Data and biospecimen repositories (sometimes called registries, banks, or libraries) are used to store data, with or without biospecimens, for future research use. Federal regulations and U-M policies that protect the privacy of patients and research subjects apply to both the creation and the use of research repositories. Federal guidance calls for IRB review of repository storage and data management.
A repository is a collection of data/biospecimens whose organizers
- May receive data/biospecimens from multiple sources
- Maintain the data/biospecimens over time
- Control access to and use of data/biospecimens by multiple individuals and/or for multiple purposes, which may evolve over time.
