Microdata dissemination

Data producers are faced with an ever expanding demand for relevant and accurate information. Providing the research with access to microdata has many potential benefits. It would foster diversity and quality of analyses. It would broaden the use of existing data, and increase the return on data collection investments. "The data cannot be exhausted no matter how much they are used; their use by one person does not in the least affect the potential of their further use by others". (Rockwell)

However, disseminating microdata also entails costs and risks, the most obvious one being the risk of disclosure of confidential information. While data producers are well aware of the power and importance of microdata, they have to balance this demand with the ethical and legal obligation to keep respondent information confidential. In most cases, this is a requirement of the country’s statistical and privacy legislation and is often an undertaking that they give to the respondents when they collect the information. Statistical agencies must continue to ensure that they maintain the trust and confidence of respondents. Without this trust, cooperation in surveys would diminish and the quality of the statistics would suffer.

Determining the best way to disseminate their information riches is one of the many challenges facing data producers. The practice of providing access to microdata files has been in existence for over 40 years and has recently received attention from international statistical agencies. The suggestions and recommendations provided here draw on this experience, and are intended to assist data producers in formulating a dissemination policy and in deciding on technical and practical options for sharing their data.