Access to confidential data for scientific purposes

Access to confidential microdata for scientific purposes

Pursuant to the provisions of Law 12/1989 on the Public Statistical Function (LFEP), the INE facilitates access to confidential data for the performance of statistical analyses for scientific purposes of public interest.

Solely institutions that can justify the need to use confidential statistical data to perform statistical analyses for scientific purposes of public interest.

In accordance with LFEP 12/1989, entities interested in accessing confidential statistical information must submit documentation to prove that:

• The requesting entity is renowned in the field of research, studies or analyses,
• the information is required for a project of public interest endorsed by a public institution.

Entities may send requests for access to confidential statistical data, justifying the need for their use for a project of public interest.

In the case of requests by private entities, the endorsement of a public institution that can justify the public interest of the project will be required. In the event that the requesting entities are of a public nature, they are deemed to be exempt from the justification of the public endorsement.

The entity must fill in and send a form listing the required information and the project for which the confidential data are to be used. In the request, among other aspects, it must indicate precisely from which INE statistical operation the data is required, the variables to be consulted, the geographical and temporal level required, as well as the justification of the need for this information for the objectives of the project.

Application form for access to confidential data for scientific research purposes (analyses or studies).

Entities interested in accessing confidential statistical information must be evaluated by the INE and, as appropriate, acknowledged as entities with the capacity to gain said access. Aspects such as the following are taken into account:

• The current legislation on Science and Technology.
• Whether the entity’s activity is research and this is stated in its articles of association or operating regulations.
• Whether the entity makes the results of its projects and research available to the public.
• Whether the entity has full independence to formulate scientific conclusions. In particular, this criterion is taken into account in the case of requesting entities that are departments of a larger one.
• The physical, technical and administrative security measures for data protection.
  

Application form referring to the characteristics of the requesting entity.

List of entities that have accessed confidential data to perform statistical analyses for scientific purposes of public interest.

The INE will evaluate each request for access to confidential data and may, for justified reasons, deny access to the data. If the project is approved, the INE will only provide the information required to carry out the research project.

Access to the information will require the prior signing of conditions of use and a commitment to preserve Statistical Secrecy by all the members of the research team.

The models of said requirements can be consulted in the following links:

Conditions of use of the information template

Statistical secrecy commitment template

This service will entail a cost for the requesting entity, which will be calculated in accordance with the current price resolution:

The INE’s resolution of private prices (BOE 64, 13 March 2024).

Data restrictions

The researchers will not be able to access information containing direct identifiers, such as names and surnames, company names, identification numbers such as ID card, Social Security and tax ID numbers, postal addresses or any other information that is regarded as a direct identifier.

The INE will only provide the minimum information required to carry out the research project for which the request for access is submitted.

The INE will not provide any information to individual researchers, as they must carry out their work within a research entity.