SampleScope
What is the SampleScope tool?
The SampleScope tool enables researchers to query linked, population-level administrative data to determine how many individuals meet their study criteria.
The tool returns a single number, representing a unique count of people whose attributable service events or presentations meet the specified inclusion and exclusion criteria across relevant data collections.
Providing insight to potential cohort sizes, backed by real-world data, early in the research process supports feasibility assessment, improves study design, and strengthens overall research planning.
SampleScope is currently being piloted in Victoria.
Resources
Watch these short videos for an overview:
Video 1: Introducing SampleScope – Using data responsibly to support health research
Video 2: SampleScope for health researchers – Supporting research planning and study design
Video 3: SampleScope in action – A step-by-step guide
How SampleScope can be used
Researchers can use the SampleScope tool to support:
- Feasibility assessment – learn how many people meet your study criteria
- Application submissions – evidence to support grant, funding and ethics applications
- Study planning – refine selection criteria and inform protocol development
How SampleScope works
1. Enter your study period based on the index event (for example diagnosis).
2. Select relevant demographic details by age range (or birth date), sex and location.
3. Add your inclusion and exclusion criteria by clinical condition, service use and/or other variables available in the linked data collections.
4. Submit your request and the Data Linkage Unit runs your query against the relevant linked population-based administrative datasets.
5. Receive a result in 10 business days containing a single cohort count indicating the number of people who meet your specified criteria.
Who can use SampleScope
SampleScope has been developed to support health and medical research in Australia. You can use SampleScope if you are in a role that involves genuine health research, including:
- Academic and university researchers
- Clinical trialists and clinical researchers
- Epidemiologists and public health or health service researchers
- Researchers within hospitals, health services, or government health departments
- Health researchers within commercial or industry health organisation
- Health researchers within a non-government health organisation
What data collections can be queried?
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Perinatal |
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Emergency |
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Hospital admitted |
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Non-admitted patient |
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Cancer Registry |
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Deaths Registry |
Important notes
- Estimates are based on a self-assessment of your project requirements
- Estimates serve as a general guide
- Estimates do not constitute project approval or an assessment feasibility
If you require linkage of external datasets your are encouraged to contact the client services team or the relevant data linkage unit. If you have queries, please use the FAQS button in the calculator, alternatively contact the relevant client services team for assistance.
Acknowledgments
Data Connect Australia thanks the participating data linkage units, data custodians, researchers and patient advocates who contributed to the development of SampleScope and its supporting governance framework. SampleScope is part of the Trial Link program, funded by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure (NCRIS).
Contact
Kate Miller
Senior Specialist, Science and Strategy
Data Connect Australia
Kate.Miller@uwa.edu.au