Submitting a request

The data made available through the Research Data Access Services can only be used for research purposes. 

It is therefore not possible to:

• Use them for administrative or commercial purposes.
• Use them to solicit individuals for a study.
• Request access only to data held by the public body to which the applicant is attached.

The Research Data Access Services can be used by:

• Researchers attached to a Québec public body as part of a work or service contract with that body.
• Employees from a Québec ministry or agency conducting research for that ministry or agency.
• Physicians, dentists or pharmacists practising in a recognized health care facility.

Applicants who are not attached to a Québec public body must submit their request in collaboration with someone who meets the eligibility criteria and who is responsible for the project in Québec.

Students who want to submit an access request must be accompanied by a professor who does research and is associated with a recognized public body in Québec.

The Québec public body must meet the definition given by the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information (CQLR, chap. A-2.1, section 3).

Verify your eligibility to use the Research Data Access Services 

To verify your eligibility, go to the Eligibility section above.

Review the list of available data

A complete catalogue of the files and variables available for research are found in the Available data section. Pairing and matching services are available for the various databases.

If you wish to view data files that are not available through the Research Data Access Services’ website, you must submit a request directly to the ministry or agency that manages the data in question.

Use the checklist of items to be verified and documents to be provided   

To reduce the processing time for your request, you must provide all of the requested documents and information.

To verify the conformity of elements included in a request and of any documents attached to the request, it is strongly recommended that you use the checklist of items to be verified and documents to be supplied before submitting a request (PDF, 604 KB).

View the list of templates and reference documents

To help you become familiar with the documents that will be used for your research data access request, view the list of templates and reference documents (PDF, 128 KB) associated with the various steps of the process.

Register in the Research Zone

To use the services, you must first create an account in the Research Zone (in French only).

 

Select the appropriate form

To begin preparing your request, you must select the appropriate form for your needs.

1. Obtaining information about an upcoming project: feasibility study or approximate cost estimate

In the Research Zone, click on “Créer un nouveau projet” (“Create a new project”), then select the option for “Demande d’information” (“Information request”). In the form that then appears, you can provide a high-level description of your project. This form is especially useful in a project’s exploratory stages.

You can also use the cost simulator to estimate the costs of producing a research file for a project.

2. Submitting a new research data access request

In the Research Zone, click on “Créer un nouveau projet” (“Create a new project”), then select the option for “Demande d’accès aux données à des fins de recherche” (“Request for data access for research purposes”). You can then describe the new research project, upload the documents required to evaluate your request, provide information on the research team, specify your selection criteria and data extraction criteria, and indicate which software you will need to use and the location(s) from which you want to access the data.

3. Modifying an existing authorized project

In the Research Zone, click on “Faire une demande de modification pour un projet déjà autorisé” (“Modification request for an existing authorized project”). You can then modify an existing authorized project, e.g. if your project has new needs.

Sample form (PDF, 0.11 MB) (in French only)

Define the data access conditions

Before submitting your data access request, you must choose one or two ways of accessing the ISQ’s secure data environment. This environment was designed to ensure data security while also providing a powerful and user-friendly work environment.

You can access the research file in the ISQ’s secure data environment in either of the following ways:

• At an Institut de la statistique du Québec research data access centre (CADRISQ)
  The master research file can be accessed directly at a CADRISQ data access centre. View the list of CADRISQ centres.
• Remote access
  With remote access, the research file is viewed from a non-CADRISQ location. A remotely accessible microdata file is generated from the master file in order to avoid the risk of revealing personally identifiable information. Remote access incurs additional fees for the creation of this file.

Submit your request    

Submit your access request through the Research Zone. The Research Zone allows you to monitor the processing of your request.

The following guides describe the conditions of use of research files (in French only).

Researchers’ Guide. CADRISQ and Remote Access (PDF, 2.6 MB)

• Terms of Operation (PDF, 86 KB)
• Remote Access (PDF, 93 KB)
• Intermediate Results (PDF, 97 KB) 
  Intermediate results, which are based on explanatory analyses, are not intended for dissemination, and remain within the ISQ’s secure environment.
• Risk of Disclosure Analysis (PDF, 170 KB)
• Work Environment Access and Licensing (PDF, 0.5 MB)

Access to RDA Help Desk (PDF, 0.3 MB)