Support #2217
open
Applying for both Special License and Secure Access (SA)?
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Description
Good afternoon,
Hoping you are well. I am an accredited researcher with the ONS, working at the University of Oxford.
We are interested in applying for the Secure Access (SA) of Understanding Society, to be able to use the date of birth and the grid reference of the postcode. However, in the meantime, it could be useful to have access to the Special License, to begin analysing with month of birth and LSOA. However, we didn't know what was the best way to proceed-whether it is to apply for both datasets (SL and SA), or whether making one application just to SA is better? Are there different approval timelines for SL vs SA?
We would appreciate any advice you could give. Thank you!
Updated by Understanding Society User Support Team 23 days ago
- Status changed from New to In Progress
Many thanks for your enquiry. The Understanding Society team is looking into it and we will get back to you as soon as we can. We aim to respond to simple queries within 48 hours and more complex issues within 7 working days.
Updated by Understanding Society User Support Team 21 days ago
- Status changed from In Progress to Feedback
- % Done changed from 0 to 50
- Private changed from Yes to No
Hi Eleanor,
Our recommendation is to apply for access to the Secure Access dataset (SN 6676) through the UK Data Service (UKDS) rather than the ONS Secure Research Service (SRS), as the UKDS version is more up-to-date. Specifically, it includes the latest three waves, whereas the SRS version does not.
There’s no issue with applying for both the Special Licence and Secure Access versions. The Special Licence application process is generally faster, but the processing time is managed by the UKDS rather than Understanding Society. For the most accurate time estimates, we recommend reaching out to them directly.
I hope this information is helpful.
Best wishes,
Roberto Cavazos
Understanding Society User Support Team