Facing a trade-off between securing privacy and broadening availability of data, statistical agencies in North America have developed a method known as Onsite Research. Onsite Research provides a secured site in which scholars can use microdata. Although the geographical constraint is severe, scholars can use nearly whole datasets expect for identifiers. This article reports the organization and practice of Onsite Research Centers of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Census in the United States, and Statistical Canada. The report especially emphasizes on the legal aspects as well as the review process.
