Data Archiving and the Implementation of Web-Based Statistical Analysis

Mark A. Carrozza, University of Cincinnati
Ronald Freyberg, University of Cincinnati
Jonathan Kopke, University of Cincinnati
Shiloh Turner, Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati

Today there are growing concerns and calls for protecting the privacy of individuals and the confidentiality of research data. “HIPAA Compliance” will be the watchword for years to come as data providers struggle to meet new federal guidelines for security and confidentiality. The traditional mechanisms of providing access to data are being called into question, and data producers are beginning to refuse requests for data that one or two years ago would have been considered routine. Data producers, data archivists, and researchers are struggling to find innovative ways to meet state and federal laws, and still allow researchers to conduct well-founded, methodologically valid research. In response to this need, we have developed OASIS, the Online Analysis and Statistical Information System. OASIS is an innovative web-based program that delivers powerful data analysis capabilities without the need for statistical software on local computers, giving users unparalleled access to data and statistics.