Remote access to research files resulting from linkages

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Administrative and Survey Files for Research
Purposes Q2008 Annie Giguère Madeleine
Filion Institut de la statistique du Québec
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Presentation outline

• Background
• General description
• Submission of researchers request
• Processing of researchers request
• Remote access to research file
• Environment and Development
• Added values
• Status of current project

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Background

• In recent years, the Institut de la statistique
  du Québec (ISQ), the official statistical agency
  of the province of Québec (Canada) has been faced
  with
• An increase in demand for statistical information
  and a growing diversity of users
• Users, particularly researchers, who are
  increasingly seeking access to microdata files
  they can process themselves

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Background (cont.)

• In 2004, a partnership project with a network of
  researchers and other government agencies was
  launched
• Access by researchers to confidential information
  taken from administrative files is a complex
  process when the information is requested from
  different holder agencies
• The ISQ was chosen to host the service platform

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General description

• The service platform is not a data warehouse
• The service is accessible by means of an Internet
  portal, through which researchers can submit
  their requests, follow up on them, and make
  remote use of the research files

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Submission of researchers request

• To help the researcher formulate his request,
  there is a search engine on the Internet portal
  that can consult the dictionary in order to
  obtain information on a specific data source or a
  holder of information
• It is also possible to search by keyword, year of
  data source, categories or data source owner

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Processing of researchers request

• Create the research file resulting from linkages
• Control the risk of disclosing confidential
  information

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Remote access to research file

• High-level security measures for authentication
  of the researcher are required
• It is not possible for the researcher to download
  or print the data or results of his analyses
• The users work session is recorded and can be
  studied at any time (in real or delayed time)

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Environment Development

• Products used
• Oracle Fusion Middleware 10G (AS and BPEL,
  Collaboration Suite, DB)
• Suze Linux
• APIs used
• Oracle ADF, Oracle BPEL, Jasper Reports, JAAS,
  XML, PL/SQL
• Development tools used
• Oracle Jdeveloper, Tortoise, DMS Loading Tool

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Added values

• The new service
• Facilitates research
• Gives new means to the researchers
• Accelerates the current access process
• Generates economies of scale
• Provides networking of knowledge and expertise
• Facilitates standardization
• The location of the service platform at the ISQ
  provides guarantees that the confidentiality and
  security of the data will be ensured, given our
  legal oversight (statistical secrecy) and
  normative framework in that regard

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Status of current project

• The service platform has been in operation since
  July 2007
• Researchers requests currently in process
• Intensification of the projects promotion
• Negociation of agreements with our partness
• Business plan
• Pricing policy
• Action plan for the next five years

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• www.epsebe.ca
• For further information contact
• annie.giguere_at_stat.gouv.qc.ca
• Institut de la statistique du Québec, Canada
• www.stat.gouv.qc.ca