Overview of the development and use of standard demographics items in surveys

The collection of key demographic information is vital for researchers to accurately describe their research sample, and to properly understand and interpret their research data. The provision of a standard itemset of demographic questions aligns with the key aims of the LifeCourse Initiative to create opportunities for aligning and harmonising data across studies. Aside from the potential for data harmonisation, the items in this module have drawn upon approaches from existing cohorts, who have validated these items with both consumers and experts. Additionally, this module has been pre-programmed into REDCap, and the data dictionary can be accessed for easy integration into study surveys and documentation. This document provides an overview of how and why the standard demographics module was brought together and how cohort custodians can use these items in their own surveys.