Analysis of elementary data

The ADELE Laboratory (for the Analysis of ELEmentary Data), located at Istat’s head offices, is what is known as Research data centre (RDC), in other words a "secure" site accessible by researchers and academics enabling them to conduct their own statistical analyses on microdata from the Institute’s surveys in compliance with legislation concerning the confidentiality of personal data.

The aim of the ADELE Laboratory is to meet those requirements of scientific research which conventional tools for accessing statistical information (such as publications, data tables, databases, microdata files) are not able to satisfy. In particular, the laboratory satisfies those data analysis requirements which due to their nature and complexity must be based on elementary data and can only be conducted by the academic requesting them.

From the subjective, point of view, the ADELE Laboratory may be accessed by university researchers, institutions, research centres or bodies to which the "Ethical code for the processing of statistical data outside Sistan " applies (Annex A.4, Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30th June 2003).

Given the number and complexity of surveys and of software tools available at the Laboratory, assistance of a technical or methodological nature is not provided for users. The service is therefore provided for “specialist” users, i.e. who are able to conduct independent research with regard to the following aspects:

• interpretation and subsequent analyses of data;
• use of hardware and software tools made available to them;
• identification of the statistical survey which provides the collection of data that serves the purpose of their scientific research.

To help them identify the survey that meets their requirements, the following resources are available to users:

• Cont@ct Centre
• The Information System on the Quality of Statistical Processes (SIQual)
• Questionnaires and other information about surveys
• Statistical Information Centres (Sportelli sul Territorio)

From the objective point of view, the elements that must characterise research projects in order to be accepted essentially regard the aims of the research and their relevance to the data requested. In order to verify these characteristics, users must provide a description of the research project which explicitly sets out its scientific aims.

The results that users may collect must constitute the actual conclusion of the analysis (for example, the final published contents) and be comprised of the summarised results of the statistical analysis. The Laboratory is not authorised under any circumstances to issue elementary or detailed data. By way of illustration, a typical output that the Laboratory is authorised to release is constituted by the estimation of statistical models, while unpublished tables may be requested using the Personalised data analyses service.

The conclusion of the research project is represented by the issue of the results of the analyses, which is authorised by the Director of the Laboratory after checks to exclude the risk of potential privacy violations. To allow such checks to be performed, the output must be accompanied by an appropriate description, and will be transmitted to users some days after the conclusion of the analyses.

Requests to access the ADELE Laboratory must be addressed to the President of Istat using the Istat/Lab1 form. The form must be signed and sent by fax to 06 4667.8004, or by post to the following address: Istat - Segreteria del Laboratorio ADELE - Via Cesare Balbo, 16 - 00184 – Rome - Italy. Applicants are advised to send a copy of the request in electronic format to the Laboratory’s Administration office (adele@istat.it).

Relations with users, including the scheduling of analyses and requests for information or clarifications, are dealt with via the following email address: adele@istat.it.