Zone design for statistical disclosure control in administrative and linked microdata

To explore the application of automated zone design tools to protect record-level datasets with attribute detail and a large data volume in a way that might be implemented by a data provider (e.g. National Statistical Organisation/Health Service Provider), initially using a synthetic microdataset. Successful implementation could facilitate the release of rich linked record datasets to researchers so as to preserve small area geographical associations, while not revealing actual locations which are currently lost due to the high level of geographical coding required by data providers prior to release to researchers. Data perturbation is undesirable because of the need for detailed information on certain spatial attributes (e.g. distance to a medical practitioner, exposure to local environment) which has driven demand for new linked administrative datasets, along with provision of suitable research environments. The outcome is a bespoke aggregation of the microdata that meets a set of design constraints but the exact configuration of which is never revealed. Researchers are provided with detailed data and suitable geographies, yet with appropriately reduced disclosure risk.