PLIDA Data Training Workshop 2026
PLIDA in Practice - Using linked administrative data for health, disability and social policy research
The Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) is one of Australia’s most important research assets. It offers major opportunities for health, disability, social policy and economics research, but using it well requires a clear understanding of how the data is structured, what the records measure, how access and output rules work, and how research questions can be translated into feasible DataLab projects.
Hosted by Monash Business School’s Centre for Health Economics, this short course is offered as two linked one-day workshops. Participants may register for either workshop or for both linked workshops. The two workshops are designed to be complementary, with Day 1 providing a structured understanding of PLIDA, and Day 2 focusing on more applied aspects of working with the asset.
The course is designed for analysts, researchers and policy professionals in government, academia, industry and the not-for-profit sector who use, manage, commission or are considering PLIDA-based research and evaluation projects.
The course will not involve live access to PLIDA data. Instead, it will use approved examples, cleared outputs and practical workflow guidance to build participants’ understanding of how PLIDA can be used in practice.
Registrations
- You may purchase a one-day ticket to either workshop, or a two-day ticket spanning both workshops.
- Earlybird tickets currently available.
- Tickets include all day conference catering
- Registrations close Thursday 8 October 2026.
Data access
No existing PLIDA or DataLab access is required. The course will not involve live analysis of PLIDA data.
Software
The course is not a hands-on coding workshop. Examples may refer to analytical workflows, but participants are not required to use a specific statistical package.
Facilitators
Prof David Johnston, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
A/Prof Nicole Black, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
Dr Anh Trinh, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
Dr Francis Graham, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
What will you learn?
By the end of the course, participants will have a stronger understanding of:
- The structure, scope and content of PLIDA;
- How linked administrative records should be interpreted for research and policy analysis;
- What health, disability, service use, welfare, income and socioeconomic records can and cannot measure;
- How PLIDA has been used in health, disability and social policy research;
- What is involved in applying for PLIDA access and working in the DataLab environment;
- How the PLIDA spine, modules, linkage keys, identifiers and time dimensions shape analysis;
- The main health and disability-related modules, including MBS, PBS and NDIS data;
- How to translate research and policy questions into workable PLIDA analysis files;
- Practical approaches to documentation, quality checks, workflow design and output clearance;
- Common mistakes and avoidable sources of delay when working with PLIDA.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for people working in or alongside health, disability and social policymaking, who want to use linked administrative data more effectively. It will be particularly relevant for:
- Government analysts and policy professionals working with PLIDA or considering PLIDA-based projects;
- Researchers using linked administrative data for health, disability, labour market, welfare or social policy research;
- Managers or commissioners of PLIDA-based research and evaluation projects;
- Analysts in consulting, industry or not-for-profit organisations working with government data or policy evaluation; and
- Postgraduate students and early-career researchers planning linked administrative data projects.
The course is suitable for people who are new to PLIDA, as well as those who have started working with the asset and want a clearer understanding of its structure, interpretation and practical use.
Enquiries
Please email any enquiries about the PLIDA workshops to Professor David Johnston, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, via david.johnston@monash.edu
Event Details
- Date:
- 15 October 2026 at 9:00 am – 16 October 2026 at 5:00 pm
- Venue:
- Monash College, Room 843, Level 8, 750 Collins Street, Docklands VIC 3008
- Categories:
- Alumni; CHE Workshop; General; Health Economics
Description
PLIDA in Practice - Using linked administrative data for health, disability and social policy research
The Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA) is one of Australia’s most important research assets. It offers major opportunities for health, disability, social policy and economics research, but using it well requires a clear understanding of how the data is structured, what the records measure, how access and output rules work, and how research questions can be translated into feasible DataLab projects.
Hosted by Monash Business School’s Centre for Health Economics, this short course is offered as two linked one-day workshops. Participants may register for either workshop or for both linked workshops. The two workshops are designed to be complementary, with Day 1 providing a structured understanding of PLIDA, and Day 2 focusing on more applied aspects of working with the asset.
The course is designed for analysts, researchers and policy professionals in government, academia, industry and the not-for-profit sector who use, manage, commission or are considering PLIDA-based research and evaluation projects.
The course will not involve live access to PLIDA data. Instead, it will use approved examples, cleared outputs and practical workflow guidance to build participants’ understanding of how PLIDA can be used in practice.
Registrations
- You may purchase a one-day ticket to either workshop, or a two-day ticket spanning both workshops.
- Earlybird tickets currently available.
- Tickets include all day conference catering
- Registrations close Thursday 8 October 2026.
Data access
No existing PLIDA or DataLab access is required. The course will not involve live analysis of PLIDA data.
Software
The course is not a hands-on coding workshop. Examples may refer to analytical workflows, but participants are not required to use a specific statistical package.
Facilitators
Prof David Johnston, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
A/Prof Nicole Black, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
Dr Anh Trinh, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
Dr Francis Graham, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
What will you learn?
By the end of the course, participants will have a stronger understanding of:
- The structure, scope and content of PLIDA;
- How linked administrative records should be interpreted for research and policy analysis;
- What health, disability, service use, welfare, income and socioeconomic records can and cannot measure;
- How PLIDA has been used in health, disability and social policy research;
- What is involved in applying for PLIDA access and working in the DataLab environment;
- How the PLIDA spine, modules, linkage keys, identifiers and time dimensions shape analysis;
- The main health and disability-related modules, including MBS, PBS and NDIS data;
- How to translate research and policy questions into workable PLIDA analysis files;
- Practical approaches to documentation, quality checks, workflow design and output clearance;
- Common mistakes and avoidable sources of delay when working with PLIDA.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for people working in or alongside health, disability and social policymaking, who want to use linked administrative data more effectively. It will be particularly relevant for:
- Government analysts and policy professionals working with PLIDA or considering PLIDA-based projects;
- Researchers using linked administrative data for health, disability, labour market, welfare or social policy research;
- Managers or commissioners of PLIDA-based research and evaluation projects;
- Analysts in consulting, industry or not-for-profit organisations working with government data or policy evaluation; and
- Postgraduate students and early-career researchers planning linked administrative data projects.
The course is suitable for people who are new to PLIDA, as well as those who have started working with the asset and want a clearer understanding of its structure, interpretation and practical use.
Enquiries
Please email any enquiries about the PLIDA workshops to Professor David Johnston, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, via david.johnston@monash.edu