Strategies for measuring risk in public use microdata files
- 1 March 1992
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Statistica Neerlandica
- Vol. 46 (1) , 33-48
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9574.1992.tb01325.x
Abstract
Statistical agencies have the responsibility to design data release strategies which will not violate pledges of nondisclosure either through intent or neglect. In addition to ethical and legal concerns, statistical offices must be mindful that violating pledges of confidentiality may undermine an agency's ability to collect data due to loss of public trust. Statistical organizations also have the obligation to make information available to a variety of individuals and institutions to allow for informed discussion from differing perspectives on a range of issues. However, it is through fine, accurate detail on a file that risks of disclosure arise. In this report we discuss strategies for controlling risk in the release of public use microdata files. The equivalence class structure of a microdata file is defined and we show how the classic entropy function can be employed on the equivalence class structure to provide a measure of relative risk.Keywords
This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit:
- On identification disclosure and prediction disclosure for microdataStatistica Neerlandica, 1992
- Disclosure risk for microdata stemming from official statisticsStatistica Neerlandica, 1992
- Disclosure Control of MicrodataJournal of the American Statistical Association, 1990
- Disclosure Control of MicrodataJournal of the American Statistical Association, 1990
- Public Use Microdata: Disclosure and Usefulness1Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, 1990
- On the Estimation of the Number of Classes in a PopulationThe Annals of Mathematical Statistics, 1949