Felix Ritchie: list of research papers

• Access to business microdata in the UK: dealing with the irreducible risks
  2006, published
  Describes need for NSIs to accept risk and manage it, rather than try to reduce to unachievable levels.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2006) “Access to business microdata in the UK: dealing with the irreducible risks” in Work session on statistical data confidentiality 2005, UNECE/Eurostat, pp239-244.  
  
  
• Designing a national model of data access
  2009, mimeo, Tokyo-HIT
  Extended version of SJIAOS paper, including discussion of decision-making process
  [Conference paper]  [Presentation]  [Similar presentations]  
  
  
• Effective researcher management
  2010, published; with Tanvi Desai
  Develops the rationale and practical implementation of Active Researcher management
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Desai T. and Ritchie F. (2010) "Effective researcher management", in Work session on statistical data confidentiality 2009; Eurostat; forthcoming  
  
  
• Access without boundaries: a long-term vision for international access to microdata
  2010, published; with Richard Welpton
  Elaboration of the 'long-term vision' of the Eurostat report into international data access, arguing for a distributed network based on connection standards of 'trust' (using a Five Safes framework). Presented to Eurostat workshop by RW, 2010, June. Note that the original Eurostat project site has been moved somewhere else (if you know where, let me know). This link is to the local copy.
  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Welpton R. and Ritchie F. (2010) "Access without boundaries: a long-term vision for international access to microdata", presentation to the Distributed and Remote Access project team  
  
  
• Access to sensitive data: incentive structures for NSIs
  2010, in draft
  Describes the way that incentive structures for data release tend to make data owners more conservative then the public benefit demands
  [Presentation]  
  
  
• Decentralised access to European microdata
  2010, published; with NSIs of UK, Germany, Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, plus RatSWD
  Report for Eurostat on options for microdata access between European countries. Advocated long-term solution based around FR/RW stnadards-based model, short-term solution focusing on use of existing RDCs as platforms. Note: website only contains summary information.
  [Final paper]  
  
  
• Risk assessment for research access to sensitive microdata
  2010, in draft
  Describes inappropriateness of traditional risk-benefit assessments carried out by NSIs. Presented to JDI Workshop on Access to Sensitive Business Data (Queen's U., May), and WDA (U. Mich., May)
  [Presentation]  [Similar presentations]  
  
  
• Use of confidential microdata for social and economic policy research: lessons from the UK experience
  2010, in draft
  Historical perspective on the relationship between demand for data for policy research and the supply. Presented at the Motu Public Policy Research Seminar series, March 2010
  [Presentation]  [Further information]  
  
  
• Incentive compatibility in secure research facilities
  2011, in draft; with Richard Welpton
  Argues that traditional principal-agent reward-based approaches are inappropriate and inefficent in secure research facilities; but that trust models (based on upfront investment rather than ongoing rewards) can be shown to work effectively. For an economics audience.
  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. And Welpton R. (2011) "Incentive compatibility in secure research facilities", mimeo  
  
  
• Provision of ONS data for analysis: safe use, not safe data
  2011, Report
  ONS policy paper, describing how ONS perspective on data release has developed along with a view on evidence, risk and cost-benefit assessment. Adopted (2011) as ONS' Data Access Policy, in slightly shortened form. Version for wider publication now being prepared.
  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2011) Provision of ONS data for analysis: safe use, not safe data, mimeo, Office for National Statistics, June; or, Office for National Statistics (2011) Data Access Policy, July.  
  
  
• Sharing risks, sharing benefits: Data as a public good
  2012, in press; with Richard Welpton
  Proposes that seeing research outputs as a public good can help to improve (or at least clarify) society's preference for data access
  [Final paper]  [Conference paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. And Welpton R. (2012) "Sharing risks, sharing benefits: Data as a public good", in Work session on statistical data confidentiality 2011; Eurostat; forthcoming  
  
  
• Can data owners and data users think alike? Designing incentives to shape the provision of access to data
  2012, presentations only; with Richard Welpton
  Covers similar ground to Ritchie and Welpton (2011, incentive compatibility) for an audience of data specialists. Presented at IASSIST 2012. NB Direct link doesn't open properly in Firefox - save and then it will open as PDF
  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Welpton R. and Ritchie F. (2011) "Incentive compatibility in data security", presentation to IASSIST 2012, Vancouver  
  
  
• International Access to Restricted Data - A Principles-Based Standards Approach
  2013, published
  Proposals describing how standards could be used to provide a way forward for international data access. Presented at WDA 2010 (U. Mich., May) and IASSIST 2010 (Cornell, June). Originally published as WISERD Data Resources working paper no.3, 2010, with the same title
  [Final paper]  [Presentation]  [Similar presentations]  [Further information]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2013) "International access to restricted data: A principles-based standards approach". Statistical Journal of the IAOS v29:4 pp289-300. DOI 10.3233/SJI-130780  
  
  
• Access to sensitive data: satisfying objectives, not constraints
  2014, published
  Commentary on the appropriateness of priorities for decision-making amongst NSIs. Developed from a presentation to the NZ Official Statistics Forum March 2010. Original version published in WISERD Working Paper on Data Access. Significantly revised version accepted by J. Official Statistics in April 2014
  [Final paper]  [Presentation]  [Similar presentations]  [Further information]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2014) "Access to sensitive data: satisfying objectives, not constraints", J. Official Statistics v30:3 pp533-545, September. DOI: 10.2478/jos-2014-0033.  
  
  
• Addressing the human factor in data access: incentive compatibility, legitimacy and cost-effectiveness in public data resources
  2014, working paper
  Traditionally, the 'policeman' model of data access has held sway: users are told what to do, are expected to get on with it, and face sanctions for non-compliance. This paper suggests that a data owner that sees itself as 'supporting' (rather than policing) the researcher can gain both better security and lower costs. This reflects the limitations of standard principal-agent models to allow for behavioural psychology, which is essential to effective security; the growing criminological literature on organisational legitimacy also supports this human-centred perspective.
  [Final paper]  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. and Welpton R. (2014) "Addressing the human factor". Working papers in Economics no. 1413, University of the West of England, Bristol. December  
  
  
• Using big data responsibly: the ethics of big data
  2015, news item; with Libby Bishop
  News item considering some of the issues surrounding use of Big Data in research.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Bishop L. and Ritchie F. (2015) "Using big data responsibly: the ethics of big data". UK Data Archive news release 19th August.  
  
  
• Evidence-based, context-sensitive, user-centred, risk-managed SDC planning: designing data access solutions for scientific use
  2015, published; with Hans-Peter Hafner, Rainer Lenz, Richard Welpton
  This paper summarises the case for a modern approach to statistical disclosure control and its applications to real world cases. The key issues are: changing attitidudes from default-closed to default-open; making users needs the objective, and confidentiality the constraint, not vice-versa; using evidence in risk-assessment rather than arbitrary theoretical models; focusing on known risks rather than theoretical conceptions; incorporating non-statistical solutions to deal with non-statistical problems; acknowledging the dominance of genuine uncertainty rather than a pseudo-scientific 'risk' model; accepting the limitations of responsibility-shifting; and recognising that decisions made in this area are fundamentally subjective and thus open to doubt and challenge. Adopting such an approach makes decision-making harder, particularly in government where certainty is highly valued and responsibility-shifting common, but solutions based on this approach seem to be more cost effective, safer, and better able to withstand both current scrutiny and future developments.
  Note that the presentation follows an interrogative format which this planning data access systems might want to try.
  [Conference paper]  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Hafner H-P., Lenz R., Ritchie F., and Welpton R. (2015) "Evidence-based, context-sensitive, user-centred, risk-managed SDC planning: designing data access solutions for scientific use", in UNECE/Eurostat Worksession on Statistical Data Confidentiality 2015, Helsinki.  
  
  
• Enabling data linkage to maximise the value of public health research data: summary report
  2015, published; with David Carr, Elizabeth Green, Julie Mytton, Don Webber, Toity Deave, Alex Montgomery, Lynn Woolfrey, Kamran uk-Baset, Salim Chowdhury
  Excellent summary report from the "Enabling data linkage…" project, largely prepared by David Carr at The Wellcome Trust
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: The Wellcome Trust (2015) Enabling data linkage to maximise the value of public health research data: summary report. London, March  
  
  
• Enabling data linkage to maximise the value of public health research data
  2015, published; with Elizabeth Green, Julie Mytton, Don Webber, Toity Deave, Alex Montgomery, Lynn Woolfrey, Kamran uk-Baset, Salim Chowdhury
  This project was commissioned by The Wellcome Trust on behalf of the Public Health Research Data Forum. The project aimed to identify the gains to public health research from linking existing data sources, the opportunities in and barriers to such data linking, and how the barriers could be overcome. The objective was to deliver a set of practical recommendations for realising the gains from data linkage. The analysis lead to a series of recommendations around changing the conceptual framework and and improving practical guidance available to researchers and funders. Results were presented at the PHRDF conference in Cape Town in March 2015, and in a webinar on 13th April (see links).
  [Final paper]  [Presentation]  [Further information]  
  Full citation: The Wellcome Trust (2015) Enabling data linkage to maximise the value of public health research data. London, March  
  
  
• Five Safes: designing data access for research
  2016, working paper; with Tanvi Desai, Richard Welpton
  Detailed description of the Five Safes concept increasingly used to design and evaluate data access solutions
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Desai T., Ritchie F., and Welpton R. (2016) The Five Safes: designing data access for research. Working papers in Economics no. 1601, University of the West of England, Bristol. January  
  
  
• Can a change in attitudes improve effective access to administrative data for research?
  2016, working paper
  It is likely that adminstrative (rather than survey) data will become an increasingly important source of data for researchers, This paper explores some of the issues arising from the greater use of administrative data for research. There are increased risks, but perhaps the biggest risk to the public good is the default-closed attitude to data use in government. We suggest that attitudinal changes to data access will be necessary to fully exploit administrative data, and give examples of this new approach in practice.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2016) "Can a change in attitudes improve effective access to administrative data for research?", Working papers in economics no. 1607. University of the West of England, Bristol.   
  
  
• Spontaneous recognition: an unnecessary control on data access?
  2017, published
  Spontaneous recognition is a great way for reluctant data holders to prevent or limit access to thelr data. This paper argues that the only problems are managerial, not statistical, and that the concept should play no meangingful role in decisions about data access. The presentation is more polemical. The Statistics Papers and Selected Papers version went through two different peer-review processes; the ECB paper is an extended discussion, the Selected Papers is reflected in the presentation.
  [Final paper]  [Conference paper]  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2017) Spontaneous recognition: an unnecessary control on data access? ECB Statistical Papers no.24. European Central Bank. August.
  [Conference paper citation:] Ritchie, F. (2017) Spontaneous recognition: An unneccessary control on data access? In: Baldacci, E., Benoist, G., Boldsen, C., Galambosne Tiszbergen, M., Gerendas, J., Karlberg, M., Manninen, A., Nymand-Andersen, P., Poggi, J.-M., Sandor, G. and Vereczkei, Z., eds. (2017) Selected papers from the 2016 Conference of European Statistics Stakeholders. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, pp. 148-158. ISBN 9789279736285  
  
  
• The ‘Five Safes’: A framework for planning, designing and evaluating data access solutions
  2017, conference paper
  This short paper explains the Five Safes, how the concept is used to organise and simplify decision-making, and how it helps to address concerns of different constituencies. We show how it aligns to recent regulation, anticipating the shift towards multi-dimensional data management strategies. We provide a number of practical examples as case studies for further information. We also briefly consider what issues the Five Safes does not address, and how the framework sits within a wider body of work on data access.
  [Conference paper]  [Presentation]  [Further information]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2017) The ‘Five Safes’: a framework for planning, designing and evaluating data access solutions. Data For Policy Conference 2017. September.  
  
  
• Lessons learned in training ‘safe users’ of confidential data
  2017, conference paper; with Elizabeth Green, John Newman, Talei Parker
  This paper summarises recent experience about how to train users (mostly researchers) to work with confidential data, and provides recommendations for the development of training programs. This is the initial conference paper; a more detailed version will be due out in 2018.
  [Final paper]  [Conference paper]  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F., Green E., Newman J. and Parker T. (2017) "Lessons learned in training 'safe users' of confidential data". UNECE worksession on Statistical Data Confidentiality 2017. Eurostat.  
  
  
• Confidentiality and linked data
  2018, published; with Jim Smith
  This chapter for the National Statistician's Quality Review consdiers the confidentiality issues associated with the greated use of linked data. Linked data does present a strong theoretical challenge to the protection of data, as statistical protection is outgunned by technology and software; but in practice a shift in focus to the evidence-based user-centred view shows that there are many directions for practical data protection to go.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie, F. and Smith, J. (2018) Confidentiality and linked data. In: Roarson, G., ed. (2018) Privacy and Data Confidentiality Methods – a National Statistician’s Quality Review. Newport: Office for National Statistics, pp. 1-34.  
  
  

• Business Data Linking – Recent UK experience
  2004, published
  Discussion of initial use of data linking, and lessons learned from trying to use data collected for statistical aggregates for microeconomic analyses
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2004) "Business Data Linking – Recent UK experience", Austrian Journal of Statistics v33:1-2 pp89-97  
  
  
• Secure access to confidential microdata: four years of the Virtual Microdata Laboratory
  2008, published
  Describes development of the ONS Virtual Microdata Laboratory (VML) in its first four years
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2008) “Secure access to confidential microdata: four years of the Virtual Microdata Laboratory” in Economic and Labour Market Review; Office for National Statistics; May, pp 29-34  
  
  
• UK Release Practices for Official Microdata
  2009, published
  Development of the ONS perspective on microdata access; prepared for OECD working group, June 2009
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F (2010) “UK Release Practices for Official Microdata”, SJIAOS - J. of the Int. Ass. for Official Statistics, v26:3-4, pp103-111  
  
  
• Access to sensitive data in the UK: a principles-based approach
  2010, in draft
  Overview of the historical development of ONS' secure remote RDC. Presented at the Motu Research Seminar series, March 2010
  [Presentation]  [Further information]  
  
  
• Development of the UK Virtual Microdata Laboratory
  2010, presentations only
  Overview of the development of the VML, both technical and procedural, including lessons learnt. Presented to Freiuniversitat Berlin (December, 2009), and Shanghai U. School of Management (March, 2010) as part of an ESRC-sponsored workshop
  [Presentation]  [Similar presentations]  [Further information]  
  
  
• Secure Data Service Risk Assessment
  2011, restricted circulation
  Formal risk assessment of the UK Secure Data Service as a suitable host and delivery mechanism for VDDS (VML Default Data Specification) datasets for academic research use. Includes definition of VDDS and relation to Business Impact Levels (government security standards). Assessment results are summarised in "Provision of Access to ONS data: safe use, not safe data", Ritchie, 2011, which also details the basis for the assessment.
  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2011) Secure Data Service Risk Assessment, mimeo, Office for National Statistics  
  
  
• Safe researcher training
  2016, course materials; with Eurostat
  Online training for researchers needing access to Eurostat SUFs and SecUFs. Follows modern Active Researcher Management approach rather than traditional 'policing' model
  [Further information]  
  Full citation: Eurostat (2016) Self-study material for the users of Eurostat microdata sets  
  
  
• ADSS Data Access Project report
  2016, published; with Elizabeth Green
  This report reviews the context and options available to the Australian Department of Social Service (DSS) in developing its data access strategy, and proposes future developments based upon international practice. It provides an example of looking across a whole organisation's research data strategy in a coherent manner. It also provides a summary of the existing evidence (ie almost nothing) about what works in data access, and integrares the practical aspects with the institutional/attitudinal/cultural drivers. It uses the Five Safes framework and assumes an EDRU approach. Note: completed in June 2016 but embargoed until June 2017.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Green, E., and Ritchie, F. (2016) Data Access Project: Final Report. Australian Department of Social Services. June.  
  
  
• Hellenic Statistical Authority Mission on Microdata Access: Final report
  2016, restricted circulation
  A mission was convened to review current data access practices at the Hellenic Statistical Authority and make recommendations for future development. The resulting report defines a complete data access strategy for the Greek NSI. The report uses the Five Safes framework and assumes an EDRU approach. The report was an internal mission commissioned by Eurostat, and hence is not openly published; interested readers should apply to Eurostat directly for a copy.
  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2016) Hellenc Statistical Authority Mission on microdata access: final report. Eurostat  
  
  
• The five safes of risk-based anonymization
  2019, published; with Luk Arbuckle
  The paper provides a practical guide to thinking about data access and sharing, aimed at private sector organisations
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Arbuckle, L., & Ritchie, F. (2019). The five safes of risk-based anonymization. IEEE Security and Privacy Magazine, 17(5), 84-89. https://doi.org/10.1109/MSEC.2019.2929282.  
  
  

• Disclosure control of analytical outputs
  2006, working paper (republished in WISERD Data Resources stream)
  Explains model-based assessment of output for disclosure risks. Linear regression as an example, shown to be non-disclosive in normal situations. Re-published as WISERD Working Paper no. 5 in 2011 with spelling mistakes removed and conclusion added
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2006) Disclosure Control of Analytical Outputs". Mimeo: Office for National Statistics. Edited and reprinted as WISERD Data and Methods Working Paper no. 5 (2011).  
  
  
• Statistical disclosure control in a research environment
  2007, working paper (republished in WISERD Data Resources stream)
  Explains the need for SDC designed for research environments, introducing the concept of the 'research zoo'. Outlines the principles-based output SDC model
  [Final paper]  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2007) Statistical disclosure control in a research environment, mimeo, Office for National Statistics. Edited and reprinted as WISERD Data and Methods Working Paper no. 6 (2011).  
  
  
• Disclosure detection in research environments in practice
  2008, published
  Describes how principles-based output SDC can work, and introduces the 'safe-unsafe' model; also explains the need for researcher engagement and training
  [Final paper]  [Conference paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2008) “Disclosure detection in research environments in practice”, in Work session on statistical data confidentiality 2007; Eurostat; pp399-406  
  
  
• Guidelines for the checking of output based on microdata research
  2010, published; with NSIs of UK, Germany, Netherlands, Italy
  Final report for Eurostat on best-practice guidelines, for both SDC and traning of researchers; largely based on the UK VML model but brings in some additional rules and formalises the idea of 'rules of thumb'
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Brandt M., Franconi L., Guerke C., Hundepool A., Lucarelli M., Mol J., Ritchie F., Seri G. and Welpton R. (2010), Guidelines for the checking of output based on microdata research, Final report of ESSnet sub-group on output SDC  
  
  
• Output-based disclosure control for regressions
  2012, working paper
  Revised version of Ritchie (2006): corrects drafting errors, revises guidelines, and places concern over malicious analysis in institutioal context. Guidelines REPLACE the ones in Ritchie (2006)
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2012) "Output-based disclosure control for regressions". Working papers in economics no. 1209. University of the West of England, Bristol.   
  
  
• Operationalising safe statistics: the case of linear regression
  2014, working paper
  Outlines a four-stage method for determining the status of a statistic as 'safe' or 'sunsafe'. This leads to a discussion on the subjective nature of 'safety' and the need for realistic assessmetns of risk rather than a focus on theoretical worst-case scenarios.
  [Final paper]  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2014) "Operationalising safe statistics: the case of linear regression", Working papers in Economics no. 1410, University of the West of England, Bristol. September  
  
  
• User-focused threat identification for anonymised microdata
  2015, working paper; with Hans-Peter Hafner, Rainer Lenz
  This paper argues that anonymisation strategies for research datasets are seriously flawed: they over-emphasise the risks to the producer, undervalue the cost to the researcher, and are based upon theoretical worst-cases rather than a realistic assessment of the evidence. It illustrates the argument by showing how a change in perspective dramatically reduces the perturbation applied to the Community Innovation Survey Scientific Use Files
  [Final paper]  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Hafner H.-P., Ritchie F. and Lenz R. (2015) "User-centred threat identification for anonymized microdata". Working papers in Economics no. 1503, University of the West of England, Bristol. March  
  
  
• Principles- versus rules-based output statistical disclosure control in remote access environments
  2015, working paper; with Mark Elliot
  For fifty years SDC has been rules-based: telling researchers what to do. This paper discusses the increasingly popular 'principles-based' approach which provides better security and better data utilty at a lower cost than traditional models. Originally drafted as a note for the Administrative Data Research Network. The UWE working paper is very similar to the published IQ paper. For implementation issues, see the more recent paper by Ritchie and Welpton
  [Final paper]  [Similar presentations]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. and Elliot M. (2015) "Principles- versus rules-based output statistical disclosure control in remote access environments", IASSIST Quarterly v39 pp5-13  
  
  
• Operationalising principles-based output SDC
  2015, draft; with Richard Welpton
  Guide to PBOSDC for output checkers - VERY EARLY DRAFT SO COMMENTS VERY WELCOME!
  [Note that McAfee scanner keep suggesting there is apotential virus in this file, which I've checked repeatedly using the same McAfee scanner - appears to be McAfee being over enthusiastic about web docs. If you're downloading the version which is 190500bytes and uploaded 12.17 on 10th August 2016, that's the checked file.]
  [Further information]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. and Welpton R. (2015) "Operationalising principles-based output SDC", mimeo  
  
  
• Ensuring the confidentiality of statistical outputs from the ADRN. Technical Report
  2017, published; with Philip Lowthian
  Simple, low jargon introduction to output statistical disclosure control, particularly the principles-based approach
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Lowthian P. and Ritchie F. (2017) Ensuring the confidentiality of statistical outputs from the ADRN. Technical report no3. Administrative Data Research Network  
  
  
• Analyzing the disclosure risk of regression coefficients
  2019, published
  This paper argues that disclosure risk from publishing regression coefficients in negligible in practical environments. It also points out that looking for deliberate falsification of regression outcomes to disclose data points is irrelevant for most environments, and the one where it matters (remote job systems) is better handled by non-statistical methods
  [Final paper]  [Further information]  
  Full citation: Ritchie, F. (2019). Analyzing the disclosure risk of regression coefficients. Transactions on data privacy, 12(2), 145-173  
  
  
• User-focused threat identification for anonymised microdata
  2019, published; with Hans-Peter Hafner, Rainer Lenz
  The paper shows how a different perpsective on the threat environment and the public benefit can lead to radically different outcomes for data anonymization
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie, F., Hafner, H., & Lenz, R. (2019). User-focused threat identification for anonymised microdata. Statistical Journal of the IAOS, 35(4), 703-713. https://doi.org/10.3233/SJI-190506.  
  
  

• IBULDD Project Peer Group Review
  2006, restricted circulation; with John Blanchette and Ron Jarmin
  Peer group review of Statistics New Zealand's innovative project to build a longitudunal business database for research purposes using combined survey and administrative data. Link summarises the findings
  [Further information]  
  Full citation: Blanchette J., Jarmin R. and Ritchie F. (2006) IBULDD Project Peer Group Review. Statistics New Zealand.  
  
  
• Sample bias in microeconometric analyses of official microdata
  2006, published; with Gian Fazio, Katherine Lam
  Considers whether weighting or conditioning performs better in the context of marginal analyses of linked surveys of businesses
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Fazio G., Lam K. and Ritchie F. (2006) Sample bias in microeconometric analyses of official microdata, Report the Department of Trade and Industry; URN 06/737  
  
  
• UK Company Statistics Reconciliation project: Final report
  2009, published; with Peter Evans
  Compares statistical information derived from the IDBR and FAME and considers whether there is value in combining the two datasets at the firm level
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Evans P. and Ritchie F. (2009) UK Company Statistics Reconciliation Project: final report, Report for the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; URN 09/599  
  
  
• Impact of the recession on household expenditure
  2011, published; with Suzanne Fry (main author)
  Chapter for Family Spending 2011. Uses the Living Costs and Food Survey to analyse the effect of the UK recession on households. Concludes that the variation in impacts across the 2007-2009 recession made it very difficult to say what the 'typical' household experienced.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Fry S. and Ritchie F. (2011) 'Impact of the recession on household expenditure' in Family Spending 2011, Office for National Statistics, Newport  
  
  
• What is a manufacturing job?
  2012, working paper; with Andrew Thomas, Richard Welpton
  Considers how the standard classification model used by statistical agencies may affect official and academic estimates of the size of the manufacturing sector in developed economies
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F., Thomas A. and Welpton R. (2012) "What is a manufacturing job?", Working papers in economics no. 1218. University of the West of England, Bristol.   
  
  
• WERS and ESS impact evaluation: final report to ESRC
  2013, published; with Hilary Drew, Anna King
  Impact study for Workplace Employment Relations Survey and European Social Survey. Identified significant policy impacts for both, but through very different channels reflecting their origins in government and academic environments
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Drew H., King A. and Ritchie F. (2013) "Impact Evaluation: Workplace Employment Relations Survey and European Social Survey". Final report. Economic and Social Research Council. February  
  
  
• How do knowledge brokers work? The case of WERS
  2014, published; with Hilary Drew, Anna King
  Investigates how knowledge brokers have a role to play in bridging technical knowledge and policy impact. The research for Drew, King and Ritchie (2013) provides the basis for this study of how WERS, a dataset with a reputation for complexity needing expert users, has had a large influence on labour market policies in the UK. Initially presented at the COSINUS conference, Oran Algeria, December 2013 on "Innovation Systems and the New role of Universities".
  [Final paper]  [Similar presentations]  
  Full citation: Drew H., Ritchie F. and King A. (2014) "How do knowledge brokers work? Implications for policy and practice in the case of WERS". International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development, v13:3 1 September, pp. 205-218  
  
  
• Understanding official data sources
  2014, published; with Damian Whittard, Chris Dawson
  Report for LPC.This report covers (1) an evalaution of the main data sources used by the LPC directly and in commissioned research (2) an analysis of behavioural responses and measurement error in the main labour force data sets, with a particular focus on the tendency of employers and employees to use focal points and round numbers as points of reference; extensive reference is made to this work in the 2014 LPC Report and recommendationson the changes to the minimum wage (3) an evaluation of the multiple imputation methodology used to generate statistics on sparsely-sampled groups. Follow-on from Fry and Ritchie (2013). Published February 2014
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F., Whittard D. and Dawson C. (2014) Understanding official data sources. Final report. Low Pay Commission. London, February.  
  
  
• Improving data quality: the value of the user as data detective
  2016, presentations only
  In this presentation, we explore how users can contribute to a better understanding of data quality. We illustrate, with reference to minimum wage compliance, how users identify the sort of data problems missed by NSIs
  [Presentation]  [Similar presentations]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2016) Improving data quality: the user as data detective. Conference of European Statistics Stakeholders. October.  
  
  

• Female earnings and gender differentials in Great Britain 1977-1994
  1998, published; with David Bell
  Longitudinal analyses of earnings patterns in the UK, based on the NESPD
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Bell D. and Ritchie F. (1998) "Female earnings and gender differentials in Great Britain 1977-1994," Labour Economics, Elsevier, v5:3 pp331-357   
  
  
• Do company wage policies persist in the face of minimum wages?
  2006, published; with Katherine Lam, Catrin Ormerod, Prabhat Vaze
  Considered the behaviour of wages paid by firms around the level of the National Minimum Wage, and suggested that NMW has an important role as a benchmark
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Lam K., Ormerod C., Ritchie F. and Vaze P. (2006) "Do company wage policies persist in the face of minimum wages?", Labour Market Trends, March pp69-81  
  
  
• Measuring low pay: focus points and rounding
  2006, web article, ONS; with Catrin Ormerod
  More detail on apparent tendency of LFS respondents to round responses, as well as general observations on the tendency of earnings data to cluster about 'round' numbers.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ormerod C. and Ritchie F. (2006) Measuring low pay: focus points and rounding, Office for National Statistics  
  
  
• Measuring low pay: Measures and precision
  2006, web article, ONS; with Carwyn Griffiths, Catrin Ormerod
  More detailed analysis of impacts of methodological differences in the measurement of low pay
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ormerod C. and Ritchie F. (2006) Measuring low pay: Measures and precision, Office for National Statistics  
  
  
• Earnings: summary of sources and developments
  2007, published; with Robert Hayes, Catrin Ormerod
  Reviews sources of earnings information in the UK and how these relate to offical estimates
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Hayes R., Ormerod C. and Ritchie F. (2007), "Earnings: summary of sources and developments", Economic & Labour Market Review, v1:1 pp 42-47  
  
  
• Issues in the measurement of low pay
  2007, working paper; with Catrin Ormerod
  Describes three related investigations into differences between the official ASHE measure and supplementary LFS measure; specifically, considered methodological differences, timing effects, and the tendency of respondents in the household surveys to focus on 'round' numbers. Updated version due 2010
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ormerod C. and Ritchie F. (2007) "Issues in the measurement of low pay", Economic & Labour Market Review, v1:6 pp 37-45  
  
  
• Linking ASHE and LFS: can the main earnings sources be reconciled?
  2007, published; with Catrin Ormerod
  Summary of a report for Eurostat on the possibilities of directly linking ASHE and the LFS to improve the scope for earnings research; developed a group-based variant of data fusion. Suggests that concerns over accuracy of some LFS estimates are generally not substantiated, except in the case of very high earners
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ormerod C. and Ritchie F. (2007) "Linking ASHE and LFS: can the main earnings sources be reconciled?", Economic & Labour Market Review, v1:3 pp 24-31  
  
  
• Measuring low pay: the importance of timing
  2007, published; with Catrin Ormerod
  Studies how estimates of those around the minimum wage vary during the year and how the data collection affects results; also identifies signficant differences between firms, with large firms responding quickly while a significant number of small firms do not appear to adjust at all for changes in the NMW
  [Final paper]  [Similar presentations]  
  Full citation: Ormerod C. and Ritchie F. (2007) "Measuring low pay: the importance of timing", Economic & Labour Market Review, v1:4 pp18-22  
  
  
• Issues in the measurement of low pay: revised
  2012, published; with Suzanne Fry
  Revised version of 2007 Ormerod/Ritchie paper, updating analyses and making futher predictions about impact of NMW.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Fry S. and Ritchie F. (2012) "Issues in the measurement of low pay 2010", Working papers in economics no. 1210. University of the West of England, Bristol.   
  
  
• Behavioural aspects of the National Minimum Wage: Measuring and interpreting behaviour in the low-wage labour market
  2013, published; with Suzanne Fry
  Report for LPC on how low pay is measured in official data sources. Finds that (a) employers tend to 'round' hourly pay rates, suggesting scope for rent-sharing in these low-paying jobs, and/or high transactions costs associated with wage-setting; and (b) employees questioned about wage rates tend to round them up or down to the nearest 'focal point' (eg £5.05 is rounded down to £5.00, £4.98 is rounded up to £5.00), implying significant - but predictable - measurement error in household survey data. Published March 2013
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Fry S. and Ritchie F. (2013) Behavioural aspects of the National Minimum Wage: Measuring and interpreting behaviour in the low-wage labour market. Final report. Low Pay Commission. London.  
  
  
• The measurement of apprentice pay (Interim Report)
  2014, published; with Hilary Drew, Michail Veliziotis
  Interim report to the Low Pay Commission, primarily focusing on the Apprentice Pay Survey 2012. Notes that there are substantial methodological problems with the data, but there are indications that mismeasurement of hourly rates of pay and the amount of training may account for some of the extremely high levels of non-compliance. Available on request from the Low Pay Commission.
  
  Full citation: Drew H., Ritchie F., and Veliziotis M. (2014) The measurement of apprentice pay: interim report. Interim report to the Low Pay Commission. LPC, London, February.  
  
  
• The measurement of apprentice pay (Final Report)
  2015, published; with Hilary Drew, Michail Veliziotis
  Final report to the Low Pay Commission on apprentice pay. Argues that there is a significantly higher non-compliance amongst apprentices than the general population, but suggests that this may be partially due the complexity of the two-tier mechanism; another potential problem is the difficulty of accurately assessing the number of training hours paid for. Other than that, very little seems to explain the high rates of non-compliance.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Drew H., Ritchie F., and Veliziotis M. (2015) The measurement of apprentice pay. Final report to the Low Pay Commission. LPC, London, February.  
  
  
• Measuring compliance with minimum wages
  2016, working paper; with Hilary Drew, Michail Veliziotis, Damian Whittard
  Discusses the difficulties of measuring non-compliance with a minimum wage when most wages are above the minimum. The yes/no nature of non-compliance allows us to explore aspects of data processing by statistical organisations which can be overlooked when looking at continuous variables. Varisou versions presetned at SES 2016 annd WPEG16, and then a working paper.
  [Final paper]  [Conference paper]  [Presentation]  [Similar presentations]  
  Full citation: Drew H., Ritchie F., Veliziotis M. and Whittard D. (2016) Measuring non-compliance with the minimum wage, paper presented to the Scottish Economic Society conference, April; or, Ritchie F., Veliziotis M., Drew H. and Whittard D. (2016) "Measuring compliance with minimum wages", Working papers in economics no. 1608. University of the West of England, Bristol.   
  
  
• Measuring compliance with minimum wages
  2018, published; with Michail Veliziotis, Hilary Drew, Damian Whittard
  Identifying non-compliance with minimum wages is an important policy tool, but distinguishing true non-compliance from data issues is difficult. As compliance is a yes/no outcome, it highlights aspects of data collection and processing which may be missed when looking at overall distributions and overall relationships. This paper illustrates the value of a detailed understanding of the data across the distribution, as well as knowledge of processing systems. The paper uses, as an example, the measurement of non-compliance amongst apprentices in the UK. Although focusing on non-compliance, the paper has wider lessons for quality assurance of quantitative data.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F., Veliziotis M., Drew H. and Whittard D. (2018) "Measuring compliance with minimum wages", Journal of Economics and Social Measurement. vol. 42, no. 3-4, pp. 249-270.  
  
  

• Access and retention of DIP BME clients
  2008, mimeo, WAG/NewLink Wales; with Maria Beata Kreft (principal author; FR editor)
  Final report for Welsh Assembly Government on experience of black/minority ethnic community and the Drug Intervention Programme in Cardiff
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Kreft M.B. and others (2008) Access and retention of DIP BME clients, mimeo, Welsh assembly Government  
  
  
• The Polish migrant community in Carmarthenshire: Substance abuse and implications for the criminal justice system
  2009, published; with Maria Beata Kreft
  Final Report for Dyfed-Powys Drug Intervention Programme; described condition of Polish migrants, characteristics, drug and alcohol habits, and interaction with police and criminal justice system. The Appendix contains extensive results from interivews and snowballed survey on characteristics, attitudes and perspectives of migrants. Previously published as http://www.dyfed-powysdip.org.uk/uploads/media/The_Polish_migrant_community_in_Carmarthenshire_01.pdf but the DIP server seems to have moved.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Kreft M.B. and Ritchie F. (2009) The Polish migrant community in Carmarthenshire: Substance abuse and implications for the criminal justice system; Dyfed-Powys Drug Intervention Programme  
  
  
• A good night out: alcohol-related behaviours in young adults
  2009, published; with Caroline Ritchie, Richard Ward
  Studies drinking patterns and attitudes towards alcohol consumption and alcohol-related behaviours amongst differing groups of young adults. Rejects the common practice of using student population as representative of young adult behaviours in general.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie C., Ritchie F. and Ward R. (2009) "A good night out: alcohol-related behaviours in young adults", Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes v1:2 pp169-193  
  
  
• How can I drink safely? Perception versus the reality of alcohol consumption
  2009, published; with Caroline Ritchie, Richard Ward
  Investigates differences between perception and actual consumption of alcohol in young adults within the UK, suggesting that inaccurate information in the public domain may hamper those seeking to drink safely plus the development of moderate drinking cultures.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie C., Ritchie F. and Ward R. (2009) "How can I drink safely? Perception versus the reality of alcohol consumption", Service Industries Journal v29:10 pp1397-1411  
  
  
• A broad overview of diversity issues within the substance misuse setting
  2009, course materials, not published; with Maria Beata Kreft
  Survey of literature on psychosocial treatments for drugs abuse; focus is on minority ethnic community, women and youth. Covers UK guidelines from NICE, NTA; clinical guidelines are by Glyn Davies.
  
  
  
• Young UK Women and Wine: Pre-loading is Safe Drinking!
  2011, working paper; with Richard Ward (main author), Phil Colman, Caroline Ritchie
  Paper for the AWBR 2011 conference. Argues that debates around 'safety' for young women drinking tend to focus on physical harm, and so pre-loading is seen as safer than drinking throughout an evening out, despite the medical implications.
  [Conference paper]  
  Full citation: Ward, R., Colman P., Ritchie C., and Ritchie F. (2011) Young UK Women and Wine: Preloading is Safe Drinking!. AWBR Conference, 9-10 June 2011, Bordeaux Business School, France.  
  
  

• Resistance to change in government: risk, inertia and incentives
  2014, working paper
  This paper considers whether the popular perception of government as resistant to change is justified. The paper argues that the case for resistance is not proven, either theoretically or empirically. However, there are indications which suggest there may be some basis for this.One is the well-established fact that public servants tend to have different perspectives to other workers. However, this paper intorduces a second persepctive, that a 'blame culture' can exacerbate tendencies to avoid taking decisions. The paper was presented at the 2014 Organization Studies Workshop, in Corfu.
  [Final paper]  [Conference paper]  [Presentation]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2014) "Resistance to change in government: risk, inertia and incentives". Working papers in Economics no. 1412, University of the West of England, Bristol. December  
  
  
• Financial resilience in charities
  2016, published; with Elizabeth Green, Glen Parry, Peter Bradley
  Submission to the House of Lords Charities Committee call for evidence; argues that income streams are predictable indicators of success or otherwise fo rthe charity. Full details to be developed in WP
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Green, E., Ritchie, F., Parry, G. and Bradley, P. (2016) Financial resilience in charities v.2. Project Report. University of the West of England.  
  
  

• 00 Contents and abstract
  2005, published
  Contents page and abstract
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: Ritchie F. (2005) Accessing the New Earnings Survey Panel Dataset: efficient techniques and applications, PhD thesis, University of Stirling, Stirling  
  
  
• 01 Introduction
  2005, published
  Introduction to PhD
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 02 Exploiting panel data
  2005, published
  Discusses panel data theory (NB written in early 90s)
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 03 The New Earnings Survey and NESPD
  2005, published
  Discusses New Earnigns Sruvey, replaced in 2004 by Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 04 The econometric problem
  2005, published
  Considers problems of size of datasets and confidentiality. An efficient solution addresses both, albeit by limiting itself to linear OLS and panel estimators. NB Definition of 'non-disclosive' applied in 1990s does not necessarliy apply to current expectations.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 05 The linear time-varying coefficients fixed-effects estimator
  2005, published
  Describes panel data models with time-varying coefficients, statistical tests of structure etc. NB Converted from early 1990s version of WordPefect. Not all equations may have translated correctly.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 06 Linear estimation and testing, and program code
  2005, published
  Decribes the program developed - XPReg.GP, written in GAUSS v5.0 and available from www.trigconsulting.co.uk/gauss/
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 07 Observation histories
  2005, published
  Methods for efficient, non-disclosive version of binary event data eg survival/hazard functions. NB Definition of 'non-disclosive' applied in 1990s does not necessarliy apply to current expectations. Data as collected is potentially suitable for analysis in inverted chi-square models (multiple observations on same characteristics leading to different outcomes) - not pursued in this PhD but some notes on the topic.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 08 NESPD cohorts and transitions
  2005, published
  Descriptive analysis of cohort effects. No tables yet - need conversion from old Qpro files.
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 09 Male earnings 77-90 TVFE estimates
  2005, published
  Describes simple analysis of male earnings pattersn, shows that the assumption of stable coefficients is both unjustified and hides some interesting results. Also describes alternative, ad hoc, method of dealing with attrition in panel datasets - not pursued in this PhD but subject of other works. No tables yet - need conversion from old Qpro files
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 10 Female earnings 77-90 TVFE
  2005, published; with David Bell
  Male-female comparative piece, including Oacaca breakdowns. Again, shows value of TVFE coefficients. Cleaner version published in Labour Economics (above). No tables yet - need conversion from old Qpro files
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• 11 Conclusion
  2005, published
  Concluding comments
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above  
  
  
• x Bibliography
  2005, published
  Bibliography
  [Final paper]  
  Full citation: see Contents, above