TRIP data approval process
Which form do I use to request data from TRIP?
Does my project require cross-sector data?
If no: Contact the data-contributing agency directly about my data request.
If yes: next question
Am I requesting individual-level data (including direct identifiers) or unredacted aggregate data?
If no: Use TRIP's aggregate data request form to request de-identified aggregated data.
If yes: next question
WSIRB review: Does my project require WSIRB review?
If no: Contact the WSIRB before you submit your request, and move to next question.
If yes: next question
Has the TRIP, its data partners, and the WSIRB signed off on my project?
If no: The TRIP cannot fulfill your request
If yes: next question
Can my agency and I sign a data-use agreement and abide by all its terms?
If no: The TRIP cannot fulfill your request
If yes: Use TRIP's individual data request form to request de-identified individual-level data or unredacted aggregate data.
Questions to consider before you submit your request:
Does my project require data linked from multiple agencies (cross sector data)?
TRIP receives and links data from multiple sources, including health, court/justice, licensing, and transportation sectors (cross-sector). We can’t fulfill requests for data from a single sector- only multiple. To request data from a single sector, contact the data provider. Not sure if your request is for in-sector or cross-sector data? Contact us.
Is my request for (a) individual-level-data or unredacted aggregate data or (b) redacted aggregate data?
Requests for individual-level data (including de-identified or identifiable data) or unredacted aggregate data require an extensive review involving WSIRB review, and data use agreements. Requests for redacted aggregate data have fewer requirements. We prefer sharing redacted aggregate data to minimize disclosures and risk.
Does the Washington State IRB need to review my project?
Depending on your research questions and design, your study may need to undergo a Washington State Institutional Review Board review. Upon request, we can consult with you about what type of review your request might require. Requests typically fall into three categories: a full IRB review, an expedited review, or exempt review.
Can my agency sign a data use agreement?
If there is not a data-use agreement in place, we will create a data-use agreement with the data requester. Key components of this agreement include data privacy, constraints on how you can use the data, data security, and data destruction.
Key terms
| Agregate data: redacted vs. unredacted | Redacted aggregate data does not reveal any individual's personal information, either directly or in combination with other available information. This is typically summary data that does not allow someone to learn information about a specific individual. |
| Cross-sector-data | Data that is linked across more than one data provider. TRIP receives data from the health, court/justice, transportation, and licensing sectors and then links this data across sectors for analysis purposes. |
| Data use agreement | A contractual agreement with the TRIP and the requester. This designates the requester as an authorized user of the data. |
| Identifiable vs. de-identifiable data | Identifiable data includes any information that can be used to distinguish an individual. Even without direct identifiers (such as a name) a record-level dataset is not necessarily a de-identified dataset. De-identifiable data means that direct and indirect identifiers have been removed, and there is no reasonable basis to believe that the remaining information can be used to identify an individual. These de-identified data may be in the form of aggregate results or individual-level data. |
| Personally identifialbe information (PII) | Any information, such as a name or identification number, that can be used to distinguish a person’s identity. This may be through direct identifiers, such as name or ID number, or through indirect identifiers, or other information which can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity through linkages with other information. |
| WSIRB review | The Washington State Institutional Review Board is tasked with reviewing all human subjects research to ensure that ethical, privacy, and other considerations are properly evaluated. |
| For more comprehensive definitions, we recommend you check out these key terms from the Privacy Technical Assistance Center. |
