Sharing longitudinal student record data and merging data from different sources is critical to addressing important questions being asked of higher education. The Multiple-Institution Database for Investigating Engineering Longitudinal Development (MIDFIELD) is a multi-institution, longitudinal, student record level dataset that is used to answer many research questions about how students maneuver through required engineering curriculum and what courses or policies stand in their way toward graduation. The process of designing, compiling, maintaining, protecting, and sharing a large dataset like MIDFIELD provides valuable insight for others.