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ONS data – improving access. Richard Laux National Statistics and International Division, ONS. Summary. Concepts and terms The policy framework The past; the present; the future. ONS Data and Statistics. ONS data – unpublished statistical information, obtained and controlled by ONS
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ONS data – improving access Richard Laux National Statistics and International Division, ONS
Summary • Concepts and terms • The policy framework • The past; the present; the future
ONS Data and Statistics ONS data – unpublished statistical information, obtained and controlled by ONS ONS statistics - transformations of data into summaries for publication. • standardised transformations – predictable, pre-announced, pre-defined, and available for free from the website • Other ONS statistics are non-standard summaries. (e.g. Census commissioned outputs)
‘Improving Access’ • Limitations on access - 3rd party use of ONS data for statistical purposes - are imposed • by law • by the need to protect confidentiality • by the availability of resources • but not by policy. …’improving access’ is improving data availability and data utility by addressing these limitations.
Policy framework Users’ needs … • met by ONS National Statistics? If not … • met by bespoke ONS Statistics? If not … • … implied need for access to ONS data Our policy is to provide access to ONS data for statistical purposes to (best) meet the needs of users - consistent with legal requirements and other necessary arrangements which ensure that the confidentiality of the data is protected, within available resources
History of data access • Tended to be feast or famine. • Those in the know and lucky enough to be focussed on a topic with a data supply feasted. • Those without that luck starved. • ONS was using ‘risk avoidance’ or ‘risk ignorance’ • Change was needed.
Risk management – the Micro-data Release Panel • a single source of authorisation for sharing ONS micro-data • corporate policy and legal interpretation • one standard for assessing disclosure risk • one repository of data access documentation • Identifies strengths and weaknesses = a forum for developing micro-data access improvement
Today 232 new data access decisions in 2006 153 institutions with access to ONS data 49 different micro-datasets in use 14,000 users of social survey data at UKDA Special License initiative in place Virtual Microdata Laboratory (VML) Streamlined procedures
Improving Access – the future • Limitations on access are imposed • by law [soon to change] • by the need to protect confidentiality [ongoing improvement assisted by the new law] • by the availability of resources [permanent constraint] • but not by policy. [supporting data access will be an express function of the Statistics Board] • A substantial ONS Research Data Access Strategy statement is to be prepared, for consultation …The future of ONS data access looks good.