Accessing the service with a permit from a single register

These instructions are for researchers who have received a permit for the secondary use of social and health data directly from a single public register. In other words, the permit is not from Findata, and the permit is issued for SD Desktop.

Processing data issued directly from a single register differs from processing data issued by Findata. If you have received a permit directly from a single register, you need to use SD Apply to access the data on SD Desktop. The following instructions will direct you on how to apply for access to data issued by a single register.

Service access: How to start using SD Desktop

When you are processing secondary use data from a public registry, access to SD Desktop is managed by CSC. To start using SD Desktop for secondary use, you need to:

1. Request a CSC project by sending an email to CSC Service Desk (subject: Sensitive Data). Please,

   • attach a copy of your data permit to the request,
   • describe shortly your research project (name and research field are enough),
   • add all the project members as a cc to the email (please use the organisational email addresses).

2. Set up a CSC account using the My CSC portal: log in with Haka, if you don't have Haka credentials you need to contact CSC Service Desk in order to verify your identity;

3. Activate the Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on your account by scanning the QR-code with a specific application (e.g. Google Authenticator). For further instructions see the MFA paragraph, under the Account-section in the CSC user guide;
4. Join a CSC project via an invitation link and wait for an approval from the service desk;
5. Fill in the description of data processing activities form;
6. Approve the terms and conditions of SD Desktop service;

For specific guidance regarding these steps check the Accounts page. Note that you always need to use your CSC username and password when you access data from your virtual Desktop. If you don't remember your CSC password, you can reset it.

Applying for access to secondary use single register data with SD Apply

After receiving a permit from the data controller, you need to apply for access to the correct dataset in SD Apply. This is a technical security step and does not affect the permission granted in the data permit. All the project members need to be added to the application in order for them to be able to access the data on SD Desktop.

Application process

Step 1: Login

Log in to SD Apply at https://sd-apply.csc.fi/. Logging in to SD Apply is possible either with user identity federation systems (Haka or Virtu login) or with a CSC account.

Note

Always use the same identity provider when you log in to SD Apply because all your actions are connected to your login identity.

Step 2: Apply for access

After login, you will access the SD Apply "Catalogue" page. On this page, you can search for a specific dataset and start the application process. Start a new application by clicking Add to cart next to the name of the dataset. By clicking Apply, you will be redirected to the application form.

You can find the correct dataset from the Registry Datasets catalogue list with the identification information provided by the data controller. Usually, the name of the dataset corresponds with the identifier of the organisation (same as their email domain) combined with the journal number of your data permit. The datasets are grouped in the catalogue by organisation.

Step 3: Submit the application

Follow the instructions on the application form and fill in the required fields:

• State. Contains basic details like title and state of your application.
• Applicants. Everyone who has been granted access in the data permit must be named in the Applicants field. Members can be added, changed, or removed without re-applying. You can invite other people to join the data access application by selecting Invite members and providing their names and email addresses. They will then get an invitation via email. By following the invitation link, they can log in to SD Apply and accept the terms of use. When the application is approved, all members of the application will be granted access to the same dataset.
• Resources. Shows the datasets you are applying for.
• Terms of use. Lists all of the licenses defining the terms and conditions for data access. To access, click on Accept terms of use.
• Application. Access to a secondary use dataset is granted only based on the data permit. Provide the possible verification information requested by the data controller here.

To submit your application, select Send application under Actions. Editing or deleting the application is no longer possible after sending the application. However, removing members is still possible.

Step 4: Wait for approval

After you have sent the application, it will be forwarded to the data controller, who approves or rejects it.

During the approval process, the data controller can:

• approve or reject your application,
• close your application and cancel the application process.

You can follow the approval process and read the possible comments from the Events section of the application. In addition, you can find all your applications and see their state from the Applications tab:

• Draft. Your application is still a draft and cannot be seen by the data controller. You can continue working on your application or delete it entirely from the system.
• Submitted. The application has been sent to the data controller and cannot be edited anymore unless specifically requested.
• Approved. The application has been approved, and you have been granted access rights.
• Rejected. To see why your application was rejected, navigate to the application and select View. Data controller comments will be shown in the Events section.
• Revoked. Your application, and thus your access rights, have been revoked by the data controller.

You will receive an email notification whenever the state of your application changes.

Step 5: Finalise the linkage of the data and your CSC project

Once your application has been approved, you will receive a notification and further instructions via email. In addition, you need to export the application as a PDF-file from SD Apply and send it to the CSC service desk to finalise the linkage of your data and the CSC project created for you.

Step 6: Set up your virtual Desktop to access the data

Once you have received confirmation that all of these steps are completed, and SD Desktop service has been added to your project, you can access the data on SD Desktop. To set up your virtual Desktop, follow the instructions provided in the Analyse with SD Desktop for secondary use -section.

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Last update: January 2, 2024

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