SACRO in a Federated Ecosystem: PANORAMA Work Package 3 Final Report
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This report presents the findings of PANORAMA Work Package 3, which evaluated the Semi-Automated Checking of Research Outputs (SACRO) tools and examined their potential role in supporting Output Statistical Disclosure Control (OSDC) both within individual Trusted Research Environments (TREs) and across federated networks.Through testing, ACRO was found to perform well for supported analytical methods, offering consistent, auditable disclosure checks and an accessible workflow for researchers. In parallel with technical assessment, PANORAMA conducted interviews and consultations across TREs to produce Federated OSDC Principles—guidance outlining the operational, governance, and policy alignments required to safely and consistently conduct output checking in a federated context. This work highlights that federated OSDC poses significant operational challenges that cannot be solved through technology alone. The report also evaluates whether SACRO could act as one of the “sets of eyes” in the Four Eyes Principle in OSDC. SACRO can provide a reliable, standardised first-pass assessment but SACRO in a Federated Ecosystem cannot replace the contextual judgement of a human reviewer. Its most appropriate current role is as a supporting tool to enhance, rather than substitute for, expert oversight.
Institution: University of Sheffield
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7119084978