Service updates
Monthly maintenance
Please be advised that the SRS will be unavailable for use on Saturday 29 July between 07:00 and 11:00 for monthly maintenance.
Update on the transition from the Secure Research Service to the Integrated Data Service
Last week (Thursday 13 July) we sent you an important email about updates on the transition from the Secure Research Service (SRS) to the Integrated Data Service (IDS).
If you have not read this already, then please take time to familiarise yourself with this important update.
|
Updates to SRS Output Checking Guidance
A new version of the SRS Output Checking Guidance is now available to all researchers in the SRS Libraries (Libraries/SRS and SDC Guidance/SRS Output Checking Guidance_V1.1). It has also been updated on the ONS website.
The guidance contains general output guidance and detailed guidance on a variety of ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ statistics. The guidance also contains examples on how to address statistical disclosure control issues. As usual, please familiarise yourself with this document, especially before submitting clearance requests.
Updates to Research and Data Access policy
We have updated our Research and Data Access policy.
This policy sets out the principles on which the governance arrangements adopted by the SRS apply to:
- access to ONS unpublished data managed in the SRS on behalf of ONS
- access to unpublished data managed in the SRS on behalf of other data owners
- the accreditation of researchers, projects and processors through the Digital Economy Act 2017 (DEA), Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA) and other relevant legislation.
If you have any questions about this policy, please contact SRS.Customer.Support@ons.gov.uk
StatsUserNet Survey - Join the conversation
We would love to hear from users and producers of statistics to help us create a vibrant online community for discussions about statistics.
Please complete our short survey about how you use discussion forums by 13 August 2023, it only takes 10 minutes.
Your opinions are valuable and will help us to improve the ONS’s online discussion forum, StatsUserNet.
We encourage you to share the survey with your networks.
If you have any questions, please get in touch at statsusernet@ons.gov.uk.
Datasets available in the SRS
Updates to the 2011 Census linked to Benefits and Income
The 2011 Census linked to Benefits and Income (2011 CBI) data link records for persons who appear in 2011 Census, the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) Customer Information System (CIS) and the Benefits and Income Datasets (BIDs). These data enable permanent (ethnicity, nationality, formal education), semi-permanent (disability, number and age of children, marital status) and transient variables (household characteristics) to be analysed alongside benefits and tax credit claim information from 2011 to 2016, allowing for an increased depth and breadth of possible research avenues on the labour market and beyond.
Although the 2011 CBI data were made available in the SRS in November 2022, we have recently updated the Data Dictionary and User Guide to support researchers intending to use these data. We advise that these documents are reviewed thoroughly before submitting an application to use the 2011 CBI data. The 2011 CBI Data Dictionary and User Guide are publicly available on the ONS Secure Research Service Metadata Catalogue.
Dataset of the month
The Living Costs and Food Survey
The Living Costs and Food Survey (LCF) collects information on spending patterns and the cost of living that reflect household budgets. The survey is conducted throughout the year and across the whole of the UK. Respondents complete a face-to-face interview with questions on regular items of household expenditure and income details. Each individual aged 16 or over in the household are asked to keep a detailed diary of daily expenditure for two weeks. Children aged between 7 and 15 years are asked to keep a simplified diary of daily expenditure.
The LCF is the most significant survey on household spending in the UK and provides essential information for key social and economic measures, such as:
-
household spending patterns for the consumer prices index and for GDP figures
-
detailed information on food consumption and nutrition for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
It is also an important source of economic and social data for a range of government departments and other research agencies.
The LCF datasets provide a useful source of income data for households and also include income and expenditure data comparable over time. Other benefits of using LCF data include access to regional estimates of consumer spending, data that is rigorously quality assured and a multi-stage stratified sample to produce a sample of households as representative of the general population as possible.
Case study of the month
Covid-19 Infection Survey - upscaling the statistical processing pipeline
This research project involved updating the statistical processing pipeline for the Covid-19 Infection Survey. The update enabled the production and analysis of critical data to be carried out in a timely manner. This ensured time sensitive information was disseminated to government during the Covid-19 pandemic, to inform critical decision and policymaking.
News from our partners
ADR UK
|
|
 |
Funding opportunity
ADR UK Research Fellowships using ADR England flagship data
ADR UK is now inviting applications for funding to conduct policy-relevant research using ADR England flagship datasets. Grants are available for projects up to a value of £175,000 (full economic cost). These Research Fellowships will be funded for up to 18 months in duration.
Applications must make use of ADR England flagship datasets, held in the ONS SRS or other ADR UK trusted research environments.
Find out more about ADR UK's pilot mentoring programme for this opportunity.
The deadline to apply for these fellowships is 16:00 on 10 October 2023. Expressions of interest should be submitted by 15 August.
ADR UK-funded projects
Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection
Admintstrative Data Research UK (ADR UK) is working in partnership with a group of academic and government bodies to link de-identified data from across the UK to create the first UK-wide dataset focused on agriculture.
The Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection project aims to integrate the human dimension with data on farming activities. This will provide insights into the demographic, health, education and economic characteristics of farm households associated with different types and sizes of farm businesses.
Department for Education: Data Access and Engagement Programme
This ADR England project is funding the Department for Education (DfE) to make it easier and faster for accredited researchers to gain access to the data they need. The DfE will share more data through the Office for National Statistics Secure Research Service using the legal gateway provided by the Digital Economy Act. The programme will also enable the DfE to engage with research bodies and academia around data opportunities and policy needs seeking to maximise the value of linked education data.
Tickets available now for the ADR UK Conference 2023
 Tickets for the ADR UK Conference 2023 are now available to purchase. We look forward to discussing and sharing ideas on our conference theme 'Public Data for Resilience and Inclusion. Using administrative data to inform policy and practice in challenging times'.
Book before Monday 21 August to take advantage of the special discounted Early Bird and Group Rate tickets. This will also give you the opportunity to book pre-conference workshops earlier, securing the sessions of most interest to you. More details about the conference workshops will be made available soon.
Head to the ADR UK Conference 2023 website to find out more and book your discounted tickets, and follow us on Twitter to stay updated: @ADRUK2023.
Events
Research Excellence Series
Thursday 31 August 2023, 11:00 to 12:00
Dr Nicolas Libuy from University College London (UCL) will provide a virtual presentation on 'Insights from the ECHILD project: Gestational age at birth, chronic conditions, and school outcomes', which won the ONS Early Career Research Award at the 2022 ONS Research Excellence Awards.
|
Regular maintenance to the SRS
To allow your code to run effectively and without interruption, please avoid running your analysis during these times.
Weekly maintenance
All servers are rebooted between 07:00 and 07:30 every Monday morning and the SRS will not be accessible during these times.
Monthly maintenance
Updates are applied on the final Saturday of every month between 07:00 and 11:00. The SRS will not be accessible for the duration of this maintenance.
Dates for monthly maintenance 2023
- Saturday 29 July
- Saturday 26 August
- Saturday 30 September
- Saturday 28 October
- Saturday 25 November
- Saturday 30 December
|
