Understanding natality data users' perceptions and preferences towards a query based noise addition approach based on differential privacy

This study aims to understand natality data users' perceptions towards the noise-added query answering approach. To this end, a web-based query interface has been developed to allow natality researchers to issue queries and receive noise-added results based on the differential privacy approach. A survey instrument has been developed to understand data users' perceptions and preferences towards this web-based querying system. To design the survey, the goal question metric paradigm is followed to define a measurement framework for differential privacy acceptance, in which, the survey questions are purposeful and quantitatively measurable. The pilot survey has provided a useful feedback. In the light of this feedback, a training tool is suggested to improve the study instrument in the full-scale project. The purpose of this tool is to set the context for the survey questions and provide in-depth information about differential privacy. In the long run, this survey will be controlled by the traditional statistical disclosure control in a comparative study, so that users will be given the chance to determine their preferences based on their research requirements.