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All Outputs (125)

Lessons learned in training ‘safe users’ of confidential data (2017)
Presentation / Conference
Ritchie, F., Green, E., Newman, J., & Parker, T. (2017, September). Lessons learned in training ‘safe users’ of confidential data. Paper presented at UNECE/Eurostat work session on statistical data confidentiality - 2017, Skopje, FYR Macedonia

Many statistical organisations require researchers using detailed sensitive data to undergo ‘safe researcher’ training. Such training has traditionally reflected the ‘policing’ model of data protection. This mirrors the defensive stance often adopted... Read More about Lessons learned in training ‘safe users’ of confidential data.

The "Five Safes": A framework for planning, designing and evaluating data access solutions (2017)
Presentation / Conference
Ritchie, F. (2017, September). The "Five Safes": A framework for planning, designing and evaluating data access solutions. Paper presented at Data for Policy 2017, London, UK

The ‘Five Safes’ is a popular way to structure thinking about data access solutions. Originally used mainly by statistical agencies and social science academics , in recent years it has been adopted more widely across government, health organisations... Read More about The "Five Safes": A framework for planning, designing and evaluating data access solutions.

Spontaneous recognition: An unnecessary control on data access? (2017)
Journal Article
Ritchie, F. (2017). Spontaneous recognition: An unnecessary control on data access?. https://doi.org/10.2866/430525

Social scientists increasingly expect to have access to detailed data for research purposes. As the level of detail increases, data providers worry about “spontaneous recognition”, the likelihood that a microdata user believes that he or she has acci... Read More about Spontaneous recognition: An unnecessary control on data access?.

Ensuring the confidentiality of statistical outputs from the ADRN (2017)
Report
from the ADRN

This technical report discusses potential risks to confidentiality from publication of statistical results based on confidential data, and what we can do to minimise that risk while still ensuring that useful research gets published.

Measuring compliance with minimum wages (2017)
Journal Article
Ritchie, F., Veliziotis, M., Drew, H., & Whittard, D. (2017). Measuring compliance with minimum wages. Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, 42(3-4), 249-270. https://doi.org/10.3233/JEM-180448

© 2017 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved. Identifying genuine underpayment of minimum wages is not straightforward. Some well-known statistical issues affect the measurement of compliance rates, but factors such as processing or behavi... Read More about Measuring compliance with minimum wages.

Improving data quality: The value of the user as data detective (2016)
Presentation / Conference
Ritchie, F. (2016, October). Improving data quality: The value of the user as data detective. Presented at Conference of European Statistics Stakeholders, Budapest, Hungary

In this presentation, we explore how users can contribute to a better understanding of data quality. We illustrate, with reference to minimum wage compliance, how users identify the sort of data problems missed by NSIs

Department of social services data access project final report (2016)
Report
Ritchie, F., & Green, E. (2016). Department of social services data access project final report

This report reviews the context and options available to the Department of Social Service (DSS) in developing its data access strategy, and proposes future developments based upon international practice. The structure of the report is separated into... Read More about Department of social services data access project final report.

Financial resilience in charities v.2 (2016)
Report
Green, E., Ritchie, F., Parry, G., & Bradley, P. Financial resilience in charities v.2

Document submitted to the Select Committee on Charities; House of Lords. 30th September 2016

Evidence-based, context-sensitive, user-centred, risk-managed SDC planning: Designing data access solutions for scientific use (2015)
Presentation / Conference
Hafner, H., Lenz, R., Ritchie, F., & Welpton, R. (2015, October). Evidence-based, context-sensitive, user-centred, risk-managed SDC planning: Designing data access solutions for scientific use. Paper presented at UNECE/Eurostat work session on statistical data confidentiality - 2015, Helsinki, Finland

Disclosure control planning is characterised by over-reliance on theoretical models, inappropriate disclosure scenarios, worst-case planning, confusion over subjective versus objective risk management, and an unwillingness to consider the evidence ba... Read More about Evidence-based, context-sensitive, user-centred, risk-managed SDC planning: Designing data access solutions for scientific use.

Principles- versus rules-based output statistical disclosure control in remote access environments (2015)
Journal Article
Ritchie, F., & Elliot, M. (2015). Principles- versus rules-based output statistical disclosure control in remote access environments. IASSIST quarterly / International Association for Social Science Information Service and Technology, 2015(Summer), 5-13

In recent years, the level of detail in confidential data made available to social scientists has increased dramatically. Much of this has been due to the growth in secure data access facilities, which allow access to the most detailed data under str... Read More about Principles- versus rules-based output statistical disclosure control in remote access environments.

Enabling data linkage to maximise the value of public health research data (2015)
Report
Green, E., Ritchie, F., Mytton, J., Webber, D. J., Deave, T., Montgomery, A., …Chowdhury, S. (2015). Enabling data linkage to maximise the value of public health research data

This project was commissioned by The Wellcome Trust on behalf of the Public Health Research Data Forum. The project aimed to identify the gains to public health research from linking existing data sources, the opportunities in and barriers to such da... Read More about Enabling data linkage to maximise the value of public health research data.

The measurement of apprentice pay: Report commissioned by the Low Pay Commission (2015)
Report
Drew, H., Ritchie, F., & Veliziotis, M. (2015). The measurement of apprentice pay: Report commissioned by the Low Pay Commission

This report considers the measurement of apprentice pay, both the accuracy of that measurement and what can be said about compliance with the National Minimum Wage. In summary, there are substantial problems with accurately identifying apprentice pay... Read More about The measurement of apprentice pay: Report commissioned by the Low Pay Commission.

Understanding official data sources: Final report for the low pay commission (2014)
Report
Ritchie, F., Whittard, D., & Dawson, C. (2014). Understanding official data sources: Final report for the low pay commission

The paper is split into three main sections: a review of existing data sources; an analysis of characteristics of the main reference datasets used for the production of research and official statistics; and an investigation into the imputation code u... Read More about Understanding official data sources: Final report for the low pay commission.

Access to sensitive data: Satisfying objectives rather than constraints (2014)
Journal Article
Ritchie, F. (2014). Access to sensitive data: Satisfying objectives rather than constraints. Journal of Official Statistics, 30(3), 533-545. https://doi.org/10.2478/JOS-2014-0033

The argument for access to sensitive unit-level data produced within government is usually framed in terms of risk and the legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality. This article argues that the framing of the question may restrict the set of... Read More about Access to sensitive data: Satisfying objectives rather than constraints.

How do knowledge brokers work? Implications for policy and practice in the case of WERS (2014)
Journal Article
Drew, H., Ritchie, F., & King, A. (2014). How do knowledge brokers work? Implications for policy and practice in the case of WERS. International Journal of Technology Management and Sustainable Development, 13(3), 205-218. https://doi.org/10.1386/tmsd.13.3.205_1

© 2014 Intellect Ltd Article. English language. A resource-based view of organizations suggests that internal knowledge is amongst the most important sources of competitive advantage (Hendry and Pettigrew 1990; Leonard-Barton 1995). Regardless of whe... Read More about How do knowledge brokers work? Implications for policy and practice in the case of WERS.

International access to restricted data: A principles-based standards approach (2013)
Journal Article
Ritchie, F. (2013). International access to restricted data: A principles-based standards approach. Statistical Journal of the IAOS, 29(4), 289-300. https://doi.org/10.3233/SJI-130780

Cross-border access to restricted government microdata for research has made relatively little progress. Recent developments are notable as exceptions. This paper argues that the situation is made more complex by the lack of a common general frame of... Read More about International access to restricted data: A principles-based standards approach.