This is a list of considerations for data users who are planning to undertake a data integration project involving Commonwealth data for statistical or research purposes.
1. Project proposal
Is your project in scope of the Commonwealth arrangements for data integration and does it offer public benefit that will outweigh the imposition to privacy.
Have you consulted with data custodians to clarify details for the project (particularly in relation to the data items required for the project)?
Do you have sufficient funding to meet any fee for service or cost recovery charges?
Have you prepared and submitted a project proposal for in principle approval by data custodians, including all relevant details (e.g. listing of responsible officers and researchers, summary project description and objectives, expected outputs, data access arrangements, the required datasets and data items and possible time frames)?
2. Final approval
Do you understand your obligations regarding the protection of confidentiality and privacy and the consequences if there is a misuse of data or a breach of privacy?
- Have you entered into a data access agreement with the integrating authority to set out the conditions and arrangements for accessing the integrated data for research and analysis, including any special conditions required by the data custodian for this project?
- Have all researchers who will access the data signed confidentiality undertakings required by the integrating authority or the data custodian?
Have you obtained Ethics Committee approval for the project (if required)?
3. Project delivery
Have all researchers completed any required training?
Has the integrated data been received from the integrating authority and verified for completeness?
Have you given the data custodians the opportunity to review the research results prior to publication, if required?
Have you destroyed or returned the integrated data to the integrating authority following publication of the project findings, in accordance with the agreement?
Do you have any documented feedback to provide to the integrating authority (e.g. procedural or data quality issues)?