Administrative procedures for microdata access at SURS October 2013

Who can obtain microdata In Slovenia, the entities entitled to obtain the statistically protected microdata include:  Registered research institutions  Registered researchers  Researchers of government offices

Statistically protected microdata The statistically protected microdata:  Modified in a way which prevents the identification of the unit to which they refer  Containing the variables on the basis of which it is possible to carry out statistical analysis in the same way as this can be done with individual data

Intended use (1) The purposes for which the statistically protected microdata can be obtained are:  Statistical-analytical purposes  Scientific research purposes, where the analysis involves a public benefit or something positive for the people of Slovenia

Intended use (2) Statistically protected microdata cannot be obtained for non-statistical purposes:  Administrative purposes (where dissemination of microdata would have a direct administrative consequence for a citizen or a company)  Tax purposes  Judicial or business purposes

How to obtain microdata The users are requested to fill in the Form for obtaining statistically protected microdata for scientific research purpose with information on:Form for obtaining statistically protected microdata for scientific research purpose  The statistical analysis/research paper  The researcher carrying out the statistical analysis

Procedure at SURS  The requests for microdata are submitted to the Data Protection Committee (the advisory body of the Director-General)  The Data Protection Committee produces the proposal of the decision for the Director-General Board  Weekly sessions

Contract, declaration  Research institutions and independent researchers sign the contract for access to the microdata  Researchers sign the declaration on data protection as well  Templates available at:  The contract validation is usually 2 years or for the time of the duration of the project  The possibility to prolong the contract

Access to microdata  The statistically protected microdata are available for researchers:  in a "secure room" at SURS  by the "remote access"  DVD (only few sample surveys)

"Secure room" (1)  The computers have no link with the external environment, no external unit (diskette, DVD, USB, etc.) and no possibility of printing  Entries to the secure room are allowed only to the entitled individuals  Researchers receive the identification card to register the presence at SURS

"Secure room" (2)  3 computers owned by SURS  Researchers should announce their arrival to the »secure room« by  4 computers owned by research institutions/researchers (no need for announcement)  Researchers should not bring into the »secure room« any e-devices which would facilitate the extraction or export of data

"Remote access"  The data are stored on a special SURS server, separated from the production servers  Researchers access the data on a server via Internet connection to the HKOM network  The provider of the HKOM network is the Administrative Processes Directorate within the Ministry of the Interior  There is no possibility of printing and saving the files

Output checking  The output is checked according to the data confidentiality rules  Researchers receive the output by

Available software ACCESSMS OFFICE SOFTAREOTHER SOFTWARE REMOTE ACCESS MS Office Excel 2010Adobe Reader 7.0 MS Office PowerPoint 2010Notepad MS Office Word 2010Stata9 SECURE ROOM MS Office 2010Internet Explorer MS Office 2003Adobe Reader Notepad Stata9 SPSS 21 R! SPSS 20

Microdata users  45 contracts for the secure room, remote access at the moment  70 researchers (39 in the secure room, 13 by the remote access, 18 for both accesses)  Most researchers are from faculties and research institutions  Researchers are not active all the time

Archiving  The microdata and files created in the “secure room“ or by “remote access“ are archived after the end of the project  Researchers can reactivate the access if needed later

Research analyses on microdata Selected examples of research analyses on microdata provided by national statistics available on:

Thank you for you attention!