FDZ-Arbeitspapier Nr. 39

Improvement of data access - The long way to remote data access in Germany

Abstract:
For a couple of years, access to microdata in Germany has been possible through different ways. The researcher can use so-called Scientific Use Files, even for business microdata, in his own institution, they can visit the safe centre or can use remote data execution.
User needs are developing towards on-site data access, because most often researchers would like to work with original data.
This leads to a higher burden for the employees of the Research Data Centre (RDC) as for remote data execution they have to apply the analysis programs and have to deal with the manual output checking of the results. Also the researchers themselves have to wait longer to get their results. The project "An informational infrastructure for the E-Science Age" (infinitE) deals with the improvement of remote access. The project aims to find solutions for better remote access in Germany through socalled Structural Data Files and (automatic) output checking procedures.