Frequently Asked Questions
How will the Research Data Centres benefit Canadians?
Canada is going through a period of rapid social change. Decision makers, both inside and outside government need an up-to-date and in-depth understanding of Canadian society to help them not only to respond to today's needs, but to anticipate tomorrow's as well.
A number of Statistics Canada's longitudinal surveys have already made important contributions to policy debate in this country. With increased and improved research, many of the surveys promise to deliver even more insight on issues surrounding children, youth, a dynamic economy, health and health care, and Aboriginal peoples issues that are important to all.
What is being done to assure confidentiality and security of data?
The university-based centres are, essentially, extensions of Statistics Canada offices, with a full-time Statistics Canada employee at each site to screen the results that will be released and ensure compliance with confidentiality policies and procedures. The centres operate under the same security provisions as any other Statistics Canada offices, including the use of physical access controls and stand-alone computers with no links outside Statistics Canada.
Why were the university-based RDCs established?
The establishment of the Research Data Centres (RDCs) is part of an initiative to help strengthen the country's social research capacity and to support the policy research community.
Statistics Canada has developed a number of major new longitudinal surveys - that is, surveys that track the responses of individuals over a period of time - that offer a much richer source of information for analyzing social issues than do the traditional, more limited, cross-sectional surveys.
One of the difficulties with longitudinal data files, however, has been to find a way to produce public-use microdata files that contain sufficient detail for researchers, while safeguarding the privacy of our respondents. This issue has probably reduced the amount of analysis being conducted by the broader policy research community. In addition, a task force reported to Statistics Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in January 1998 that there were further barriers to producing policy-relevant research in this country:
- a lack of trained researchers in the field of quantitative analysis;
- a lack of easy access to detailed microdata collected by Statistics Canada; and
- a lack of effective linkages between researchers and those involved in public policy development.
The Research Data Centres are expressly designed to overcome these obstacles, by making it possible to do essential social research, while assuring the confidentiality and security of data.
What is the Federal Research Data Centre?
The Federal Research Data Centre (FRDC) was established in Ottawa, to service researchers from the federal departments. These researchers will have access to microdata collected by STC.
What are the access procedures for government agencies planning to provide statistical support for policy development?
A new mechanism is offered to facilitate the conduct of research projects focusing on statistical support for policy development. All requests are assessed by a provincial or territorial representative on the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Consultative Council on Statistical Policy. The request for access is submitted to the Program Manager of Statistics Canada’s Research Data Centre Program who coordinates a review of the proposal by Statistics Canada subject matter experts. The review is completed within 10 working days. If it is determined that Statistics Canada can quickly and efficiently carry out the work, the Departmental representative will be informed of this and of the associated cost to complete the work. However, if Statistics Canada does not have the resources to complete the work quickly and efficiently, the provincial/territorial employee identified is eligible to become a “deemed” Statistics Canada employee, under Section 10 of the Statistics Act, for purposes of completing the work. The work conducted in the RDC is subject to standard operational procedures. More details on this process can be obtained in the Data access procedures - statistical support for policy development.
What is a branch Research Data Centre?
A branch RDC is a laboratory that offers access to Statistics Canada detailed micro-data and presents the same characteristics of security as are required in all the RDCs. The branch RDC can reduce the need for travelling. It also facilitates the cooperation among researchers from the same region or province that are located in different cities.
Compared to a regular RDC, a branch has fewer workstations, is open part-time (between 15 and 25 hours a week) and typically provides only the most commonly used statistical software. Branches are staffed with part-time statistical assistants, but there is no Statistics Canada analyst on site.
Another limitation of a branch is that research results and computer programs are not controlled locally. These outputs are encrypted and securely transferred to the main RDC associated with the branch. In the main RDC, the Statistics Canada analyst will control the output before releasing the information to the researchers. The analyst in the main RDC is also providing remote assistance on questions related to survey content.
Could a person be identified by any of the data located at the centres?
No. All data sets have been stripped of personal details-such as names, addresses and phone numbers-that could be used to identify particular individuals.
What prevents a researcher from removing data from an RDC?
Researchers whose projects are approved will be subject to a security check before being sworn in under the Statistics Act as 'deemed employees.' Deemed employees are subject to all the conditions and penalties of regular Statistics Canada employees, including fines and/or imprisonment for breach of confidentiality. In addition, all results to be physically removed from secure areas will be carefully screened for confidential data, whether as direct listings or as possible residual disclosures.
Which researchers will be given access to data?
To be granted access to the data housed in the RDCs, researchers will be required to submit a project proposal to an adjudicating committee operating under the auspices of SSHRC and Statistics Canada. The approval of proposals will be based on the merit of the research project and on the need to access detailed data. Researchers from federal departments, please refer to the FRDC page .
Researchers from institutions other than the host universities are welcome to submit proposals to access the Research Data Centres. Furthermore, researchers who are conducting publicly available research on a not-for-profit basis at universities, research institutes, government agencies and other public research organizations may also submit proposals.
How will researchers be selected, and how will their projects be assessed?
Researchers wishing access to the confidential microdata will submit proposals to a review committee operating under the auspices of SSHRC and Statistics Canada. The committee will evaluate the proposals, based primarily on the research merit of the proposal, as well as the need to access detailed data and the capacity of the centre.
Proposals must demonstrate that the project
- requires access to detailed microdata to conduct the necessary research;
- is viable and uses appropriate methodology; and
- is within Statistics Canada's mandate.
Finally, the researcher must also agree to produce a publicly available report that falls within Statistics Canada's mandate.
Who sits on the review committee?
The review committee will consist largely of academic researchers, with some representation from other research communities and Statistics Canada.
What data are available to researchers through this program?
The RDCs are mainly offering the databases of the following surveys:
- Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS)
- Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)
- Ethnic Diversity Survey (EDS)
- General Social Survey (GSS)
- Health Services Access Survey (HSAS)
- Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC)
- National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY)
- National Graduates Survey
- National Population Health Survey (NPHS)
- Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS)
- Survey of Approaches to Educational Planning
- Survey of Household Spending
- Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID)
- Workplace and Employee Survey (WES)
- Youth in Transition Survey (YITS)
Statistics Canada has already released the data from all these surveys in aggregate form that is, as statistical totals rather than as unique pieces of data from any one person.
What will happen to the research done at the centres?
Researchers will produce research papers that will be subject to the normal peer and institutional review process. The vast majority of the papers will likely be included in Statistics Canada's Research Paper Series. The papers will report on the quantitative analysis and results, but will not comment directly on public policy or programs as this is outside the mandate of Statistics Canada.
Who is funding the research centres?
Initial infrastructure costs for six of the centres were funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, an independent corporation established by the federal government in 1997 to strengthen Canadian capability for research. Costs for the remaining centres were covered by other arrangements made by the host universities.
The cost of running a data centre is approximately $250,000 per year. This includes funding for space, staff, and regular updating and replacement of computer hardware and software. Year-to-year operating costs are covered by a combination of:
- university contributions in cash or in kind,
- base grants from SSHRC,
- user fees paid by researchers; and
- contributions by other partners.
The FRDC operates entirely on a cost recovery basis.
Can I apply to or access more than one Research Data Centre?
Researchers may access more than one RDC for a given project. However, for storage and files purposes, one RDC must be designated the primary research location.
Is it possible to access other surveys that are not mentioned on the website?
The centres will host any household or population data for approved project proposals. Although Statistics Canada has the right to give or deny access to any of its data files, researchers can explore alternative methods of access.
Is it possible to have funding for my project?
The RDC program is not a funding program. Researchers should look for sources of funding such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). It is assumed that projects to be conducted in the RDCs are fully funded at the time of submission.
Why do I have to submit a project proposal?
Legally, it is a requirement of Statistics Canada to be able to give researchers access to its data. To become a deemed employee, an individual must enter into a contract with Statistics Canada and deliver an agreed-upon product or service in exchange for the access. The definition of the product and the boundaries of the work must be described in a proposal, which is then attached to the contract as an annex.
Academically, to prepare a proposal and to submit it for peer review is a common practice in the social sciences disciplines.
Ethically, the proposal represents a reassurance to Statistics Canada's respondents that their information will only be used for legitimate purposes by researchers aimed at understanding and improving social and economic conditions in Canada. A proposal is necessary in order to honour this commitment.
Will more centres be opening in other universities?
Two new centres opened in 2004; one at the University of Manitoba and the other at the University of Western Ontario. A branch of the Montreal RDC (QICSS) also opened at Sherbrooke University. In 2005, two new RDCs were created at Queen's University in Kingston and at the COOL RDC in Ottawa. Moreover, another branch of the QICSS opened at Laval University. The network is open to applications for additional RDCs.
Why do researchers need to sign a contract with Statistics Canada?
This is required by the Statistics Act. Access to confidential data can only be given to Statistics Canada employees or deemed employees, employees under contract to Statistics Canada. | 
