Secure Data Service

Transfer your data to us for secure remote access by researchers you approve and we train

First decide whether the Secure Data Service is the most suitable way for your data to be accessed (see Is SDS for you?).

Preparing your data for the Secure Data Service

• remove any direct identifiers from the data
• decide which more detailed variables are to remain in the data
• document which variables have been removed or changed (collapsed, top-coded etc) and why
• ensure that variables and values are well-labelled
• ensure that there is sufficient documentation to allow the data to be understood and re-used
• ensure that all copyright holders are identified and give their permission for the data to be accessed
• follow the UK Data Archive's Create and Manage guidelines, including guidelines on respondent consent

Transferring your data to the Secure Data Service

When you transfer your data you are not handing over any copyright in the data and you maintain full control over who has access to your data.

Contact us to arrange for secure transfer - data should always be encrypted and checksum files supplied (for the latter, Fastsum software may be used).

Describing your data

Upon receipt of the data, they are checked by Secure Data Service staff who also create a record in the Data Library using the information provided in associated documentation and information provided by you.

You will be consulted about the content of this record and may wish to provide some or all of the following information when you transfer the data:

• preferred title of the data collection
• the name of the person(s) and/or institution(s) transferring the data
• the person(s) and/or organisation(s) responsible for creating the data (principal investigator(s).
• the purpose, nature, and scope of the data collection, special characteristics of its contents, major subject areas covered, and what questions the principal investigators attempted to answer when they conducted the study.
• the time period to which the data refer.
• the date(s) when the data were collected.
• the country or countries covered by the data.
• lowest level(s) of geographic aggregation e.g. Local authorities, Postcodes
• population e.g. Adults aged 16 and over in private households in England and Wales.
• time dimension e.g. cross-sectional (one-time) study; repeated cross-sectional study; longitudinal/panel/cohort study; time series.
• the type of sample and sample design used to select the survey respondents to represent the population.  E.g. simple random sample.
• the method used to collect the data e.g. postal survey; self-completion; observation; clinical measurements; focus group.
• description of weights and when they should be applied.
• the person(s) and/or organisations(s) that own the intellectual property