For answers to general questions, read through the FAQs below. If you cannot find the answer you need, fill out the form on the Contact page for technical questions and related support. Select “Report a Technical Issue” in the "Message Type" dropdown field. Next, use the "Type of Issue" dropdown field to indicate with which part of the DataOhio Portal you are having an issue. Please do not forget to leave a detailed message to describe the problem.

You can also access the Contact form via various contact icons that are found throughout the site. For example, if you are encountering technical issues with a specific dataset or file, click on the “Report a Problem” button within the dataset’s “Contact Info” box.

From the View All Data page, select and click on an individual dataset and navigate to the “Details” tab. This view shows an informational summary of the selected dataset, as well as more information about dates, views and export figures. The “Contact Info” box on the right-hand side of the screen contains data owner information. Click the “Contact Data Owner” button to inquire about the data, data access, or other data-related questions. Click the “Report a Problem” button for technical difficulties or data quality issues related to that specific dataset or file.

Users can also ask questions or report problems with datasets using the contact form on the Contact Page. Select “Submit a Question to a Data Owner” from the “Message Type” dropdown field, then select the specific dataset from the “Dataset” dropdown field and continue to fill out the contact form.

To obtain an OH|ID username and password, select the “Login” icon on the top right corner of the Homepage. On the resulting page, click on ”Create New Account” and follow the on-screen instructions to create your unique OH|ID Account.

While an OH|ID Account is not required to view public data, all DataOhio Portal users are asked to create an OH|ID Account in order to experience the full functionality of the DataOhio Portal. For example, an OH|ID is required in order to favorite preferred datasets or to save customized data visualizations for quick and easy access in the future.

To see all of the data available, select View All Data from the menu bar. From here, you are able to search, browse, and select available datasets.  Users also have the ability to filter results by using the filter options on the left-hand side of the screen.

Users have the ability to not only view datasets, but also to favorite datasets within the portal for future access. To favorite a dataset, navigate to the dataset’s detail page from the View All Data page. Click on the “star” icon next to the dataset’s name to favorite the dataset. In order to access previously saved datasets, navigate to View All Data and use the “Favorites” checkbox to filter the data catalog to previously favorited datasets. Please note that you must have an OH|ID account and be logged-in to use this feature.

There are two ways to download data from the DataOhio Portal:

1. Navigate to a dataset’s detail page from the View All Data screen. At the top right corner of the page is a menu called “Export Data”. Click on “Export Data” to display a list of available formats. Click on one of the links to begin an automatic download. Some datasets also contain historical snapshots of the data at specific points in time. If a dataset contains historical snapshots, they can be found and downloaded from the “Historical Data” section at the bottom of the “Details” tab view.

Please note that due to provisions in Ohio Revised Code, some datasets are subject to data suppression rules to protect the identities of individuals included in the dataset. For the datasets where this applies, users will be directed to the predefined reports and visualizations on the Visualize tab to download the available data. Please refer to the section below for instructions.

2. Data can also be downloaded directly from the predefined report window on the “Visualize” tab. Navigate to the “Visualize” tab of the desired dataset page and click on one of the predefined reports to open the visualization or build your own using the “Create a Visualization” feature where available. Click on the “Options” button at the top right of the visualization window and select the desired format to begin an automatic download.

Custom visualizations help users view data in new and engaging ways. Using the DataOhio Portal’s Create a Visualization function, users can select parameters and use filter capabilities to create visualizations on many of the available datasets.

To begin creating custom visualizations, select the desired dataset and navigate to the “Visualize” tab. Select your preferred parameters (e.g., year, county, measure, etc.) and the visualization will update as you configure your settings. Click on the “heart” icon in the Options menu to favorite and save desired configurations. The next time that visualization is accessed, the report parameters will automatically be set to your favorited configuration. Please note that you must have an OH|ID account and be logged-in to use this feature.

The purpose of the Request Explanation field and the Supporting Documentation section are to explain the intended use of the data and to justify why a Data Owner should grant access to the secured data to you. Include any information to support the validity of your access request. Explain why the requested data is needed and list any personal credentials. Attach any documentation that validates your request including, but not limited to, resume/CV, funding/grant documentation, official research documentation, statements of work, etc. 

There will be opportunities to communicate with the Data Owner during the request review process. However, you can use the “Contact Data Owner” button on the “Dataset Detail” page to send a message to the Data Owner at any time.

The request will be sent to the Data Owner who will review the provided information. The Requester may be asked to provide additional information. In which case the Data Owner will assign the status of “More Info Needed” and send the request back to the Requester. Once the Data Owner has all the desired information, the request may need to be reviewed by an Internal Review Board where a final decision will be made. 

There are many factors involved in the decision-making process including the sensitivity of the requested data, the availability of the Data Owners, the schedule and agenda of the Internal Review Board, Governance Committee, etc. Requests will be addressed, and decisions will be made as soon as possible. It is best to submit your request as early as possible to account for the factors listed above. 

Some programs have very specific restrictions regarding access to their data and may need further justification. For example, a program may require a background check prior to granting access to sensitive data. Programs may also require that the Requester completes a Data Usage Agreement before access can be granted. Data Owners will attach such documentation to the request and use the “More Info Needed” status to send the request back to the Requester.

Navigate to the “Requests” tab in the “Account Dashboard”. Locate the request in the list and click “View Request”. The request screen should be displayed. Click on the “Edit” button next to the “Request for Data Access” title. You should now be able to edit the request.

Data Owners are required to provide a brief explanation if they are denying access to a dataset. This will be displayed in the “Request Status” section of the request. Possible reasons can include privacy concerns, federal or state laws, or insufficient justification. 

When access to a dataset is approved, it can take some time for all access permissions to be configured. If you are still not able to see any associated visualizations or other aspects of a dataset the following day after access is initially approved, please use the "Contact Data Owner" button.

You can indicate a desired access expiration date in the request form. However, it is ultimately up to the Data Owner to decide the final expiration date. In the event of any violation of data portal Terms and Conditions or applicable Data Usage Agreements, Data Owners may revoke access to a dataset at their discretion.

The “Request History” section is a log of all request activity. It will be updated whenever the request status is updated. Users will be able to see the change date, the request status at the time of the change, and any comments provided using the “Additional Details” link.

The DataOhio Projects page highlights recent success stories of Ohio agencies, researchers, and universities who collaborate through sharing secure data with one another to make customer-centric and data-driven decisions to better serve the public.

Do you have a dataset suggestion or data story you would like to share? Contact Us or click the “Share Your Story” button while browsing the DataOhio Projects page.

DataOhio’s public datasets are accessible to all users. In the future releases, secured datasets will be available but will require account creation and authentication through OH|ID as well as approval by the responsible data owner for access.

The DataOhio Portal is a user-friendly technology that is intended to support the public consumption of data. Therefore, users do not need to have extensive technical knowledge or expertise to access, search or view data on DataOhio.

Users are able to navigate each dataset for more information using the “Details” and “Developers” tabs. The “Visualize” tab allows users to filter data, create customized visualizations and view predefined reports.

The DataOhio Portal contains the most critical and relevant datasets from state agencies and entities. Agencies continually add new datasets to the DataOhio Portal on a regular basis. The data catalog, available through View All Data, contains an easy-to-use search and filter tool to help you find the data you’re looking for.

Each dataset is updated and/or refreshed on a predetermined timetable at the discretion of the data owner. When applicable, users can select a dataset and, within the “Details” tab, view the creation date, last refreshed date, and update frequency information.

All data and information that appear on the DataOhio Portal comply with data sharing laws and regulations.

The DataOhio Portal’s datasets reside in a secured big data appliance, the InnovateOhio Platform. Both technologies are built and maintained with the highest standards of privacy, security and authorization of use. As data is stored in the platform, established security zones and strict governance processes maintain data quality and security. Access is managed by authenticated users and only carefully selected data views are made available to the public.