Restricted-use microdata:

Federal Statistical Research Data Centers (FSRDC)

Anton Babkin

Postdoc researcher, AAE UW-Madison

October 22, 2018

Overview

• WiscRDC - useful links, application instructions and slides
• FSRDC - U.S. Census Bureau
• Data - econ, demographic, health, BLS
• Micro-data, larger samples, less noise (top-coding)
• Many datasets are linked, can bring in external data
• Slides from WiscRDC kickoff event

Success stories

• Enghin Atalay (AER, 2014)
• Sarah Johnston (PhD UMich, job market paper)

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Getting in

• Find data that you can use to answer your research question
• Submit research proposal
• Work with WiscRDC Administrator (Robert Thomas)
• Preliminary proposal
• Detailed proposal
• Benefit to Census (data quality)
• Disclosure risks
• 6-12 months
• Or join an ongoing project
• WiscRDC researchers
• Special Sworn Status (SSS)
• Forms, interview, background check, residence and employment history
• 3 year residency requirement

Working there

• Restricted access computer lab: 3308 WHS Social Science Bldg
• No remote access over Internet (e.g. from home)
• Work on Census servers via remote desktop
• Linux OS (Red Hat)
• Stata, Matlab, R, Python, SAS
• Interactive and batch mode
• No internet, no laptop/smartphone, can not take out notes
• Confidential data: trainings, fines and prison, restricted communication
• Reproducibility

Getting out

• Nothing can be taken out without review by Census staff
• Qualitative results, notes, code - easier
• Numbers - harder
• Disclosure
• Cells not too small and not too concentrated
• Plan ahead, will take time and might be painful
• Sequential disclosure, reproducibility
• Limited project duration, lose access after it is over
• If you need to finish after you graduate, consider physical locations