Lessons in Data Linkage: Four Examples From Home Visiting Research

Linked data can shed light on research questions unanswerable by home visiting data alone, but what does it take to make such linkages happen?

Recognizing the lack of published research about challenges and solutions to data linking partnerships, the HARC team interviewed authors from four studies identified in a 2025 scoping review. Selected studies demonstrated a breadth of approaches using linked home visiting data, including—

• Universal home visiting program evaluation (Massachusetts)
• Cost-benefit analysis (Arkansas)
• Assessment of reach using GIS data (South Carolina)
• Child welfare involvement among home visiting participants (Texas)

This brief highlights interviewee responses to questions about data access, data governance, and technology—logistical information often absent from published articles. It also includes information about each study’s design, linkage methods, and analysis; findings; and impact on programs and policy.