Administrative data comes directly from the public. As a user of public data, ADR UK is committed to involving and listening to the views of the public in different ways. This helps us plan how we use data and the research we undertake.
There are different ways you can get involved with our work and stay up to date with our research findings. You'll find more information here, including how to send us your questions.
If you are looking for more details about our wider public engagement programme, take a look around:
Stay up to date with our work
We regularly post on our social media channels to update on our progress, share research findings, promote training or funding opportunities, and highlight our regular blog posts from ADR UK researchers and the team.
This helps makes sure our work is open and transparent at all times.
Follow us to keep up to date:
Find out more about administrative data
We have a variety of resources designed to deepen your understanding of how administrative data can be used to improve people’s lives.
Discover our public panels
Public panels are made up of groups of individuals who advise us on governance, communication and research direction.
Members on our public panels offer insight on governance and safeguards, research priorities, and public trust and communication.
Panels include:
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We also have panels made up of experts from the community and voluntary sector, with a focus on justice, young people and health.
Ask us your data questions
If you have a question about administrative data or our work, get in touch. We regularly share answers to common questions here and on our social media channels. Take a look at our recent questions below.
How does ADR UK make sure my data is secure when used for research?
ADR UK follows the ‘Five Safes’ framework, developed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is a set of established safeguards to ensure public data is kept safe and secure.
Critically, this means that all data held within ADR UK's trusted research environments is de-identified. This means identifiable details such as names, addresses and identification numbers are removed before data is made available for any analysis.
The Five Safes are: Safe Data, Safe Person, Safe Place, Safe Project, Safe Output.
Visit our Ethics & Responsibility page to find out more about each of the Five Safes.
Who can access the data provided by ADR UK?
Researchers wishing to use ADR UK data go through a rigorous accreditation process, which includes an assessment of the ethics of the proposed research, to ensure it delivers benefits to the public.
Once researchers have received accreditation and project approval, they must then access the data via a secure physical facility such as a SafePod – or a secure connection to that facility – provided by one of the ADR UK partners. Researcher activity within these facilities is closely monitored, and outputs checked before being released, to ensure the data has not been misused in any way.
How do you know what the public thinks about data use?
We regularly engage with the public to enhance our research. Each ADR UK partner has an associated public panel who meets regularly to inform their work. We also work with members of the community and voluntary sector and general public through activities supporting specific research projects.
Below are some examples of our large-scale public engagement projects:
- In 2024 we funded a public dialogue run by a group of researchers from Cardiff University to understand views on the use of low fidelity synthetic data for research. More information on the findings can be found on an infographic that was co-produced with the study’s public partners.
- In 2022 we ran a joint dialogue with the Office for Statistics Regulation which helped us to identify public expectations when it comes to public data use. These findings have helped shape our programme and how we work.
- Also in 2022, researchers from ADR Scotland partner, the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR), ran an engagement pilot with children and young people, which has informed our approach to engaging with this demographic. The project was in partnership with Children in Scotland.
In addition to our public engagement, we also collaborate closely with others who are interested in using data for the public good, such as government departments and members of the Public Engagement in Data Research Initiative (PEDRI). This helps us support each other to do meaningful public engagement and to share our understanding of what the public thinks of data use.
