What happens if a data re-user discloses confidential or identifying information from data archived at the Archive?
Restrictions on the use of archived data obtained by users from the Archive are outlined in the End User Licence (EUL). All users agree to this when registering prior to downloading data. In particular there is a fundamental restriction concerning the confidentiality of data. Users should not attempt to use the data to deliberately compromise the confidentiality of individuals, households or organisations and are required to abide by the current Data Protection Act. The EUL also covers requirements for citation of publications and safeguarding of data. The University of Essex may refer any breach of the EUL for legal action under relevant legislation. In addition, data re-users have the same ethical and legal obligations as primary data users and researchers in general to not disclose confidential or identifiable information from research data.
