Welcome! Thank you for your interest in applying for access to SOMAR’s Data!
...
Accounts needed
Jira account (sign-up required; it's free)
Application requirements
Full application - All required items must be completed and provided, including IRB or Ethics Committee Review documentation, Restricted Data Use Agreement (RDUA), CVs or resumes, etc.
...
Accounts needed
Jira account (sign-up required; it's free)
Application requirements
Short application - the following items are not always required: RDUA, IRB or Ethics Committee Review documentation, confidential/sensitive data experience, ethical guidelines, coding/technical experience
Agreement to Terms of Use in the Application
Researchers applying to access Controlled Download data must agree to Standard Terms of Use from ICPSR
...
Applicable Datasets | Fields/Questions | Notes for Applicants |
|---|---|---|
All Datasets | First name of Applicant* | |
Last name of Applicant* | ||
Institutional email of Applicant* | The Applicant's email address must show their institutional affiliation. |
Lead Researcher Details
The fields listed below gather high-level information about the Lead Researcher, their institution, and their experience. It is important that the information provided for these fields is as current and accurate as possible, as it helps to keep SOMAR’s application reviews efficient.
...
Applicable Datasets | Fields/Questions | Notes for Applicants |
|---|---|---|
All Datasets | First name of Lead Researcher* | |
All Datasets | Last name of Lead Researcher* | |
All Datasets | Institutional email of Lead Researcher* | The Lead Researcher's email address must show their institutional affiliation. NOTE: Personal email addresses, such as @gmail.com, are not permitted. |
All Datasets | Primary discipline or professional area of expertise* | |
| Highest degree earned* | Please name the highest degree earned by the Lead Researcher. NOTE: Lead Researchers must hold a terminal degree (e.g., PhD, MD, DrPh, or JD) to access data the VDE. |
| Highest degree earned* | Please name the highest degree earned by the Lead Researcher (e.g., PhD, MD, DrPh, JD, MA, MS, MPH, BA, etc.) NOTE: this information is collected for demographic purposes; no particular degree is required to access Ad Targeting or Meta Content Library UI or API. |
All Datasets | Affiliational profile URL (organization, research, or academia) | The Lead Researcher is required to provide a personal profile showcasing their current affiliation with their organization. Please include a link to any of the following: an active institutional profile or biography, organizational website with directory or staff list, ORCID or ResearchGate profile, or a webpage for their research group, lab, or department. If providing these links is not feasible, other documentation may be submitted at the end of the application to verify the researcher’s affiliation. NOTE: LinkedIn profiles, GitHub Pages, or personal websites are not permitted. |
| Facebook Profile URL | Please provide the URL of the Lead Researcher's publicly accessible personal Facebook profile page. If they do not have a Facebook profile, they will need to create one to obtain access to the tools. Organizational profiles or business Pages are not allowed. |
All Datasets | Institution name* | The Lead Researcher must be currently affiliated with the institution provided in this field. Lead Researchers must either be affiliated with an academic institution or other non-university organization, institute or society which operates as a not-for-profit entity and holds scientific or public interest research as a primary purpose or core activity. Researchers from different disciplinary and professional backgrounds are welcome to apply. |
All Datasets | Type of Institution* | |
All Datasets | Country of institution (ISO Code)* | Please provide the 3-letter ISO country code for your institution (e.g., USA, CHN, AUS). To find the correct code, use the following link and search for your country’s 3-letter code: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#search/code/. |
All Datasets | State/Province of institution* | Please provide the full name of the state or province of the affiliated institution. |
All Datasets | City of institution* | Please provide the full name of the city of the affiliated institution. |
All Datasets | Department name* | If your institution does not have a department, please add “N/A’ |
All Datasets | Institute, center, or lab name* | If you do not have anything to report, please add "N/A". |
All Datasets | Role at institution* | Applicants will choose one answer from the following options:
|
All Datasets | Lead Researcher's resume or curriculum vitae* | Please upload the Lead Researcher's resume or curriculum vitae in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word. |
Collaborator Details
Applicable Datasets | Fields/Questions | Notes for Applicants |
|---|---|---|
All Datasets | Are there any collaborators that need access to the requested data for this research project?* | Please select 'Yes' only if your collaborators will perform any type of analysis or data management activities. It is important to note that only individuals who need to perform any data analysis or directly interact with the data can be added as collaborators. |
...
Lead Researcher’s application ID (SOMARAPPLY-####)
Research project title
Lead Researcher’s last name and email address
...
email address
To add collaborators, use the Collaborator Addition Request Form. The questions on this form can be found in this document.
Note: If the Project Application references a collaborator’s experience to meet eligibility or expertise requirements, that collaborator must complete the Collaborator Addition Request form for the application to proceed. Until the form is submitted, we cannot consider their qualifications in the review process of the Project Application, and the application will be placed on hold.
Additional Contacts
Applicable Datasets | Fields/Questions | Notes for Applicants |
|---|---|---|
All Datasets | Additional Email Addresses for Notifications | Provide the email addresses of anyone who should receive updates about this application. These individuals will receive the same notifications as the Applicant or Lead Researcher. Use commas to separate multiple addresses (e.g., john.doe@university.edu, jane.smith@university.edu). Individuals such as Lead Researcher’s institutional signatory can be included in the application notifications if needed. |
Research Project Information
These items collect information about the Lead Researcher’s research project or agenda, including the summary and why the data are needed. We encourage applicants to provide as much relevant information as needed about their research. If necessary, applicants are welcome to upload additional supporting documentation about the research project or the researcher’s experience later in the application form.
...
Applicable Datasets | Fields/Questions | Notes for Applicants |
| Including any education, the total number of years of coding experience* | Information about the Lead Researcher's coding experience is necessary to inform SOMAR how best to assist researchers for VDE access. Please provide details in these next few questions. Coding experience can come from using Python, R, Java, C++, and so on. Applicants will choose one answer from the following options:
|
Preferred programming languages* | Please select your preferred programming languages. | |
Preferred statistical software for quantitative data analysis* | Please select your preferred statistical software for quantitative data analysis. | |
Evidence of technical skills of Lead Researcher and/or collaborators* | Experience with Python, R, SQL, or another coding or querying language is recommended for VDE access. Explain your experience with a coding or querying language here, or applicants may provide evidence via a link to a GitHub repository or other location where code examples have been shared. Access to the VDE is not dependent on experience with coding. This field is to help SOMAR know how to best support researchers. Note: If the Project Application references a collaborator’s experience to meet eligibility or expertise requirements, that collaborator must complete the Collaborator Addition Request form for the application to proceed. Until the form is submitted, we cannot consider their qualifications in the review process of the Project Application, and the application will be placed on hold. *The character limit is 5000. | |
Evidence of responsible experience or use of sensitive or restricted data* | Evidence of responsible experience or understanding of sensitive or restricted-use datasets is required. Please provide up to 3 citations or examples of your research that demonstrate your experience or understanding of using sensitive data. *The character limit is 5000. | |
Ethical guidelines to be used to guide research agenda* | Please 1) indicate the ethical guidelines you will use to guide your research project, and 2) describe how you plan to apply specific principles in practice. For example, you may refer to the AOIR Ethics, NeurIPS Code of Ethics, or Williams, Burlap, and Sloan (2017), but you must also describe how you adhere to the guidelines you selected. | |
I understand that these data are to be used solely for statistical analysis and reporting of aggregated information and not for the investigation of specific individuals or organizations.* | This field is required. Please select “True” or “False” | |
I understand that I and any collaborator I include on my team must have the skill sets to use the data if granted access.* | This field is required. Please select “True” or “False” |
...
Applicable Datasets | Fields/Questions | Notes for Applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Will your institution require an Information Sharing Agreement for access to Meta Content Library UI and/or Meta Ad Targeting Dataset? | Please select “Yes” or “No, the clickthrough agreement for the Product Terms will be sufficient.” |
Institutional signatory name* | Please provide the name of a legal authority at the affiliated institution that will sign the ISA associated with this application and act as a legal representative on the institution's behalf. This representative is typically responsible for research compliance and agreements, legal counsel, or an executive such as a President, Vice President, Dean (in certain non U.S. institutions), or department head (in certain non U.S. institutions). | |
Institutional signatory title* | Please provide the title of the legal authority identified for this application. | |
Institutional signatory email address* | Please provide the email address for the legal authority identified for this application. |
Restricted Data Use Agreement with ICPSR
(also known as Data Use Agreement)
For access to the data in SOMAR's Virtual Data Enclave, the Restricted Data Agreement must be reviewed, signed, and dated by the Lead Researcher and their institutionʼs legal representative or signatory. The Restricted Data Use Agreement is an agreement between the University of Michigan and the Lead Researcherʼs institution, signed by both the Lead Researcher and an institutional signatory (i.e., legal representative) of the Lead Researcherʼs institution, which specifies the terms of use of the restricted data.
Please download the agreement documentand upload the completed version in the form.
| Expand | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
To expedite the application process, applications may be submitted without the Restricted Data Use Agreement. If you do not have the document ready to upload, please upload a Word document with a note to indicate you are working on obtaining a Restricted Data Use Agreement. If approved, applicants will still receive UI access, and once the signed agreement is uploaded and approved by SOMAR staff, they will be granted access to the API. |
Applicable Datasets | Fields/Questions | Notes for Applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Upload Signed Restricted Data Agreement* | Please upload the signed agreement in PDF format. To access SOMAR's Virtual Data Enclave, the Restricted Data Agreement must be signed and dated by both the Lead Researcher and an Institutional Representative authorized to act on their institution’s behalf. This representative is typically responsible for research compliance and agreements, legal counsel, or an executive such as a President, Vice President, Dean (in certain non U.S. institutions), or department head (in certain non U.S. institutions). |
Institutional signatory name* | Please provide the name of the legal authority at the affiliated institution that will sign the restricted data agreement associated with this research project. | |
Institutional signatory title* | Please provide the title of the legal authority identified for this application (e.g., Vice President, Contracts Specialist, Chair, Dean, etc.). | |
Institutional signatory university email address* | Please provide the email address for the legal authority identified for this application. |
Ethics Committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB) documentation
*Note: This documentation is not required for Meta Content Library, Meta Ad Targeting Dataset, or datasets available via Controlled Download.
An Ethics Committee is responsible for ensuring that research is carried out in an ethical manner in accordance with national and international law.
Ethics Committees may also be known as an Institutional Review Board (IRB), Ethics Review Committee, Research Ethics Board, or Research Ethics Committee.
Applicants will need to work with their institutions' Ethics Committees to obtain documentation that verifies the research approved or exempt.
In the United States, an IRB is usually housed in the same institution if it is a college or university. However, if your institution does not have an IRB, it likely has a contract with an incorporated IRB. Please check this resourcefrom the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. to verify the incorporated IRB is accredited.
Applicable Datasets | Fields/Questions | Notes for Applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Upload Ethics Committee or IRB documentation | Please upload your institution's Ethics Committee or IRB Approval document in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word. The document you upload must prove that your institution's Ethics Committee or IRB approves or considers exempt your research. |
Applicant Acknowledgement (Meta Content Library and Ad Targeting Dataset)
Consent to share information with Meta
...
Note: This item applies only to researchers requesting to access U.S. 2020 Facebook and Instagram Election Study.
Consent to share information with Meta
Please note that when your application to use U.S. 2020 Facebook and Instagram Election Study data is approved by ICPSR, information from your application will be shared with Meta. The information we share includes:
Principal Investigator Information
Institution email
Full name
Dataset(s) requested
Collaborator Information
List of collaborators, names, and emails
Research Project Information
Project title
Research summary
We share this data with Meta in order to facilitate (1) onboarding to a restricted data environment and (2) user support.
ICPSR Terms of Use (Datasets available via Controlled Download)
...
research subject - A person or organization observed for purposes of research. Also called a respondent. A respondent is generally a survey respondent or informant, experimental or observational subject, focus group participant, or any other person providing information to a study or on whose behalf a proxy provides information.
Additional Documents
If more information seems to be needed, a field noted below is available. Please upload supporting document(s) in Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, or Excel. If more than one file will be uploaded, please combine the files in Adobe PDF or into a zipped package file.
...