Data Packager: Sharing and Merging Data

Introduction

The Epi Info™ Data Packager tool provides an easy way to share data with other users or to merge data collected by multiple users into a single database for analyses. The Data Packager does this by offering the option to package and export, as well as import data from Epi Info™ projects.

Data Packager also has several security features that allow data to be shared more safely and securely. One security feature is the capability to encrypt data packages with a password. This prevents anyone without the correct password from accessing the data. Another security feature is the capability to de-identify data by omitting specific fields from your database. Users can strip sensitive fields such as name, address, or ID number from the dataset. Users can also subset the data by specifying conditions for record selection. Data Packager also offers the option to save package settings for future use. Once packaged, the Import Data option easily imports the data.

To access Data Packager, select Enter Data from the Epi Info™ 7 main menu options and open a project and form. The Package for Transport option is located in the toolbar under File > Package for Transport and the Import Data from Data Package option is located under File > Import data > From data package.