ADR Scotland data records
Available ADR Scotland datasets including links to metadata files and supporting information.
Metadata catalogue
Search public sector datasets about people, places and businesses to request access for your research.
Discover public sector datasets available to request for research.
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About the catalogue
The RDS metadata catalogue collates information on datasets available for research published by various public sector organisations across Scotland. We will add new datasets to the catalogue as they become available for research purposes.
The information provided for each dataset includes top-level descriptions, dates of creation and updates, and access details. Some records include technical information (in JSON format), for example details of variables and data classes contained in the dataset.
Find out how to apply to use the data or find details of projects approved through our Researcher Access Service on our Data Use Register.
Further resources
In addition to the RDS metadata catalogue, additional resources may be helpful to researchers looking to use health, social care and administrative data from Scotland. The following respositories offer information on a variety of public sector datasets.
ADR Scotland has published a list of datasets which researchers affiliated with approved organisations can apply to access. This includes links to metadata files, supporting information and related resources.
The National Data Catalogue is published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) and provides information on Scottish health and social care datasets.
The NDC comprises a data dictionary, a full list of national datasets held by Public Health Scotland and a “New Developments” section listing up and coming datasets.
While not directly involved in its creation, RDS has been supportive of the Scottish Medical Imaging (SMI) Service, which launched in beta mode in 2022. The Service is now fully functional, with a small number of high-impact research studies already underway, and aims to continually develop and grow in the coming years.
The SMI Service has been established to help declutter access to national imaging data for research in Scotland by providing a single user journey for researchers. It provides information about the imaging data landscape and how to access the data, what timescales are likely to be encountered and the information that a researcher needs to provide to gain access to these data sets.
The SMI Service has been developed and funded by the Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Efficient and Effective Use of Clinical Images in Big Data Health Research Project. RDS will continue to highlight the SMI service and its unique offering to researchers as the service develops.
Learn more about the SMI service on the Public Health Scotland website.
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HDR UK Innovation Gateway – Contains information on more than 750 health-related datasets in the UK. Through the Gateway, researchers can discover, curate and request access to health datasets, tools and resources.
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UK Data Service – Lists information on and access requirements for social science data in the UK, including both secure and open data as well as teaching datasets. Researchers can browse data by theme, type or geography.
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ONS Secure Research Service (SRS) – Allows researchers to search for and request access to de-identified unpublished data on economic, social and population statistics in the UK (including census data) to use in research for the public good.
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Scottish Government Open Data Platform – Managed by the Scottish Government, this site provides public access to the data behind Scotland’s official statistics in linked open data format. Statistics are provided from a variety of organisations such as the Scottish Government, National Records of Scotland, NHS Information Services Division and Transport Scotland.
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Scottish Longitudinal Study Data Dictionary – Contains full variable information and advanced search options for the Scottish Longitudinal Study (SLS), a large-scale linkage study created using data from administrative and statistical sources.
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West of Scotland Safe Haven – A partnership between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the University of Glasgow, providing secure access and research support service to large NHS health datasets relating to citizens in the Glasgow region.
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Grampian Data Safe Haven (DaSH) – A secure, virtual healthcare data analysis and storage centre established by the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian providing secure processing and linking of health data for the Grampian and Scottish population when it is not practicable to obtain consent from individual patients.
Data access overview
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Pre-application checklist
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