ADR Scotland
ADR Scotland (Administrative Data Research Scotland) is a partnership combining specialists in the Scottish Government’s Data Sharing and Linkage Unit with the expertise of academic researchers at the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research. Together they are transforming how public sector data in Scotland is curated, accessed and explored, so it can deliver its full potential for policymakers and for the public.
ADR Scotland is linking administrative datasets and conducting research on a suite of critical issues in Scotland, from health and social care to lifelong wellbeing, and from poverty and fair work to building safer communities.
The Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR) – hosted by the University of Edinburgh but involving academic researchers from across Scotland – brings many years of experience in understanding administrative data sets and their analysis, a track-record of methodological innovation, and a strong independent stakeholder network.
The Scottish Government brings proven experience in managing data-sharing and linkage projects, access to and understanding of policymakers in government, expertise in information governance and the application of the Digital Economy Act. It is committed to taking forward a programme of work to develop a new infrastructure to support administrative data research.
You can find out more about how to access data in Scotland on the Trusted Research Environments page and in the SCADR Researcher Handbook.
ADR Scotland is funded directly by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) with a dedicated portion of the total investment in ADR UK, initially from July 2018 to March 2022. To find out more about how ADR UK is funded, see About Us. Further details of the grants awarded to Scottish Government and the University of Edinburgh can be seen on UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)’s Gateway to Research platform.
Sharing data with ADR Scotland
ADR Scotland have developed a series of short guides to help data controllers understand how they can safely and securely share their data with ADR Scotland:
"Scotland is fortunate to have some of the best data in the world. Bringing this data together can help address complex social challenges and fill vital evidence gaps to systematically improve the lives of the people of Scotland, saving time, money and lives. I am very excited about the opportunity to play a key part in this UK-wide transformation programme revolutionising access to public sector data."
Roger Halliday, Chief Statistician for the Scottish Government
ADR Scotland Projects
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Violence-related incidents and underlying vulnerability
27 January 2020
This research will explore how factors like mental health conditions, drug use and alcohol relate to incidents of violence and related demands for public services in Scotland.
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Illegal drug consignments
27 January 2020
This research aims to explore the illegal drugs supply in Scottish communities (particularly by post), focusing on the impacts of law enforcement tactics used to counter the delivery of drugs.
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Drug related deaths and contact with emergency services
27 January 2020
This research aims to gain a broader understanding of the patterns of contact with services (in particular emergency services) prior to drug-related deaths in Scotland.
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ADR Scotland News
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ADR UK secures £90 million funding extension as Government plans better use of data
9 September 2021
The administrative data initiative that transforms researchers’ access to the UK’s wealth of public sector data to help solve social and economic issues will continue for a further five years.
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UK-wide network of SafePods levels up access to data for research in the public interest
23 August 2021
The SafePod Network is set to become the first service in the world to provide a countrywide network of safe settings to enable secure access to data for research in the public interest.
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Research Data Scotland: Developing trustworthy information governance
17 August 2021
Research Data Scotland is a collaboration between the Scottish Government, Scotland’s leading academic institutions and public bodies, including ADR Scotland. The Research Data Scotland team discuss the service's progress and next steps.
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ADR Scotland Partners
Find out more
If you are a Scottish data holder or policy maker interested in how ADR Scotland can help increase the utility of your data and support your decision making priorities, please get in touch with the ADR Scotland team.