The International Journal of Population Data Science Publisher of the IPDLN Conference Abstracts

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The next IPDLN conference will be held in September 2022. IPDLN members will be the first to hear when the date, format and theme are confirmed.

Message from the IPDLN Co-Directors

We are hugely excited to be taking forward leadership of the International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN) for 2021-22, with the support of the team at ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK). The IPDLN is the pre-eminent international community of best practice in this field, providing countless opportunities for shared learning.

We extend our thanks to Dr Merran Smith and her team at the University of Western Australia for their excellent leadership and coordination of the IPDLN in 2019-20.

As Co-Directors, we look forward to continuing to develop partnerships with centres and members across the globe, from industry, academia or government, who use data for public benefit. We are confident that membership of the network will continue to increase, as more researchers discover the value in data linkage.

Over the 2021-22 period, we will maintain and expand the Network’s membership, promote and support the International Journal of Population Data Science, and run the next IPDLN Conference in September 2022. Given the ongoing uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the exact date and format of the event is yet to be confirmed, but we very much hope to be able to welcome you to the UK in person for the occasion.

Dr Emma Gordon and Professor Chris Dibben

IPDLN Co-Directors

9 February 2021

About the International Population Data Linkage Network

What is data linkage?

Secondary use of linked administrative data is often referred to as ‘data linkage,’ ‘record linkage,’ or ‘linked data.’ This is typically population based longitudinal data that has originally been collected for another purpose. Linkage may take place across data sets in a single domain (i.e. health) or across domains (i.e. health, education, environment, early childhood, etc.).

Why is it important?

Data linkage is an invaluable tool for research across and between many different disciplines. It provides an inclusive and detailed picture of the population, is cost-effective relative to other data collection mechanisms, and enables studies to be done that could not otherwise be performed.

What is the Network's role?

The International Population Data Linkage Network (IPDLN) facilitates communication between centres that specialise in data linkage and users of the linked data. The Network provides a space for discussion, exchange of ideas, and learning within the common interest of data linkage for the betterment of population data linkage research.

Over 30 participants from Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand attended the 2008 inaugural meeting of the IPDLN (then known as the IHDLN), held in London, UK and hosted by the Research and Development Directorate of the National Health Service. Since then, the IPDLN has grown to over 1,000 members from all over the world.

Every two years, directorship of the Network moves sites. ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK) has taken over the Directorship of the IPDLN for 2021-22. The Network is Co-Directed by Dr Emma Gordon, Director of the ADR UK Strategic Hub, and Professor Chris Dibben, Co-Director of ADR Scotland.

Executive Committee for the 2021-22 IPDLN Conference

Emma Gordon – IPDLN Co-Director, Committee Co-Chair & Director, ADR UK
Chris Dibben - IPDLN Co-Director, Committee Co-Chair & Co-Director, ADR Scotland
Dennis Culhane – Member & Professor of Social Policy, University of Pennsylvania (USA)
Ruth Gilbert –Member & Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, University College London (UK)
Kerina Jones – IJPDS Editor, Ex-Officio & Professor of Population Data Science, Swansea University (UK)
Kim McGrail – Member & Professor of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia (Canada)
Rachael Moorin –Member & Professor of Population Health, Curtin University (Australia)
Rainer Schnell –Member & Chair for Empirical Social Research, University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany)
Merran Smith – immediate past Director , Chief Executive, Population Health Research Network (Australia)

Find out more about the IPDLN Executive Committee and Terms of Reference.