2: Terminology Standards and Tools
NIH Common Data Element Repository (CDE-R)
The NIH Common Data Element Repository (CDE-R) is a resource for clinical and other biomedical researchers. Common Data Elements (CDEs) are data elements (or variables) that are defined and used the same way across multiple studies, to standardize the way data is collected. The use of CDEs supports the 2023 NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy by making data from different studies more interoperable. The NIH CDE Repository can help you identify CDEs for your data management plan and your research.
CDEs help researchers share and combine datasets, meet funding requirements, and save time.
Additional Training
Common data elements (CDEs) are a type of health data standard for collecting research data. CDEs are standardized, precisely defined questions paired with a set of specific allowable responses, used systematically across different sites, studies, or clinical trials to ensure consistent data collection. CDEs let researchers work together because of the common factor, the common data element, that provides researchers with larger sets of reusable data.
To learn more, see the course Common Data Elements: Standardizing Data Collection.