The U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) is a vital tool for researchers and policymakers, providing insights into household finances, home values, and purchasing behaviors. However, safeguarding respondent confidentiality has become increasingly challenging due to the proliferation of databases containing personal information.
A new report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, A Roadmap for Disclosure Avoidance in the Survey of Income and Program Participation, tackles these issues, outlining strategies to make SIPP data accessible while protecting privacy. Westat’s Tom Krenzke was among the National Academies panel that contributed to the creation of the report.
The report explores evolving privacy risks, especially in the context of longitudinal data and linking SIPP data with administrative records and reducing those risks through advancements in disclosure avoidance methods. Its roadmap emphasizes the importance of balancing the need for data access with the necessity of minimizing disclosure risks, ensuring that SIPP remains a trusted resource for evidence-based decisionmaking.
