This is one of a set of five "Data Directions" that present issues ECE staff may encounter if they are interested in or attempting to share or link their data with other agencies. Each Data Direction presents a hypothetical scenario, and then outlines possible action steps programs could use to address the issues raised. This third Data Direction offers ideas about how to engage an external research partner to assist with a data linking project, including steps to take before reaching out to a possible partner and ideas for locating and selecting a partner. (author abstract)