“Unnecessarily cumbersome”: Researchers’ Opinions on Restricted Data Access Systems

Research data archives use restricted data access protocols to manage access to sensitive data. However, restricted data access systems can be cumbersome for researchers to engage in data reuse, as the systems frequently implemented introduce friction into the research process. We fielded a survey of 481 data reusers at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) in 2020 about restricted data access systems. We found that 80% of respondents would be more likely to reuse data if restricted data access applications were made faster and easier. Additionally, most researchers indicated they believe that the security of research data is very important. However, researchers disagreed on the appropriate set of mechanisms to ensure that research data remains secure, especially discounting interventions that introduce friction to accessing data. These findings present challenges for archives in implementing restricted data access systems that balance protecting research subjects with encouraging data reuse.

Recommended citation: Brown, M. A., Thomer, A., & Hemphill, L. (2025). “Unnecessarily cumbersome”: Researchers' Opinions on Restricted Data Access Systems. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 62(1), 887-891.
Download Paper