Dynamic database
Ombudsman for Privacy in Research
Researcher is defined as a post holder with a research title or other academic/scientific personnel at approved research units, and students studying for a masters degree or PhD, and post graduates provided that these are under the supervision of a qualified researcher at such a research unit.
Ombudsman for Privacy in Research is described in the Regulations on the processing of personal data (Personal data regulations), § 7-12 Privacy ombudsman:
The Data Inspectorate may consent to exemptions being granted from the obligation to give notification pursuant to section 31, first paragraph, of the Personal Data Act, if the data controller designates an independent privacy ombudsman who is responsible for ensuring that the data controller complies with the Personal Data Act and appurtenant Regulations. The privacy ombudsman shall also maintain an overview of such data as are mentioned in section 32 of the Personal Data Act.
Identifiable data: Data from which it is possible to identify physical persons or body corporates by means of an identification key (personal ID number, organisation number, name, exact address).
De-identified data: Data from which details that are used as identification keys are removed or hidden. A file in which Statistics Norway has encrypted the personal ID number will be de-identified.
Pursuant to the Personal Data Act, both de-identified and encrypted data are classed as personal data, and thereby subject to the same regulations as identifiable data.
Anonymous data: Data from which enough identifiers/categories have been removed that it is no longer reasonably possible to either directly or indirectly identify physical persons or body corporates.
Sensitive personal data is defined in § 2-8 of the Personal Data Act as information relating to:
a) racial or ethnic origin, or political opinions, philosophical or religious beliefs,
b) the fact that a person has been suspected of, charged with, indicted for or convicted of a criminal act,
c) health,
d) sex life,
e) trade-union membership.
An ordinary variable can contain sensitive information (e.g. address field = Ullersmo LF). When an ordinary variable of this nature contains a predominance of sensitive values, it is classed as sensitive. The significance of only certain types of data being classified as sensitive in legislation must not therefore be overestimated.
Health research projects are projects using scientific methods to obtain new knowledge within the field of health and illness.
Dynamic data is data for a variable linked to a unit that is followed over time. It specifies the exact period for which a value of a variable is valid.
Time series: Several measurements of the same variable, taken after each other, are known as a time series. (cf. Gunnar G Løvås, Statistics for universities and university colleges, Scandinavian University Press 2001, p. 28)
Variable: A variable is a characteristic of a unit, and can assume more than one value in the form of a numerical value or a category from a classification.
Source: SDMX and the United Nations Statistics Division.
Population: A population is a collection of the units that the statistics shall give information on, covering a specific place and time.
Statistical unit: A statistical unit is a variable in a statistical survey or register, and contains statistical characteristics.
Examples: Person, household, establishment and divorce.
2006 © Statistics Norway