RESEARCH DATA ACCESS IN A COMPLEX STATISTICAL SYSTEM,

ITALY

ATHENS 16-17 OCTOBER, 2014

Ugo Trivellato

Università di Padova and FBK-IRVAPP

Second Regional WorkshopMicrodata Access in European Countries - Cooperation

between National Statistical Institutes and Data Archives

Focus on research data access, duly placed within the Italian statistical system.

1. Where should we start from?

2. From the EU Directive to the two Italian Codes of conduct: “within the framework of the Sistan” and “for scientific research”

3. Microdata files from research institutions

4. Microdata files from Istat for research purposes

5. Towards an “Italian Data Archive”?

6. Challenges and perspectives

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Outline

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Reform of Istat (the Italian NSI) in 1989. Istat is placed within the network of Sistan (the National Statistical System): some 3,000 statistical offices of the administratons of the State (central and peripheral), Regions, Provinces, Municipalities, Chamers of Commerce and some other public and private instititutions with public interest’s functions. No universities and research bodies (exception CNR).

 

1. Where should we start from?

Istat has a role of technical and functional coordination of the various statistical offices, which however depend on the relevant institution.

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1. Where should we start from? (follows)

Istat plays the crucial role. Still, there is heterogeneity within the Sistan.

Coordination takes place mainly through: “Quality circles” on 11 themes, also with experts outside

Sistan; the (triennial, yearly updated) National Statistical

Programme (PSN). Istat strengthened the role of its own Regional Offices.

Norms for the “protection of the statistical secrecy”. Possibility to distribute, upon motivated request, samples of anonimysed microdata.  

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2. From the EU Directive to the two Italian Codes of conduct:

“for the Sistan” and for “scientific research”

The real stimulus comes from the 1995 EU Directive on Data protection (No. 46).

Two laws specify it for Italy: Act No. 275 on Data Protection and Enabling Act No. 676 to the Government to integrate and amend the previous Act, both approved on December 31, 1996.

Acts approved after no consultation and poor parliamentary discussion. (Decision urgent for entering the Schengen area.)

Strict interpretation of the Directive.

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2. From the EU Directive … (follows 1)

Much had still to be done.Unfortunately, ADPSS Sociodata was unable to play a role in the process. Dialogue among a working group of representatives of the research community (Conference of University Rectors and 10 major scientific societies), Istat and the Italian Data Protection Authority (IDPA). An important result: in 1999 a Legislative decree on the treatment of personal data for (historical), statistics and scientific research purposes.

However, many issues left to the “codes of conduct”.

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2. From the EU Directive … (follows 2)

Unsuccessfull attempt to have a unique code for Sistan and scientific research.

We have two codes, quite similar except for a few, but important issues, where the Code fo scientific research is more open (informed consent; communication of no directly identifiable personal data under strict conditions; specific provisions for medical research).

In 2003 these codes ended up as part of a broader Personal data protection code (Legislative Decree). They are legal norms, not “codes of professional ethics”.

Important role of the IDPA (advice on PSN, questionnaires, ..)

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3. Microdata files from research institutions

The code for scientific research had moderate effects. The larger part of microdata files are increasingly produced by Istat. [Cut of funding to Universities by CNR; substantial reduction of funding by the Ministry of research (MIUR); growing role of files from administrative registers.].

Though, some important data sets are distributed to, and largely used by, researchers under the more liberal provisions of that code [Bank of Italy SHIW; ILFI, a panel suvey on Italian households 1997-2005 (Univ. of Trento); WHIP, an employer-employee work history Italian panel, 1985-2004, from social security data (Univ. of Turin); ………].

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4. Microdata files from Istat for research purposes

mIcro.STAT files:  developed for some surveys as a subsample and with a low level of detail; downloaded directly from the Istat website, after registration.

Standard files (fully anonymised): issued upon request with a valid reason for research purposes.

Files for research purposes: subject to particular statistical treatments that limit identifiability, while maintaining a high level of detailed information. Issued to subjects belonging to universities or research bodies upon the presentation of a research project (+ no directly identifiable data sets within the framework of a joint project with Istat).

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4. Microdata files from Istat for research purposes (follows)

Laboratory for Elementary Data Analysis (ADELE): researchers and academics can access to microdata files of all Istat surveys. Remote access from “secure rooms” in the Regional Statistical Offices of Istat.

Given the number and complexity of surveys and of software tools available at the Laboratory (SAS, Stata, R and SPSS), assistance of a technical or methodological nature cannot be provided to the users.

The access to the Laboratory is free of charge, but the procedures are burdensome.

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In April, 2009, an initiative was taken by Fondazione Bruno Kessler, based in Trento, to stimulate the MIUR, Istat and the Bank of Italy to move towards an “Italian Data Archive". The project went on from 2010 to early 2012.

An agreement has been recently signed by the Bank of Italy, Istat and MIUR, «for the creation of the integrated system of Data Archives called 'Italian Data Archive‘».

In fact, it will be a metadata system uselful for documenting the various surveys and directing the researchers to the sites of the various insititutions where the microdata files will continue to stay.

5. Towards an "Italian Data Archive"?

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5. Challenges and perspectives

Active Italian participation to Cessda, from june 2013 established as a "new pan-European Infrastructure“.

For Istat: to unify at least the first types of Italian microdata files (mIcro.STAT and Standards files) and distribute them as PUF.

For Istat: to move from the ADELE Laboratory towards a "secure" remote data access over the internet. (A current practice in several European countries.)

For Bank of Italy, Istat and Miur: to progressively move towards a ‘Integrated’ Data Archive of the social sciences with remote access.

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THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION