2. The German Council for Social and Economic Data Criteria for Research Data
Centres
Research data centres are institutions with the main purpose of providing simple, transparent
and high-quality access to microdata suitable for statistical analysis, while maintaining data
protection and data security. Moreover, the research data centres are intended to contribute to
improving cooperation between the data users from the scientific community and the
respective data producers. The research data centres are thus an interface between the data
producers’ supply of data and the demand for these data from the science side. Strictly
observing data protection regulations, they enable the following individual data access:
- anonymous microdata files
- controlled remote data access
- workplaces for guest researchers in the research data centres
In order to provide these central services, the four publicly funded research data centres have
developed the following basic characteristics as criteria, in conjunction with the RatSWD:
1. The data made available to the scientific community arise for statistical purposes as
part of public administration processes, research and evaluation, and are produced
using public funding.
2. Access to the data is subject to the legal provisions of data protection and data security
in the specific area. The task of the research data centres is to provide easier access
through specific regulations.
3. Access to microdata is subject to legal regulations guaranteeing equal treatment of
data users. Correspondingly, the research data centres ensure transparent and
standardised access regulations. This also includes the regulation that no application
for use shall be privileged or disadvantaged on grounds of its content. The research
data centres do not undertake any evaluation of the content of the research projects
applying for access, merely checking for data protection or contractual permissibility.
Should there be contractual or legal restrictions on the analysis of the data, these shall
be published simultaneously with the provision of the data. Evaluations that give no
cause for concern on grounds of data protection - i.e., are contractually permissible -
may be published independently and autonomously by the users.
4. As well as providing access possibilities, the research data centres also produce data
products for easy analysis and comprehensive data documentations. Moreover,
information is provided via the available data and via the research data centres in