Data Accessibility, Confidentiality and Copyright

United Nations Statistics Division Demographic Statistics Section

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

On data accessibility and confidentiality……..

   Objective of data dissemination is to maximize the accessibility of census data while safeguarding confidentiality of the census information D ata were collected at the expenses of tax payers, therefore they are the sovereign owners Duty of NSO is to administrate the data in name of tax payers and to impede misdoings, but to guarantee that any legitimate need/use is satisfied

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

Accessibility is a census strategic objective

The strategic objectives of the census include: “implementing policies designed to safeguard the access of all users to census results”

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

3

Quality assurance

Even if data are accurate, they do not have sufficient quality if they are produced too late to be useful, or cannot be easily accessed, or conflict with other credible data, or are too costly to produce United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

4

What is accessibility

 Accessibility is the ease with which statistical data can be obtained by users, and reflects the availability of information from the holdings of the agency in general, and census information in particular

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

5

Accessibility should take into account

     The suitability of the form in which the information is available The media of dissemination The availability of metadata That the user has reasonable opportunity to know the information is available and how to access it The affordability of that information to users in relation to its value to them

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

6

About the education and training of users

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

7

Promotion of, and training on, uses of census data

  Users may be willing to use the information but require additional training to more fully understand the data Needs for training need to be identified early in the census planning process

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

8

Prepare in advance

   Identify areas and types of users on which the statistical office wishes to focus Establish partnerships with other bodies to provide training Perhaps, consider also approaches other than classroom training to provide learning-at-a distance opportunities

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

9

Topics to be addressed

   Potential uses of census data How to access census data Interpretation of census data at the broadest level, including the interpretation of its completeness and level of accuracy

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

10

Why is confidentiality important?

Individual data collected by statistical agencies for statistical compilation, whether they refer to natural or legal persons, are to be strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes Principle 6 of the Fundamental Principles of

Official Statistics

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

11

Long term benefits

   Better cooperation from the public More data from the public and better quality Improved accessibility to data and to higher quality data

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

12

How to Guard Confidentiality in a C Census Operation?

(i) Confidentiality in all aspects of data collection operations (ii) Legal framework (iii) Outsourcing (iv) Publicity (v) Training of staff and inclusion in enumeration manuals (vi) Enumeration (vii) Data dissemination (viii) Database

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

13

Micro Data Access

   Public Use Files Access under contract  Secure sites  Internal (in the office)  Remote access (web, after secure identification) On request processing by NSO staff

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

14

Measures to Reduce Disclosure Risks

   Sampling Different levels of trust   Research units in governmental offices Recognized research institutions Analysis of indirect identification risks and determination of risk levels of a dataset

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

15

On Copyright

  Copyright laws may protect data ownership Loyalty fees and data usage fees may be charged to ensure a minimum return

However

 If charged prices are too high, charges could be a barrier to data usage

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010

16

Thank you

United Nations Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis Bangkok, Thailand, 5-8 October, 2010