Enhancing User Access to Microdata in Australia
Access to microdata assists and encourages informed decision making through enabling wider use of ABS data for social and economic research and analysis. The ABS has been making microdata available for statistical purposes in the form of Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFs) since 1985. ABS now has a well-established program for producing and providing access to CURFs and continues to develop strategies to improve researcher access to, and use of, unit record data for such purposes. The ABS currently releases three types of microdata: Basic CURFs, Expanded CURFs and Specialist CURFs, via three modes of access: CD-ROMs, the Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL) and the ABS on-site Data Laboratory (ABSDL) .
Today there exists high user demand for the ABS to provide access to more detailed unit record data in a more flexible way, across a wider array of datasets (such as business data and longitudinal linked datasets). An inability of ABS to meet these demands will increasingly disadvantage researchers. This, along with a number of other drivers for change including the growing risk of identification, has led the ABS to adopt a new strategy for accessing ABS microdata into the future.
The proposed future strategy is to:
- continue to produce and release basic CURFs for use in the users' environment;
- progressively replace RADL with a remote execution environment for microdata (REEM), primarily for table generation and basic statistical analysis; and
- to increase the use of the ABSDL for complex analysis of microdata, including providing access to longitudinal and linked datasets.
The key components of the REEM are the development of a Survey Table Builder (similar to the Census TableBuilder) and an Analysis Service. It is proposed that these services will access detailed de-identified microdata, with confidentiality routines built into the outputs generated to ensure that they are confidentialised in line with ABS legislative requirements and can be released as public use outputs (that is, they can be published and shared with others without restrictions).
REEM will use internationally recognised standards for the exchange of data and metadata including the use of the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) and Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX), and machine-to-machine interfaces (APIs), enhancing the ABS's leadership role in national and international statistics. The use of DDI/SDMX will also serve as a catalyst for the ABS strategic intent to use DDI/SDMX for internal systems.
The first stage of REEM, development of a Survey Table Builder for Household collections, has commenced with staged development planned to occur over the next few years. In parallel, research has commenced into exploring future directions for the analysis service. As the improved services come on line existing RADL facilities will be phased out. Through December 2009 the ABS will be undertaking a re-assessment of user requirements and consulting with other producers of microdata in Australia.
If you would like any further information on the proposed changes, or would like to be consulted during the assessment phase please contact Melissa Gare on (02) 6252 7147 or m.gare@abs.gov.au.
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