Open your data for research for any researcher from anywhere using the most suitable method within a code-to-data approach. Maximize the research value of your data in a secure manner.
Do research with sensitive data from anywhere without the need to travel to the data. Contact us to learn how Josua and the IDSC dataverse can solve your publication requirements.
Enabling supply & demand for sensitive research data to meet in a user-friendly, secure and GDPR-compatible manner whenever any other possible way for doing so fails.
Here some comments of what our users say about their experience with JOSUA.
"Thanks to creative and competent solutions of IZA, we can provide remote access to our users and thus great spatial and temporal flexibility in data analysis."
“Remote execution with JOSUA is one of the most important data access options for our users, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, JOSUA facilitates working processes at the Research Data Center (FDZ) regarding data security and access.“
"Our research data center users appreciate IQB’s remote access via JOSUA very much. In this way, sensitive data can also be provided with secure access for which otherwise only on-site use would be possible."
"IZA JOSUA team is very capable and helpful. Their expertise makes it so much easier for me as a researcher who want to find a trustworthy place to store our data and code in order to satisfy the replication requirement for publication, while still maintain the confidentiality of the data. We just decided to use it for our most recent work again."
"I'm glad JOSUA exists. This saves me a lot of business trips to data centers and I can achieve my analyses at a place of my choice."
"I must say that my experience with this offer has been extremely positive. The flexibility that you gain from remote access is very helpful."
"The use of JOSUA has made my life as a researcher much easier: it tremendously speeded up the empirical work on various projects with large and sensitive data. I am sure that some of the projects would not have turned out successfully without JOSUA.”
"JOSUA - a great service that allows me to work with sensitive microdata despite the strict German data protection rules.”
"My experience with JOSUA is entirely positive. In particular, the simultaneous processing of submitted analysis scripts and the immediate availability of the results make remote processing a real alternative to time- and cost-intensive visits to Research Data Centers."
"My team is happy to be able to work with JOSUA. Josua speeds up remote research and makes our work processes more flexible. Particularly during the pandemic restrictions that was helpful."
"I moved between continents while I was developing a project using IAB FDZ microdata. Without the possibility of remote work through JOSUA, it would have been impossible to complete the project. Josua's importance only grew during the COVID pandemic, when most offices were closed for in-person work. It additionally gave me the flexibility to work in different time zones, and during weekends."
"JOSUA has caused a profound effect on my data analysis efficiency. It has allowed me to access data when time or location would have otherwise made it impossible."
"JOSUA is a game changer for empirical researchers. I have found it incredibly easy to use and it has made a big difference in facilitating my work with administrative data."
"The JOSUA interface is extremely user friendly and allows for easy remote work with large microdata sets. It is a key tool for today's research that relies heavily on large microdata sets and easy access to these data."
JOSUA Web is a web application which allows researchers to upload research code to be run under a controlled environment and view publishable research results.
The code goes to the data
The researcher never leaves their home or office
The data never leaves its premises
Scalability and Performance
JOSUA direct provides a virtual desktop which runs in your browser and can be built using commercial or open source ingredients.
PILS principle: access on the basis of Person, Institution, Legal conditions and Scientific project
Researchers can view the data on the screen
Export / Import gateway: GDPR censorship
Integrates with JOSUA web
JOSUA supports a wide range of well-known statistical software packages for modern empirical research.
We are a complete solution for all your remote data access needs.
Project/Job overview for researchers and custodians
Choose by project/user whether to start compute jobs automatically or manually
Active directory support
Easy user and project management
Easy management of compute resources
Choose by project/user whether to release output results automatically or manually
Input filters
Output filters
Manual and automatic filtering
Email notifications for researchers and data custodians
Write your own filters in a programming language of your choice
GDPR conformal
Push-button replications for respositories
As a data provider you know that the stakes are high. Your data is sensitive and hence valuable. It needs to remain safe while it is being opened for research. You want to inspect incoming code before it runs against your data as well as output results before they are released to your roaming researchers for publication. As you get to know what the do’s and don’ts of your data are you can start programming rules (filters) for inbound jobs (e.g. to prevent certain code or commands from running at all) or outbound results (e.g. for compliance with privacy laws) to reduce the amount of work you do manually. You can use the programming language of your choice to do so.
Download the JOSUA 3 filter guideUse JOSUA to open your data for research.
Runs on own hardware and software
Integrates in your current IT infrastructure
Your datasets never leave your premises
No hardware costs
No technical knowhow needed
Fast & Scalable
Runs in a certified enviroment for secure data processing
No hardware costs
No technical knowhow needed
Fast & Scalable
These research data centers already used JOSUA to open their data for roaming research.
Some questions we got frequently from Researchers and Data Providers regarding to JOSUA.
External-libraries are available both during on-site visit and in remote data access from an offline repository in JOSUA and must be installed manually. Only if external command libraries are not part of the repository, they can be uploaded via JOSUA and are then available for remote data processing as well as for on-site visits.
Yes. You can merge external variables on an aggregated level (districts, geocodes etc.). But, an upload of aggregated data with JOSUA is not intended and must pass inspection and approval first.
All input and generated outputs are stored and logged with a time stamp in a comprehensible manner for every user and project on an individual level, regardless of whether the respective inquiry is successful or not.
Filter settings can be designed individually for each platform. The most restrictive setting is a manual check of all syntax inputs and result outputs. Automatic rules for incoming syntax and outputs can also be defined for command combinations, impermissible commands or numbers.
Contact us and we'll get back to you as soon as possible with a solution to whatever issues you're having with JOSUA.
