Accessing Data on NESSTAR

All ASSDA data are now distributed by the NESSTAR system. If you wish to browse the catalogue, view study and variable documentation or download related material (questionnaires, codebooks, etc) you can do this without logging on. Just click on the following link:

    

If you wish to do anything more than this (analyse data online or download data) you will need to complete one or more of the following four steps.

Register with ASSDA     (Register here)

Registration is free and confidential. Once the short form is completed an email will be sent with your username and password. These will allow you to analyse unrestricted datasets online (create table, perform regression, etc).

Downloading datasets

To download any dataset you will need to complete a user undertaking form.

The type of undertaking form depends on whether you are affiliated with an ACSPRI organisation (see am I a part of an ACSPRI institution?).

Click on one of the links below to download the appropriate form.

Undertaking Forms:
ACSPRI Undertaking
General Undertaking

Please note that if you are not affiliated with an ACSPRI member a fee of $1,000 per dataset downloaded applies.

Accessing restricted datasets

If the dataset you wish to analyse or download is restricted you will also need to complete an Application to Access Restricted Data. You may also be required to complete a special undertaking form (you will be advised if this is the case).

See does this study have restricted access conditions? for instructions on determining whether a dataset is restricted.

Please note that if you are not affiliated with an ACSPRI member a fee of $1,000 per dataset accessed applies.

Send the forms to ASSDA

Undertaking forms: Please post it to ASSDA. User undertaking forms may also be faxed to ASSDA (02 6125 0627) however the original forms must then be posted.

Application to Access Restricted Data: We prefer you to return these by email to assda@anu.edu.au. Alternatively, you can return by fax (02 6125 0627) or post.

ASSDA mailing address:
Requests Officer
ASSDA
18 Balmain Crescent
The Australian National University
ACTON ACT 0200

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Am I a part of an ACSPRI institution?

Through its ongoing support of ASSDA, ACSPRI has negotiated free access to ASSDA holdings for all its members. To understand your ACSPRI membership status, please go to www.acspri.org.au, and click on the Members Listing.

	Yes, my organisation is a member	You are entitled to access all ASSDA studies without charge, and you have unprecedented access to all unrestricted studies. To gain access to all unrestricted studies, complete the ACSPRI General Undertaking Form and return it to ASSDA. We will notify you when you have been given access. To gain access to a restricted study, complete the Application to Access Restricted Data Form.
	No, my organisation is not a member	You will be required to apply for each dataset individually using the appropriate User Undertaking Form, and pay a $1000 (Aus) per dataset administrative fee. For information on joining ACSPRI visit the membership page through their website at www.acspri.org.au.
	No, my organisation is not a member, but I come from an overseas organisation	ASSDA is a member of IFDO and holds data exchange agreements with a number of different Data Archives around the globe. You can contact us or your local data service (see http://www.ifdo.org/) to find out whether your affiliation entitles you to free access to ASSDA holdings.

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Does this study have restricted access conditions?

It is essential to check what access conditions were set by the owners of the data when they deposited their study with ASSDA. A user may have to agree to different terms and conditions as required by the depositor, and may need to sign a different User Undertaking Form. To check accessibility, go to the Study Description Section for the study you are interested in, then read the Data Access information.

If the Special Permission Required field is present you will need to complete the Application to Access Restricted Data Form, and return it to ASSDA by email, fax or post. This form will then be sent to the depositor for approval. When your access has been authorised, an ASSDA staff member will contact you with the appropriate User Undertaking Form which you will need to sign and return before access in NESSTAR can be granted.

If the Special Permission Required field is absent, the dataset you are interested in is a General Access Study. These studies can be distributed without authorisation from the depositor.