ESRC : Data Strategy

1. ESRC : Data Strategy By Adrian Alsop, Director for Research Economic and Social Research Council 02.12.11

2. Overview • ESRC and Values • Importance of Data • Accessing Social Science Data • Secure Data • Administrative Data • Revision of National Data Strategy

3. The ESRC • The UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. • Support independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. • Total budget for 2011/12 is £203 million. • Support for over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes at any one point in time.

4. ESRC Values • QUALITY – “second rate research is a poor buy” • IMPACT – research should make a positive difference to society • INDEPENDENCE – always politically neutral; never consultancy

5. Importance of Data • The National Data Strategy – sets out the priorities for the development of research data resources both within and at the boundaries of social science • Research infrastructure is one of our main assets • Provide access to wealth of data produced at home and overseas • Importance of Data… Robust data essential for informed solutions • To achieve impact, data must be accessible • Sharing of research data are essential for advancement of science

6. Accessing Data • Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) • Secure Data Service (SDS) • Other ESRC funded programmes and partnerships including: Census programme; and the Administrative Data Liaison Service (ADLS) • From 2012 a new integrated UK Data Service will enable seamless access and support to meet current and future research demands of both academic and non-academic users

7. Secure Data Service (SDS) • Launched in Spring 2011 • Provides researchers with secure access to data that are too detailed, sensitive or confidential to be made available under the standard licences operated by ESDS • Delivered by the UK Data Archive, funded by the ESRC, supported by the Office for National Statistics • Provides a secure environment for data linkage and analysis, with remote access from UK universities • Mandatory face to face training • Final outputs are checked by the team for Statistical Disclosure Control before being released • Using secure data technology and procedures - ISO 27001 • Penalties for breaches - UK Statistics Act and ESRC penalties

8. Using Secure Data • SDS makes it possible for more sensitive data of the study to be accessed and re-used without delay • Examples: • Understanding Society can link to National Pupil Database; BHPS can link to Hospital Episode Statistics • Millennium Cohort Study is linked to subset of National Pupil Database • Researchers can apply to import external data into their Secure Data Service account to use alongside other data • Safe setting for individual researchers to use administrative data; a trusted third party to match administrative data

9. Making Better Use of Existing Administrative Data • Data collected by surveys are relatively expensive to compile, and response rates are falling • A range of administrative data types have potential research value when linked to other sources of information • Data linking has the potential not just to add high value to existing surveys, but also as a means of creating new data resources • A number of important issues must be resolved before data linkage becomes a regular part of the process of developing data for research purposes

10. Administrative Data Liaison Service (ADLS) • Hosted by the University of St Andrews, in conjunction with the Universities of Oxford and Manchester • Makes accessible information about the wide range of administrative data sources which are potentially available in the UK for research • Specifically it: • Promotes the discovery of extensive administrative data for research in the UK • Provides support and expertise in the research uses of administrative data • The ADLS Trusted Third Party: mechanism for combining and enhancing of data for research

11. Administrative Data Taskforce • New Administrative Data Task Force (ADT) set up by the ESRC, with the MRC and the Wellcome Trust, with strong support across government • Aims to make rapid progress to resolve issues in ways which will help promote safe and efficient use of administrative data for research • Seeking to address risks and benefits from increased research use of administrative data, develop and introduce common access procedures to administrative data, and clarify the legal situation and consent issues such consent for data linkage • Toreport to Ministers in the late summer 2012.

12. Revision of National Data Strategy • Revision of the National Data Strategy • Suggestion to set up new, and promote existing, networks of data producers and users to promote new and best practice, spread innovative ideas, build ‘crossover’ activities between these networks, and promote international links and interdisciplinarity • Key areas: organisation based data; administrative data; commercial data and other ‘new forms’ of data; longitudinal data; and census/survey data

13. Revision of National Data Strategy • Consultation on the next National Data Strategy open until 6 January 2012 at: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/tools-and-resources/research-resources/data-services/NDS/revision-of-NDS.aspx

14. ESRC: Data Strategy • Happy to discuss! Adrian Alsop Director for Research Economic and Social Research Council