Resources & Tools

There are a number of existing resources and tools on data management and protection, especially on anonymisation which can be used or developed upon. A full list of these resources are archived on the WG webpage These include:

1. ICO Code of Anonymisation: broad guide on how to think about anonymisation
2. ONS Guidelines consistent with the ICO Code of Anonymisation; they provide

• Guidelines on how to anonymise microdata (individual records)
• Guidelines on how to anonymise tabular data for social survey
• Guidelines on how to anonymise of admin data
• Guidelines for health stats
• Guidelines on birth and death stats

Additionally, there are:

• ONS SDC courses on disclosure control across government which are open to others. They also run bespoke courses on disclosure.
• ONS writing e-learning materials on anonymisation
• ONS have a ‘helpline’. Questions can be sent to sdc.queries@ons.gov.uk
• UK Anonymisation Network (ukanon.net) working with ONS, Southampton University, Manchester University, ODI and ICO. They provide consultancies and are collecting case studies, writing a book, holding a symposium in September.
• NHS ‘Anonymisation standard for Publishing Health and Social Care Data Specification’ – http://www.isb.nhs.uk/library/standard/128
• Statistical Disclosure Control, 2012-  A reference to answer all your statistical confidentiality questions.
• Nice example: Department for Work & Pension have StatXplore for public to interrogate data flexibly with built in algorithm to anonymise data.
• Cabinet Office and Tim Berners Lee have a star rating system for open data.

However, we don’t want to have too many guidelines- this could create confusion and inconsistent advice!

Gaps that need to be filled:

• Easily digestible resource flagging key things to think about.
• Create an overview of what is out there so people know where to look.
• Glossary to define terms (do we even have a common language yet?)