The SACRO guide to statistical output checking

This document was developed as an output of the project SACRO (Semi-Automatic checking of Research Outputs). This work is funded by UK research and Innovation [Grant Number MC_PC_23006] as part of Phase 1 of the DARE UK (Data and Analytics Research Environments UK) programme, delivered in partnership with Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) and Administrative Data Research UK (ADR UK).

The conceptual development was largely carried in workshops and discussions within the SACRO project team (Elizabeth Green, Felix Ritchie, Jim Smith, Amy Tilbrook and Paul White). The primary author is Felix Ritchie (contact: felix.ritchie@uwe.ac.uk), with additional text and extensive comments supplied by other members of the SACRO project team, particularly on the statistical elements. Cara Kendal produced the summaries of control measures, other guides and references. Other members of the SACRO network and external organisations provided additional feedback, particularly on the way that the model was presented to non-technical audiences.

The statbarn model was first presented on 18th May to the SACRO network, and subsequently to the UNECE/Eurostat Expert Group on Statistical Data Confidentiality, Wiesbaden, September 2023. This completed document will be circulated amongst the community for consultation, used to review UK training practices, and form the basis of a workshop in Spring 2024. The final version will be published in March 2024.

For information on developments, see the project website https://medium.com/sacro-semi- automated-checking-of-research-outputs. Comments on this document are welcomed – for an editable version of this document, or to discuss the guide or its concepts, please contact the project team.