 We are proud to announce the launch of the new Secure Research Service Metadata Catalogue.
The SRS Metadata Catalogue is a new service, launched in cooperation with our partners ADR UK and Metadata works. It offers an interactive way for you to discover what data are available for research in the SRS. You can search by name or theme and bring back information about each SRS dataset, including its periodicity, frequency and spatial coverage, as well as a high level description.
For many datasets, you can also see full details of the variables contained in the dataset, with descriptions, allowing you to assess if the dataset will meet your research needs, even before becoming an accredited researcher, or submitting a project application. With agreement from the data owners, we will extend this functionality to all datasets over the next few months.
The new Metadata Catalogue is in its beta phase, so we welcome feedback, please contact us.
Alongside the SRS Metadata Catalogue, we have also updated our Secure Research Service (SRS) pages on the ONS website.
This update provides a restructured layout of our content and enables you to navigate the information in a more concise and accessible way. You will also be able to access further information on topics such as Assured Organisational Connectivity, SRS Metadata Catalogue and the upcoming Integrated Data Service.
On Tuesday 15 February the SRS Impact, Insight and Engagement team released the 2022 Annual User Experience Survey.
The survey provides you with the chance to have your say to help us improve our service.
Feedback from previous surveys, along with direct engagement with SRS users has contributed to several changes over the past 12 months, including:
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Reduced time for project and researcher accreditation through streamlined processes and additional Research Accreditation Service (RAS) functionality
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Improved engagement, advice, and materials to support organisations in applying for Assured Organisational Connectivity (AOC) accreditation
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Planned improvements to the ONS website to provide better access to information around the SRS and provision of data
As valued members of the research community, we’d really appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete the survey and share your views.
We are delighted to announce that we have now successfully integrated over 100 organisations to Assured Organisational Connectivity (AOC) access. This is a momentous achievement and the culmination of much hard work from the Connectivity team and the organisations involved.
For those that don’t know AOC is a safe setting agreement with ONS, allowing access to the SRS from your office space and/or home.
We have continuously grown over the last 2 years and are always working to develop new models of access to meet all organisation’s needs. We have already seen this benefit hundreds of researchers who now no longer need to travel or book to access the SRS. Over the coming months we will continue to review our existing approach to AOC and seek out further opportunities to refine and improve the AOC process as part of improving user experience
If you would like more information on AOC, then please contact SRS.Connectivity@ons.gov.uk or read about it on our website.
The New Statesman interview with Sir Ian has been published highlighting the impact of COVID-19 analysis on decision making. This draws on from the case study that the SRS/IDS impact team published on the ADR UK website which summarised COVID-19 related analysis and new datasets available, in the SRS.
All active SRS users will have received an email from the Customer Support team saying that we’re reviewing our SRS policies and procedures. We’re starting with our Retention and Deletion policy, which sets out when and why we delete stored projects and their contents. This is mostly formalising our existing guidelines and will not mean any change in the day to day use of the SRS. As always, we recommend regular housekeeping of project folders but rest assured that no work will be deleted without users being contacted first.
The Public Health Data Asset (PHDA) project, within the ONS Data Capability division, won the Collaboration category at the recent Analysis Government Awards 2021. This project clearly represents how collaboration across teams at ONS, can make a real difference to data, methods, analysis and even to the lives of everyday people. Thanks to the collaboration between ONS and internal and external organisations, the UK government and local authorities could provide effective and efficient services to the public, during the pandemic, based on evidence-based decision making. A real-life example of ONS providing statistics for the public good.
We are now welcoming submissions for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Renaissance Prize. This competition was launched to encourage and celebrate the development of economic thought and argument, using a statistical evidence base, among UK undergraduates.
Deadline for submissions is Monday 25 April 2022.
Please visit our website for further information on prizes and how to apply.
In January 2022, members of the Office for National Statistics Secure Research Service (SRS) and Research Partnership teams, hosted a webinar with ARMA to discuss the challenges facing researchers looking to engage with policy makers and evidence societal and economic impact from their research using secure data. The webinar was attended by 60 delegates, representing 34 universities as well as research organisations from the private and public sectors.
For more information, please visit website.
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