Behind the Scenes in Integrative Health Science: Understanding and Negotiating Data Management Challenges

The complexities of managing the data collection and data products in multidisciplinary, population-based longitudinal research on health are not readily apparent to those who use publicly available data. This chapter explores the behind-the-scenes details involved in conducting the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. The objective is to explicate how such a complex investigation involving comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments, obtained on the same individuals followed repeatedly over time, is carried out. The MIDUS study includes multiple data collection projects, covering different domains of science. Such extensive data collection must be carefully sequenced and distributed across different data collection sites, while recognizing that the longitudinal research data life cycle is iterative in nature. The overarching goals are to ensure the integrity of the data collection process while generating data products that are discoverable, understandable, and well documented to promote robust primary and secondary usage of publicly available datasets.