Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung

Data Access: Scientific Use Files

Scientific use files (SUF) are factually anonymous datasets offered to researchers of scientific institutions for analysis.

Datasets

The following datasets are available as Scientific Use Files at the FDZ:

• SUF BA Employment Panel (BAP)
• SUF IAB Employment Samples (IABS)
• SUF Integrated Employment Biographies Sample (IEBS)
• SUF Cross-sectional survey 'Life Situation and Social Security 2005 (LSS 2005)'
• Panel Study 'Labour Market and Social Security' (PASS)
• Client Survey on Organizational Forms of SGBII-Agencies 2007/08 (Only in German)
• Panel “WeLL” – Employee Survey for the Project “Further Training as a Part of Lifelong Learning”

Please note that some of the above datasets are also available as weakly anonymous versions, which can be analysed via on-site use or remote data access. For data confidentiality reasons, the SUFs contain fewer and further aggregated variables.

Requirements for Analysis of the Datasets

• Information on requirements

How to Apply for the Data?

To apply for a SUF please fill in and sign the request form and return it to the FDZ. Please send us a draft of the application per e-mail (iab.fdz@iab.de) first, so that we can check its formal correctness before you hand in the final version. Please note that an information sheet is available to help you fill in the request form.

• Request form SUF
• Information sheet

After verification of the data request documents the FDZ decides whether the researcher shall be granted permission to use the data.

If permission is granted the user is sent the use agreement, which has to be filled in, signed and sent back to the FDZ (in duplicate and in hard copy). The FDZ then sends by certified mail the dataset in the format required (SAS, Stata, SPSS or ASCII) as well as the countersigned use agreement to the research institution.

What to Keep in Mind when Using the Data?

The use of the data is limited to the duration of the research project. Thereafter, all extracts and copies of the data have to be deleted. A confirmation of data deletion signed by either the institution’s head or data protection officer must be submitted to the FDZ.

• Request form “data deletion”

In case the data is required beyond the contractual term, a supplementary use agreement must be signed before the present use agreement has expired. The supplementary use agreement may also include the appointment of additional project team members. Once the use agreement has expired, it cannot be extended.

• Request form “supplementary use agreement”

Researchers’ publications based on FDZ data must include a reference to the used datasets.

• Citation of the data in publications

Two copies of every publication must be submitted to the FDZ.

Confidentiality

• Information on confidentiality

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