In carrying out their tasks, the Reseach Data Centres of the Statistical Offices of the Federation and the Federal States (RDC) are supported and consulted by a mutual scientific consultative group (Wissenschaftlicher Beraterkreis – WBK).
Responsibilities
The central task of the WBK is to work towards a user-oriented development of the provided data and services. Additionally, the WBK consults the RDC in carrying out the following tasks and makes according recommendations:
- Provision of official microdata for scientific research
- Facilitation of the access to official microdata through the operation of different ways of access
- Advancement of the data and service offer and of the ways of access
- Advancement of procedures for the securing of statistical confidentiality
- Conception and conduction of RDC research projects
As part of its activities, the WBK issues statements on topics that it considers to be of particular relevance to science. These are publicly available on the website of the Federal Statistical Office.
Note on our own behalf: The WBK is solely responsible for the content of these statements. The RDC are not involved in their preparation, nor does it endorse the statements. They reflect solely the position of the WBK and therefore do not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the position of the RDC. The statements are published for reasons of transparency.
Key Topics
During the current term of office, the WBK is advising the RDC in particular on the following topics:
- Development of a remote access system: The WBK has provided important guidance on how to make the system science-friendly and has tested it in a pilot phase.
- Adjustment of the scope of services and fees: The WBK has issued a detailed statement on this topic. The contact person for this statement is Prof. Dr. Kathrine von Graevenitz.
- Integration of a peer review process: The WBK submitted proposals on how data access for users and reviewers can be designed when publications based on RDC data are in the review process after the end of the usage period.
- Dealing with the deletion period for codes in economic statistics: The WBK has written a detailed statement on this issue. The contact person for this statement is Prof. Dr. Kathrine von a.
In previous appointment periods, the focus was on the following topics, among others:
- Use of post-tabular data-altering confidentiality procedures in the RDCs: The WBK advised the RDC on which measures for implementing confidentiality are effective from a scientific perspective.
- Adjustment of the RDC's product range: The WBK advised the RDC on adjusting their product portfolio. As a result, products with low demand were removed from the product portfolio and new, high-demand products were added.
Members
The consultative group consists of eight scientific members. The members are appointed by the field office of the Research Data Centre of the Federal States and the Research Data Centre of the Federation. Appointed are scientists that are suitable to a special degree to provide scientific advice for the work of the RDC. The term of office lasts four years and a re-appointment is possible once. The WBK consists of the following members in the current term of office (2018-2022):
- Prof. Dr. Marco Caliendo (Professor for Empirical Economics Research at Potsam University)
- Prof. Dr Kamila Cygan-Rehm (Head of a Junior Reseach Group at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi))
- Prof Dr Jörg Drechsler (Distinguished Researcher at the Department of Statistical Methods at the Institute for Employment Research at the Federal Employment Agency)
- Dr Kathrine von Graevenitz (deputy head of the Department of Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management at the ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research)
- Prof Dr Annika Herr (Director of the Institute of Health Economics at Leibniz University Hannover)
- Dr Alexander Schiersch (Research Associate in the Firms and Markets Department at the German Institute for Economic Research)
- Prof Dr Alexandra Spitz-Oener (Deputy director of the Rockwood Foundation Berlin, Institute for the Economy and the Future of Work, Professor of Economics at Humboldt University Berlin)
- Prof Dr Andreas Peichl (Director of the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys)