Journal Article

DKFZ-2025-00734

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png DataSHIELD: mitigating disclosure risk in a multi-site federated analysis platform.

Avraam, D. ; Wilson, R. C. ; Aguirre Chan, N. ; Banerjee, S. ; Bishop, T. R. P. ; Butters, O. ; Cadman, T. ; Cederkvist, L. ; Duijts, L. ; Escribà Montagut, X. ; Garner, H. ; Gonçalves, G. ; González, J. R. ; Haakma, S. ; Hartlev, M. ; Hasenauer, J. ; Huth, M. ; Hyde, E. ; Jaddoe, V. W. V. ; Marcon, Y. ; Mayrhofer, M. T. ; Molnar-Gabor, F. ; Morgan, A. S. ; Murtagh, M. ; Nestor, M. ; Nybo Andersen, A.-M. ; Parker, S.DKFZ* ; Pinot de Moira, A. ; Schwarz, F. ; Strandberg-Larsen, K. ; Swertz, M. A. ; Welten, M. ; Wheater, S. ; Burton, P.

2025
Oxford University Press Oxford

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1093/bioadv/vbaf046

Abstract: The validity of epidemiologic findings can be increased using triangulation, i.e. comparison of findings across contexts, and by having sufficiently large amounts of relevant data to analyse. However, access to data is often constrained by practical considerations and by ethico-legal and data governance restrictions. Gaining access to such data can be time-consuming due to the governance requirements associated with data access requests to institutions in different jurisdictions.DataSHIELD is a software solution that enables remote analysis without the need for data transfer (federated analysis). DataSHIELD is a scientifically mature, open-source data access and analysis platform aligned with the 'Five Safes' framework, the international framework governing safe research access to data. It allows real-time analysis while mitigating disclosure risk through an active multi-layer system of disclosure-preventing mechanisms. This combination of real-time remote statistical analysis, disclosure prevention mechanisms, and federation capabilities makes DataSHIELD a solution for addressing many of the technical and regulatory challenges in performing the large-scale statistical analysis of health and biomedical data. This paper describes the key components that comprise the disclosure protection system of DataSHIELD. These broadly fall into three classes: (i) system protection elements, (ii) analysis protection elements, and (iii) governance protection elements.Information about the DataSHIELD software is available in https://datashield.org/ and https://github.com/datashield.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. German Human Genome-Phenome Archive (W620)

Research Program(s):

1. 312 - Funktionelle und strukturelle Genomforschung (POF4-312) (POF4-312)

Appears in the scientific report 2025

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Database coverage:
; ; ; Article Processing Charges ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; DOAJ Seal ; Emerging Sources Citation Index ; Fees ; SCOPUS ; Web of Science Core Collection

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