Service updates
Monthly maintenance
The SRS will be unavailable for use on Saturday 28 October between 07:00 and 11:00 for monthly maintenance.
SRS Server Rebuild
As you’ll be aware, the SRS was recently closed for two days while replacement and new-build SRS Servers were exchanged for those servers coming to their end of life.
This was completed successfully within the period allocated, and with no reported issues or further disruption to the service.
We would like to thank you for your patience and support while this important infrastructure work was being carried out.
Making the most of the SRS Metadata Catalogue search
We have developed and enhanced the search functionality within the SRS Metadata Catalogue alongside our MetadataWorks partners to help researchers identify datasets that meet their needs.
Firstly, the basic search experience has been improved – defaulting to a “fuzzy” search but now with the ability to use specific syntax such as wildcards (* (asterisk)) and quotes to further refine results.
Additionally, advanced search is now available on the SRS Metadata Catalogue. This new functionality provides improved search capabilities into the datasets we hold. Previously researchers were able to search for a term within the high-level descriptive metadata but are now able to search into the variable names and descriptions using the Advanced Search button and selecting Data Element.
Help shape the future of the Integrated Data Service
Plans for transitioning the SRS to the Integrated Data Service continue to develop, and we will share a further update in the next SRS newsletter. As part of ongoing development, the IDS User Research team are keen to speak to people working in a wide range of roles interacting with data, including Analysts, Researchers, Data Scientists, Data Providers and Data Engineers. Input from these groups is vital to help us ensure that the functionality of the IDS meets user need.
Those signing up may be invited to take part in:
- Interviews to gain views/experience of a product ie. a web page or dashboard;
- Usability testing of products in development, including getting users to ‘try out’ a product and seeing what works well and what needs improving;
- Observational studies - watching users interact with a product and carry out tasks;
- Surveys.
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These sessions provide the IDS with invaluable insights which can be fed into the design and build process. The more users we have available to take part, the more their voice will be heard in the end-user experience of the IDS.
If you are interested in participating or finding out more please complete our short questionnaire or contact the team by emailing IDP.User.Research@ons.gov.uk with any queries.
SRS Christmas Hours – advance notice
Limited service over the holidays
We will be operating with reduced support for the Secure Research Service (SRS) from 16:00 Thursday 21 December. Our full support service will reopen at 08:00 Tuesday 2 January.
Users with Assured Organisational Connectivity (AOC) access to the SRS will be able to access their projects as normal, and researchers can continue to use the Research Accreditation Service (RAS).
Our customer support email service will have limited cover during this period, and other customer-facing teams will only be operating with a skeleton staff. This means we cannot guarantee that outputs will be cleared within our usual service levels and anything submitted in RAS may not be actioned by our team until full service resumes in January.
If you require a saferoom booking, the request needs to be with SRS Customer Support before 16:00 Wednesday 20 December. If you require a Safepod booking, please book SafePods online via the SafePod website.
Should you have any questions regarding the holiday closure, please contact SRS Customer Support.
Blog
Using the ONS Secure Research Service for informing and evaluating government policy
Louise Corti, Head of Analytical Insights and Impact at the ONS Integrated Data Service, sets out how the data provided by the SRS has been used to both inform and evaluate government policy.
Over the last few months, the impact team has undertaken a review of accredited research projects in the SRS that were commissioned by government and led by third and private sectors organisations. Organisations undertaking the work included key UK centres doing critical policy-related work.
New datasets available in the SRS
Longitudinal Business Database - UK (LBD)
The LBD is a new, experimental set of firm-level spines of business references at quarterly frequency. A spine is a consistent framework that captures the dynamics of firms as reflected on the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR). It also contains key identification variables that enable linkages across different datasets tailored for specific uses.
It provides clear advantages for researchers interested in productivity, business demography and the micro-foundations of macroeconomic outcomes.
- It is the only UK firm-level data product to provide firm entry and exit, employment, and other firm characteristics available at business-cycle frequency thereby equipping researchers with the tools to address a wide array of research questions.
- By applying unit-specific economic activity criteria, the LBD gives researchers firm birth and death dates that are more economically meaningful.
- The LBD spines are an ideal vehicle for linking microdata across sources in a consistent way.
Case Study of the Month
Data First: Criminal Courts linked data – An analysis of returning defendants from 2011 to 2019 in England and Wales
Research carried out by the Ministry of Justice has found that 56% of defendants returned to the courts between 2011 and 2019. This finding was highest for specific offence groups including theft, robbery, and drug offences. The researchers also carried out locality-based analysis on Crown Court defendants which highlighted an over-representation of defendants residing in the most deprived areas in England and Wales compared to the general population.
The Ministry of Justice’s pioneering data linking programme Data First, funded by ADR UK, links administrative datasets across the justice system.
The analysis has provided powerful new insights for policy and practice on repeat defendants, which have been shared with Ministers and policymakers. This is crucial for understanding how interventions can be targeted to reduce reoffending, a key departmental priority. Importantly, this research has also provided a foundational understanding of the potential of these datasets.
You can also listen to the authors presenting this research at 11:00 today, Thursday 19 October, during their Research Excellence Series Talk.
 Events
Research Excellence Series
Thursday 19 October, 11:00 to 12:00
We are pleased to welcome Machi Tseloni from Nottingham Trent University and Georgina Eaton from the Ministry of Justice to provide a virtual presentation on 'An exploratory analysis of returning defendants and the potential of linked criminal courts', which received the ONS Linked Administrative Data Award at the 2022 ONS Research Excellence Awards.
Thursday 2 November, 11:00 to 12:00
We are pleased to welcome Dr Emma Davis from the University of Warwick, to provide a virtual presentation on ‘Understanding the effect of contact tracing on the Covid-19 pandemic’ which received a commendation for Public Benefit and Impact at the 2022 ONS Research Excellence Awards.
Royal Statistical Society (RSS) 2024 International Conference
2-5 September 2024
The RSS Conference, to be held in Brighton, is the UK’s annual showcase for statistics and data science.
Invited topic sessions and workshop proposals are developed by an individual, group of individuals or an organisation with a panel of speakers who they invite to speak on a related topic. The topic can be any subject related to statistics, data science and the use of data, and should ideally fit within one of the topic streams for the conference.
Deadline for submissions: 20 November 2023
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 28 October
- Saturday 25 November
- Saturday 30 December
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