Introduction to Administrative Data Research and Analysis (IADRA)

The Introduction to Administrative Data Research and Analysis (IADRA) course gives a full introduction to working with administrative data. IADRA participants will learn how to understand, access and prepare linked administrative data for analysis.

This course was developed jointly by SCADR and the Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS) Development Support Unit and was initially delivered as a 5 day face-to-face course, called Introduction to Data Science for Administrative Data Research (IDS-ADR). The original IDS-ADR course was adapted to an online format in 2021 and was renamed in 2024 to Introduction to Administrative Data Research and Analysis (IADRA) and continues to be delivered as a 4 week online course.

The IADRA course will be of particular interest if you are a social or health researcher new to working with administrative data, or if you already work with administrative data but want to learn more about analysing linked administrative datasets.

Course overview

The IADRA course combines pre-recorded lectures on key administrative data research topics alongside practical exercises which will provide hands-on experience using R to manipulate and analyse a complex administrative dataset (using SLS synthetic data). Lecture videos are delivered by experts in the field of administrative data research.

Delivery

Course dates

The IADRA course is delivered as a 4 week online course and runs twice a year, in Spring and Autumn.

The next IADRA course will take place in Autumn from from Monday 26^th October to Friday 20^th November 2026:

• Week 1 - 26/10/2026 – 30/10/2026
• Week 2 - 02/11/2026 – 06/11/2026
• Week 3 - 09/11/2026 – 13/11/2026
• Week 4 - 16/11/2026 – 20/11/2026

Accessing course content

Course materials will be made available via Microsoft Teams/Sharepoint and participants will be given access to course materials at the start of each week. Materials include links to recorded lectures, slides and other online resources.

Materials for the weekly practical exercises will be accessed via a dedicated IADRA R-Studio server, and will allow participants to apply and practice the techniques learned in the course.

All course content will remain accessible to participants for 4 weeks following the end of the course.

Weekly live sessions

In addition to the videos and practical exercises, the course includes weekly live sessions, delivered via Teams:

• weekly live practical lab session - participants can work through the practical exercises during the session with support from experienced tutors.
• weekly ‘Researcher Q&A’ session - provide the opportunity to hear from experienced researchers, who will talk about their experiences of working with admin data, and take questions on all aspects of admin data research.

Time commitment

Online learning offers greater flexibility for participants, who can study at a time and speed that suits them. As an estimate, we expect that participants will require approximately 3 hours each week to watch lecture videos and review any associated teaching materials, and 2 hours per week to complete the weekly practical exercises.

Participants wishing to access additional support with the weekly practical exercises can attend the weekly scheduled live lab session on Thursdays 10.00am-12.00pm. Participants should be aware that facilitators will only be available to answer questions about the practical exercises during the live practical lab sessions.

Requirements

Applicants are expected to have some prior experience of quantitative data analysis and preferably experience of using R.

If your experience with R is limited, we recommend looking at the following online resources before attending the course:

• Ismay and Kennedy 2018, Getting used to R, RStudio, and R Markdown (Chapter 3: R and RStudio Basics) - https://ismayc.github.io/rbasics-book/3-rstudiobasics.html
• Ismay and Kim 2018, An Introduction to Statistical and Data Sciences via R (Chapter 2: Getting Started with Data in R) - https://ismayc.github.io/moderndiver-book/2-getting-started.html

Registration and fees

The next IADRA course will take place from Monday 26th October to Friday 20^th November 2026. 

If you would like to register for the next IADRA course, please complete the application form here: IADRA Autumn 2026 - Registration form

Please note that the number of participants on this course is capped, with 30 places available.

The course is £120 per participant which is payable upon confirmation of a place. There are currently no fees charged to PhD students wishing to attend the IADRA course.

Get in touch with any questions