FReDA offers Restricted Use File

The complete FReDA dataset will be made available to you as a Scientific Use File (SUF) by GESIS once a corresponding user agreement has been concluded. Since 15 December 2024, you can also request data access to the FReDA Restricted Use File (RUF) via the GESIS Secure Data Centre in Cologne, Mannheim and Essex (UK). This contains extensive administrative data, paradata and regional data. This sensitive data set therefore contains more information than the usual SUF, such as small-scale geo-information. In addition to sensitive data, the FReDA RUF also contains open data and information on cases that have been deleted from the SUF (e.g. dropouts). The RUF contains information on the anchors of the FReDA sample.

This detailed data requires a specially regulated access procedure to ensure adequate data protection. Access to the FReDA RUF is only possible in person in one of the designated Safe Rooms at GESIS and researchers must fulfil a number of strict requirements and conditions. These include, among other things, that you must be at least a doctoral candidate and belong to a recognised research institute. The evaluation of the sensitive information must serve a clearly specified research project for which access to this sensitive information is essential. You may not copy the data onto a USB stick or send it by e-mail. The transfer of data to third parties is also prohibited.

After signing and approving a data use agreement, researchers can analyse the FReDA RUF by appointment only on site in the Safe Room of the GESIS Secure Data Center (SDC) in Cologne, in the Safe Room of the German Microdata Lab at GESIS in Mannheim or in the Safe Room of the UK Data Service SecureLab in Colchester (UK).

Further information on access conditions can be obtained directly from GESIS.

The FReDA RUF is produced on an annual basis and should be available to authorised users from 15 December each year. As the FReDA RUF is an extended version of the FReDA SUF, the associated special documentation is limited to a FReDA RUF Data Set Description and an adapted codebook.