Skip to main content

User Support

Special Data Requests (SDRs)

The National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) seeks to increase the utilization of its holdings through a process called Special Data Requests (SDRs). SDRs are ad hoc tabulations of select datasets that NDACAN compiles and delivers to those who may not be able to manipulate whole datasets.

To submit a Special Data Request, please download the Special Data Request Form (Word), fill in the requested information (i.e., provide details about the tables you are requesting), and email the completed form as an attachment to NDACANsupport@cornell.edu. An NDACAN data analyst will then respond with a confirmation of its receipt.

SDRs undergo a review process that assures that NDACAN is able to complete the analysis. The application and any resulting tables are reviewed by NDACAN staff and experts at the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Due to the multiphase review and approval process, as well as the staff time required to compile the tables, most SDRs take at least a month to process and deliver to the requestor once an application is approved. Please note that NDACAN cannot perform any SDRs that involve the following exclusion criteria listed below.

Exclusion Criteria

NDACAN will automatically reject any SDR that could threaten data confidentiality or that is overly complex and would require an inordinate amount of staff time. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • No small counts (i.e., requests resulting in cells less than 10)
  • No small counties (i.e., counties less than 700 records)
  • No data elements that are unavailable for release to the public (e.g., unmasked dates or values)
  • Nothing more than a simple cross-tab (e.g., number of foster care removals by race/ethnicity by state, etc.)

See the Additional Details and Criterion for Special Data Requests (SDRs) (PDF) document for more information about NDACAN's exclusion criteria. As appropriate, data analysts will work with requestors to revise and resubmit SDR applications. Alternatively, eligible requestors may choose to order whole dataset(s) through NDACAN's website, following the dataset-specific instructions provided online.