Scientific Use Files

Researchers working at a university or a publicly funded research institution may receive factually anonymized data sets in form of Scientific Use Files for their research work at their own institute. The term “factually anonymized” means that the data set has been changed in such an extent that a re-identification of the questioned participants by using the provided information is only possible with an excessive amount of time, money and work invested (§3(7) BDSG). Thus, Scientific Use Files de facto do not allow an identification of companies or persons. It is hence not possible to draw any conclusions about an individual company or a single person.

ZEW Scientific Use Files contain neither data on a company’s or a person’s name, nor on addresses and telephone numbers. To support anonymity, data set information that might allow conclusions about an individual company or a single person is aggregated, somehow changed or completely deleted. In terms of the different ZEW Scientific Use Files, data specific anonymization methods are applied.

The Scientific Use Files can not only be used in order to do research at the own institute but also to prepare a potential visit at the ZEW-FDZ. Programming and other preliminary work can already be prepared before the visit.
There are Scientific Use Files for the following data sets:

• Mannheim Innovation Panel
• KfW/ZEW Start-up Panel
• ZEW Financial Market Test
• ECO-CARS
• Climate Negotiations Equity
• Integrated Product Policy
• Transport Market Barometer
• SECO@home

For data protection purposes, the Scientific Use Files of the Mannheim Innovation Panel and the KfW/ZEW Start-up Panel cannot be accessed by external researchers before the third year following the implementation of the survey.