Reference Data Management Framework

The Reference Data Management Framework (RDMF) is a process that helps link different and important pieces of information together to create reference data, which help make other data more useful. RDMF also de-identifies the information by removing personal data, enhancing security.

The framework is a set of tables and services that allow the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to connect information with data from other government departments so that we can work on more useful analysis.

It is a tool produced by the ONS that is made up of five indexes (datasets or tables) where people's names, addresses, national identity numbers, and other information, are removed and replaced with a reference number, to ensure they cannot be directly identified. The five indexes are:

• Address Index

• Business Index

• Classification Index

• Demographic Index

• Geography Index

These indexes cover people, locations and organisations.

The Demographic Index shows England and Wales's population over time is supported by the Classification Index, which holds information about jobs.

The Address Index consists of all addresses in the UK, from houses to care homes, universities, and even castles. This is supported by the Geography Index which includes postal and statistical geographies. Together these are known as the Location Index.

The Business Index is a list of all UK businesses and is also supported by the Classifications Index.

The five indexes help us understand things like where people live, what jobs they have, and where businesses are located. These tables link all the information together using a special ID, making it easier to find and use the data.

We also use cross-index association to make connections across indexes, such as linking a business on the Business Index to an address and its related local authority in the Location Index.

Imagine using different pieces of information to find out how education affects jobs in different places. The RDMF helps us to do this quickly and accurately.

Using this framework saves time and money, makes data more reliable, and ensures that personal information is protected.

For more information, see our A Quick Introduction to the Reference Data Management Framework (PowerPoint, 588KB) and our Reference Data Management Framework Overview Digital Booklet (PowerPoint, 1.33MB).

The Reference Data Management Framework (RDMF) allows us to use de-identified data for linkage. This means that personal data like names, addresses, or phone numbers are removed or hidden. This is done to protect people's privacy and keep their information safe. For example, if you had a list of your friends' favourite ice cream flavours but you took off their names and gave them a random number instead, that list would be de-identified.

Using de-identified data is important because it helps researchers and companies study information without knowing who it belongs to. This way, they can learn new things and make better decisions without invading anyone's privacy. It's like looking at a completed puzzle without seeing the individual pieces. This helps keep everyone's personal information private and secure.

To keep information safe, we use something called the Five Safes framework, which is a set of principles that enable data services to provide safe research access to data. These are like five big locks that protect our data. Only trained people can see the data, and they have to follow strict rules. The data are stored in a secure place, and before anyone can use them, they need permission.

The more information you have about a person, the easier it is to identify who that person is. This is always the case with linked data, even when they are de-identified. For example, if you joined your de-identified list of ice creams to your friends' favourite songs and you heard one of your friends humming their favourite tune, you might be able to work out which is their favourite ice cream, even if their name is not shown.

We guard against re-identification in the RDMF through numerous measures under the Five Safes framework. Most importantly, data will never be removed from our secure systems unless they have been through Statistical Disclosure Control (PDF, 964KB). For more information on de-identified data, please contact RDMF.Products@ons.gov.uk.

We have created Reference Data Management Framework (RDMF) diagrams that show what each index is and what sources of data are included in each index. To request these or text describing the diagrams, please contact RDMF.Products@ons.gov.uk.

Demographic Index

This index shows information about people across several years. It includes things like people's details, student records, and birth and death records. The index itself is not available to the public, so personal data are protected.

Business Index

This index helps the businesses and organisations in the country. It includes information about different companies, like their names, addresses, and what they do. This helps us to keep track of how many organisations and businesses there are, their size, location, and how they are changing over time. This helps the government understand aspects of employment and the economy.

Location Index

The Address Index, which is a list of all the places in the UK, and the Geography Index, which includes statistical, health and administrative geographies, make up the Location Index. The Location Index tells us about specific places, like cities or towns, and uses data from things like addresses and maps. This allows us to understand regional differences in statistics or to analyse data on households.

Classification Index

The classification Index includes two main references that support the other indexes. The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) is a system used to classify and categorise businesses and industries, and the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) is a system used to classify and characterise occupations based on the tasks and responsibilities of each job.