Confidentiality
Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) requires all users to keep information and data strictly confidential. In this regard, before granting access to datasets, all users have to formally agree to observe the following:
- Not to reproduce any file(s) or portion(s) of files to which access has been granted without authorization from Stats SL.
- Not to willfully identify any individual or household or establishment in the dataset.
- To hold in strictest confidence, the identity of any individual or household or establishment that may be inadvertently revealed in any documents or discussion, or analysis. Such unintended identification revealed should be immediately brought to the attention of Stats SL.
- Data obtained from Stats SL are protected by copyright law and therefore not for redistribution or sale.
- Prospective clients or data users may indicate in an affidavit confidentiality of data they access.
Access Conditions
Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) is required by the 2002 act of parliament to coordinate, collect, compile, analyze and disseminate high quality and objective official statistics to assist informed decision-making, and discussions within the government, business and the media, as well as the wider national and international community. Consequently, as a national statistical institution in Sierra Leone, Stats SL has the obligation to promote data dissemination thereby facilitating national development. Making data available will enable students and the academia to conduct research works, assist investors and our donor community including Non-Governmental Organizations and individuals in taking appropriate decisions. It will also assist the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) to formulate appropriate policies and programs for efficient administration and nationwide development. Stats SL's data dissemination policy framework provides access to data through:
- · Unrestricted Datasets
- · Restricted Datasets
Unrestricted Datasets
These categories of datasets are accessible by all without any payment. They are available on-line to all interested users, for planning, research and statistical purposes only.
Restricted Datasets
These categories of datasets are accessible online or in the office under certain conditions. Thus, prospective client/data users may access any data based on certain conditions set by either the government or funding agency and the Data Archive authorities at Stats SL.
The following terms and conditions apply:
Before being granted access to any dataset, all users have to formally agree:
- To make no copies of any files or portions of files for which access has been granted, except those authorized by Stats SL.
- Not to use any technique in an attempt to identify any person, establishment, or sampling unit. To hold in strictest confidence, the identification of any establishment or individual that may be inadvertently revealed in any document or discussion, or analysis. Such inadvertent identification revealed in her/his analysis will be immediately brought to the attention of the Stats SL.
- The data and other materials will not be redistributed or sold to other individuals, institutions, or organizations without the written agreement of SSL.
- The data will be used for statistical and scientific research purposes only. The data will be used solely for reporting of aggregated information, and not for investigation of specific individuals or organizations. No attempt will be made to identify respondents, and no use will be made of the identity of any person or establishment discovered inadvertently. Any such discovery would immediately be reported to the Stats SL.
- No attempt will be made to produce links among datasets provided by the SSL with other datasets that could identify individuals or organizations. Any books, articles, conference papers, thesis, dissertations, reports, or other publications that employ data obtained from the SSL would cite the source of data in accordance with the citation statement provided with the dataset.
- An electronic copy of all reports and publications based on the requested data will be sent to the Stats SL.
- The original collector of the data, the Data Archivists, and the relevant funding agencies bear no responsibility for use of the data or interpretations or inferences based upon such uses.