The Person Identification Validation System (PVS) is the Census Bureau’s production capability to verify and search for Social Security Numbers (SSNs) or Protected Identification Keys (PIKs) for person records in demographic surveys, censuses, or administrative records. The PIK is assigned independently and randomly to protect the privacy of the individual person. Used as unique person identifiers, PIKs facilitate record linkage across files while enhancing data confidentiality and privacy. The quality of the PVS research files depends on the technical ability to assign the correct person identifier across linked files.
As part of the Person Identification Validation System Assessment engagement with the Census Bureau, NORC has conducted a review of the Census Bureau’s record linkage methods associated with the PVS, as well as an environmental scan of record linkage methods used by other government agencies—both within and outside of the U.S.—and private enterprises. This report provides NORC’s assessment of the PVS to assign correct PIKs to a set of input records, as well as the PVS methods in the context of methods used by other public and private organizations. The technical assessment’s final report is available as a PDF:
PVS Assessment Final Report.Conferences and Dissemination
As part of this engagement, NORC is coordinating two conferences related to record linkage and the statistical use of administrative data.
May 2011: Personal Validation and Entity Resolution Conference
The Person Validation and Entity Resolution Conference was an information exchange among government, academic, and private sector practitioners of record linkage. The goal of the conference was to discuss applications of record linkage techniques with researchers and program managers from U.S. federal statistical agencies and other interested parties. Recent technological innovations have greatly advanced the process of linking survey and census data with administrative records data. Information related to the conference is provided below, and papers and PowerPoint presentations can be found in Data and Findings.