Data

The Add Health study has collected data of interest to investigators from many disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences and from many theoretical traditions, making it a global data resource for over 50,000 researchers. The Add Health data is available in two forms, public-use data and restricted-use data, and offer endless options in the types of analysis, choices of data, and presentation.

Public-Use Data Sets

The public-use data sets contain all the survey data but only for a subset of the full Add Health sample.

Restricted-Use Data Sets

The extensive restricted-use data, available by contractual agreement, contains data for all study participants and will be distributed only to certified researchers who commit themselves to maintaining limited access. All applications for new contracts or renewals can be accomplished online in the Add Health Contracts Management System (CMS). Access to the CMS is via the Data Portal. There are two types of restricted-use contract options – Secure Research Workspace (SRW) or Home Institution – dependent on your current or intended method of accessing Add Health restricted-use data. Visit the Restricted-Use Contract Options page for additional information.

Reminder: Access to Wave VI data files is only allowed through the UNC Secure Research Workspace (SRW) and a Home Institution contract.

Ancillary Studies

Ancillary Study collaborations have added rich datasets to Add Health that have been used by thousands of researchers and greatly contributed to scientific knowledge. Add Health has established a set of requirements for investigators seeking to add supplemental, contextual or biological data to Add Health, under the auspices of an Add Health Ancillary Study. Visit the Ancillary Studies page to learn about procedures and guidelines for adding contextual or biological data to the Add Health data sets, including data linkages. A full list of completed and approved ancillary studies is available for reference.

To help determine which data may suit your needs best, please refer to the Data Decision chart below.

Do you, as the researcher, want to merge or combine the Add Health data with other datasets for analysis? If yes, and your merge requires unique identifiers, then you should apply for an ancillary study. If you do not require unique identifiers, then you should apply for a restricted use data contract.
If you do not want to merge or combine Add Health data with other datasets for analysis, and hold a terminal degree and a faculty or research appointment at an institution, you should apply for a restricted-use data contract.
If you do not want to merge or combine Add Health data with other datasets for analysis, and do not hold a terminal degree and a faculty or research appointment at an institution, you should download the public-use data.