A new network of data research centres is enabling academics to access ever more useful data sets for the research. While safeguarding the identities of individuals, the network has opened up some of the ‘big data’ routinely collected by business and local government organisations – allowing researchers to better understand society using information that has already been collected in our day-to-day lives. However, many individuals are still not aware of the significant steps taken to ensure their data is secure and anonymous throughout the research process.
To find out more, view the full article on the ESRC website.