop] By participating, you understand and agree that the data and information gathered during this study may be used by [PI's home institution] and published and/or disclosed by ABC U to others outside of ABC. However, no personally identifying information will ever be mentioned in any such publication or dissemination of the research data and/or results to other researchers.

Examples of data collection types:

  • Not human subjects data—this is data that was not originally collected for research purposes; for example, an educational software company might have collected extensive student log files from their paying clients (schools or individual customers).
  • Study data collected under an IRB where participant consent (or parent consent for minor participants) was NOT required. An example:
    • a school whole-classroom K-12 study where the study materials are deemed (by the IRB) to be 'regular classroom learning activities' so no parent consent was required.
    • a college whole-classroom study where the study materials are deemed (by the IRB) to be 'regular classroom learning activities', so no participant consent was required.
  • Study data collected under an IRB where participant consent (or parent consent for minor participants) WAS required. A few examples (this list not exhaustive):
    • a lab study conducted at a researcher's institution for which the participants (whether minors or adults) were actively recruited and were paid (money or gift card) for their participation;
    • a study run at a K-12 school either during non-class time (free period, before or after school) or are pulled out of a particular class to participate; participants may or may not have been paid; participants (through their parents) were actively recruited.
Version 10.12.6 June 22, 2023