Scientific Use Files

Scientists working at universities or publicly financed research institutions can obtain a factual anonymised dataset for their scientific work in form of Scientific Use Files. The data can be used exclusively for scientific analyses. The data may not be processed or used for any other purposes; in particular commercial or any other business purposes involving expert opinions – free of charge or against payment – for private or public clients is not permitted. It is not permitted to use the data within lectures.

The data will be provided for PhD students but not for bachelor and master students.
The access to the data for external scientists is granted only with a delay of three years after conducting the respective survey.

External scientist shall contact the ZEW. The dissemination of the Scientific Use Files is conducted upon a written request in which the scientific purpose of the data use has to be defined. Before the data are disseminated, the data user must conclude a written contract in which the confidential handling and the non-dissemination of the data are set out in detail.

The Scientific Use Files are only available as cross-sectional data sets of the individual survey waves and are not connected to panel data sets. However, firm identifiers will not be changed over time. Therefore, external users will be able to observe the same firms in several survey waves.

Besides using the Scientific Use Files external scientists have the opportunity to apply for using formal anonymised data of the Mannheim Start-Up Panel within the facilities of the ZEW. Analyses with formal anonymised data are carried out on a dedicated computer in a secure room which meets data protection issues. For using formal anonymised data the same rules apply as for the use of the Scientific Use Files, including the three-year delay access to the data is granted for external scientists.