|
Access to Microdata
Under the provisions of the Statistics Act, 1993, the CSO may provide access to microdata files under strict conditions to ensure that the integrity and confidentiality of data collected under the Act is maintained. The CSO provides access to two types of microdata files:
• Anonymised Microdata Files (AMFs)
• Research Microdata Files (RMFs)
The primary objective of the CSO in providing access to microdata is to support the research community and to ensure that maximum usage is made of the data collected by the CSO. This approach supports the move towards evidence-based policy-making, has the potential to reduce the cost of research and also helps to avoid duplicate data collections.
The information available to the CSO (whether directly or indirectly) is used by the Office for statistical purposes only. The manner in which the information is protected is outlined in the Statistics Act, 1993. Because the issue of confidentiality is of paramount importance to the work of the Office, a CSO Code of Practice on Statistical Confidentiality has been published and is strictly enforced.
Details of research access to Vital Statistics records can be found at http://www.cso.ie/aboutus/ravitalstats.htm. Section 73(5) of the Civil Registration Act, 2004, allows for the use of vital statistics records for medical or social research purposes.
|
