Accessing our datasets
What data is available
Data from our longitudinal studies is available for free through the Australian Data Archive Dataverse(Opens in a new tab/window) platform. The studies are:
- Living in Australia: The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey
- Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC)
- Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC)
- Building a New Life in Australia (BLNA): The Longitudinal Study of Humanitarian Migrants
- Journeys Home: A Longitudinal Study of Factors Affecting Housing Stability.
If you have any questions, email LongitudinalStudiesDataAccess@dss.gov.au.
Who can access the data
Our data is available to approved researchers from government, academic institutions and non-profit organisations.
How to apply for access
To apply for access to our data you must be an authorised user of Dataverse.
To create an account, visit the Australian Data Archive Dataverse(Opens in a new tab/window).
When creating a Dataverse account, you will need to provide the following information.
- Your name (no initials).
- The name of your institution.
- A distinct username. Don’t use an email address as your username or any offensive terms, as your username may be visible to others.
- Your institutional email address in the email field. This is the email provided by your university or place of work. Generally, Australian Data Archive are not permitted to release data to commercial email addresses such as gmail.
When you submit your account creation request, Dataverse will send you an automated email with a verification link that’s valid for 24 hours. Once you’ve created your user account, please notify ada@anu.edu.au. Then you will be able to browse and search the DSS Longitudinal Studies data catalogue(Opens in a new tab/window).
If you’re interested in download access to any of the DSS data holdings, follow these steps.
- Find the dataset you would like to access.
- Select Request access
- Complete the online request form.
- You will need to confirm that you have read and will abide by the DSS Longitudinal Studies Data Access and Use Guidelines(Opens in a new tab/window).
- Email a signed copy of the Confidentiality Deed Poll(Opens in a new tab/window) to LongitudinalStudies@dss.gov.au and ada@anu.edu.au.
Available versions of the data
General Release and Restricted Release
General Release and Restricted Release datasets are available for:
- Living in Australia: The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey
- Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC)
General Release datasets are available to persons both in Australia and overseas.
Restricted Release (unconfidentialised) datasets are only granted to Australian users with a demonstrated need.
Restricted Release datasets contain more detailed information than the General Release dataset. This includes date of birth and postcodes of residence. Other variables, such as income and occupation, may be top-coded or otherwise transformed in the General Release datasets. This is to ensure confidentiality is maintained.
Special purpose datasets
Growing up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) also offers Special Purpose Datasets. You can request this as an additional file accompanying either General or Restricted Release of LSAC.
To understand which dataset best suits your research needs, visit the Australian Data Archive website and read the DSS Longitudinal Studies Data Access and Use Guidelines(Opens in a new tab/window).
Contact us
If you have any questions about applying for the datasets, email LongitudinalStudiesDataAccess@dss.gov.au.