Providing and Protecting Microdata

Abstract

A microdata file is a compilation of data records. Each record contains values of attributes about a single unit—say a person with the attributes of their height, attitude toward minimum wage laws, cell-phone usage, and diastolic blood pressure. Microdata are special. Expanding Access to Research Data: Reconciling Risks and Opportunities (National Research Council, 2005) recognizes both the enthusiasm for the research potential of microdata and the trepidation about the risk microdata pose to confidentiality. In this chapter we help reconcile the inevitable tension of both protecting and providing microdata. We lay out the principles of microdata confidentiality and identify ways of improving DSO practice.