Safe Centre
Description of the service
In the Safe Centre, researchers can access individual data files prepared for research that are not directly identifiable in a safe environment with a CCTV surveillance system in place, with a high level of protection of statistical data and strict compliance with data protection regulations.
Who can use it?
- Independent researchers.
- Researchers with an institutional background.
Available data files
- Standard microdata-sets available in the Safe Centre.
- Microdata-sets prepared on specific individual data requests .
How to access the service?
By submitting a Safe Centre data request form via the 
Contact us application.
Fulfilling a submitted request
- Following the submission of the data request form, HCSO will examine the researcher and, if there is one, the institutional background of the researcher and the scientific purpose of the research in the framework of the researcher accreditation.
- Following successful accreditation and the assessment of the professional feasibility of the research data request, HCSO will in all cases conclude a contract with the research institute/researcher and sign a confidentiality agreement.
- Subject to the terms of the contract, HCSO will grant access to the requested data.
Form documents
- Sample contract for safe centre access
- Confidentiality statement (sample)
- Safe centre data request form
Use of the Safe Centre
The Safe Centre is a secure, camera-monitored environment operating separately from the internal systems of the HCSO, and is available to researchers at the buildings of the HCSO in
- Budapest (1024 Budapest, Keleti Károly utca 5–7.) and
- Szeged (6726 Szeged, Jobb fasor 6–10.).
Opening hours of the Safe Centre:
Monday to Thursday from 09.00 to 16.00,
Friday from 09.00 to 13.00.
Researchers entitled to use the Safe Centre may visit during its opening hours.
Rules for using the Safe Centre:
- Only researchers who have signed a confidentiality agreement with HCSO or designated staff members of the HCSO departments responsible for the operation of the Safe Centre may enter.
- No laptop, telephone or any other device capable of mobile communication or recording is allowed in the Safe Centre. Before entering, the researcher is obliged to place his/her laptop, telephone, mobile communication devices and devices for recording images, sound and video in a lockable storage area outside the Safe Centre for the duration of the research.
- It is forbidden to take out notes in non-electronic form of the Safe Centre. The researcher may only take notes in electronic form and save them in his/her research storage space.
The researcher may save his/her working files and research outputs only in the dedicated Safe Centre storage space. - It is forbidden to connect any device to client machines, to copy data files to any external data storage, to use the Internet or e-mail, or to modify system settings.
- It is forbidden to intentionally cover or damage the camera or to cause damage to the equipment in the Safe Centre.
Process of the research
The results produced during the research process are checked by the HCSO for data protection (this is called output checking) and can only be released to the researcher afterwards. The purpose of the output checking is to ensure that the research results produced comply with data protection requirements and that they do not allow identification of statistical units, or disclosure of information related to these units.
Research outputs produced in the Safe Centre must be documented. This can be done by researchers using the standard research documentation form, which is also available as part of the Guideline for researchers.
The Guideline for Researchers contains detailed information on how to conduct research in a secure environment and on the methodological procedures and the rules of producing research outputs and the output checking procedure.
Software to be used in the Safe Centre
Only software provided by HCSO may be used for research in the Safe Centre.
Software available at HCSO and their versions are as follows:
- STATA 12.0 SE
- SPSS 22.0
- SAS 9.4, SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1
- Microsoft Office 2013
- Stat/Transfer v12
- R 3.3.3, R studio
Safe Centre Datasets
Standard datasets prepared for research and published on the website of the HCSO as well as datasets prepared based on specific data requests are available for research in the Safe Centre.
Standard microdata-sets prepared for research
The use of the standard microdata sets in the Safe Centre and the output checking of the research results produced from these files from a data protection point of view are free of charge. The list of data sets prepared for research is kept up-to-date by the HCSO.
| Name of file | Available reference period | Frequency of update | Metainformation | Sample file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microcensus | 2005, 2016 | – | download | download |
| Census 10% sample | 1970, 1980, 1990, 2001, 2011, 2022 | – | download | download |
| Labour Force Survey (LFS) | 2003–2024 | quarterly | download | download |
| Household Budget Survey (HBS) | 2004–2020 | annual | download | download |
| Statistical income and living conditions (SILC) | 2011–2022 | annual | download | download |
| Farm Structure Survey (FSS) | 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2020 | – | download | download |
| European Health Interview Survey (ELEF) | 2009, 2014, 2019 | – | download | download |
| Time Balance Survey | 2000, 2010 | – | download | download |
| Housing Survey | 1999, 2003, 2015 | – | download | download |
The update dates of the microdata files available in the Safe Centre are listed in the Publication and Revision Calendar.
Metadata and additional information
For further methodological background information on the above data files, please refer to the methodological description (metadata) of the domain concerned.
In addition to the requested data sets and the associated descriptive metadata, the HCSO provides the following additional information to support the researcher's research work in the Safe Centre for the duration of the research:
- methodological guides, data collection information, questionnaires;
- a list of the variables in the data sets, indicating the exact name, measure, number of the question on the questionnaire to which the variable contains the answer;
- a description of the classifications and nomenclatures (past and current according to the data reference date) used in the data sets;
- the label of the variables in a separate file or built into the data file.
Microdata-sets prepared on specific individual data requests
If no suitable dataset is available on the list of standard microdata-sets prepared for research for the given research purpose, preparation of additional datasets based on an individual data request can be requested for a fee. The micro-data set thus compiled and made available in the Safe Centre will only be made accessible in the context of the research project in question.
Linked datasets
In the preparation of the data sets requested for research, several data files may be linked or made suitable for linking. In the latter case, HCSO assigns such technical IDs to the microdata sets that do not allow direct identification, but make possible the linkage of different datasets.
External files
In addition to the data files prepared by the HCSO, external data files can also be used for the research, which can be used in addition to the HCSO data files to produce the research results. These data files must be indicated in advance on the research room application form. External data files not indicated on the data request form cannot be made available by HCSO for the research concerned. In accordance with the rules of operation of the Safe Centre, external data files must not contain direct identifiers. Pre-written program codes, lists of variables, auxiliary files may be brought into the research room during the research.