Trust, security and public interest: striking the balance A narrative review of previous literature on public attitudes towards the sharing, linking and use of administrative data for research

This narrative literature review explores previous findings in relation to the UK public’s attitudes towards the sharing, linking and use of public sector administrative data for research. A total of 16 papers are included in the review, for which data was collected between the years 2006-2018. The review finds, on the basis of previous literature on the topic, that the public is broadly supportive of administrative data research if three core conditions are met: public interest, privacy and security, and trust and transparency. None of these conditions is sufficient in isolation; the literature shows public support is underpinned by fulfillment of all three. However, it also shows that in certain cases where the standard of one condition is very high – particularly public interest – this could mean the standard of another may, if necessary, be lower. An appropriate balance must be struck, and the proposed benefits of sharing and using data for research must outweigh the potential risks. Broad, conditional support for the use of administrative data in research has not only been found consistently, but has also been held over time. Most studies identified by this review have focused on exploring the views of the general public towards the acceptability of administrative data use in broad terms. However, with the exception of that related to healthcare data, the review identified little work focused on gaining input from relevant demographics and communities in relation to specific data types or areas of research. In addition to fulfilling the core conditions of public support identified by broader work, initiatives making use of administrative data should aim to seek the views of relevant sub-sectors of the public in the development of research in relation to specific issues.