Disclosure avoidance: plan for it

Plan from day -90, not day 365

Disclosure review is not a last-minute chore — design for it:

• Be aware from the start what is confidential: variables, paths, parameters, code

• Keep confidential things in clearly separated, excludable files

• Assume someone will read your code

The US Census Bureau and other RDCs regularly hold training sessions on how to prepare and submit disclosure review requests. Participate in them initially when starting to work on confidential data, but also return and refresh your knowledge, as methods and tools may change.

We already discussed some of this

• A confidential/ folder is never disclosed

• Processing of outputs by code, in preparation to requesting release

• A disclosure request that includes the code, not just the numbers

Pays off

• Faster disclosure review (fewer surprises, fewer changes)

• A package you can have in hand when the paper is accepted!