In need of research materials?
Obtaining information from the registers and systems maintained by the Legal Register Centre for research purposes is possible. Researchers may submit a request for information or apply a research permit from the Legal Register Centre.
Most of the information in the registers maintained by the Legal Register Centre is non-disclosable. Public access to the information held in the registers is regulated by the Act on the Openness of Government Activities and the Data Protection Act. Specific Acts, such as the Criminal Records Act, may also restrict public access to information. The data controller, i.e. the Legal Register Centre, decides on the disclosure of information from its registers.
A request for information must be submitted to receive any information from the Legal Register Centre regardless of whether the information is publicly available or non-disclosable. The request for information must specify the requested information. Send your request for information or enquiry to tietopalvelu.ork(at)om.fi.
Research permit application
If the requested information is non-disclosable, the researcher must apply for a research permit to obtain it. We recommend using the research permit application form (in finnish).
If necessary, the non-disclosure commitments can be submitted as a separate enclosure to the research permit application form. We recommend using the form available at https://turvaviesti.om.fi/salassapitositoumus.
The following must be attached to the research permit application:
- The research plan
- A record of processing activities in the research register (formerly the description of file)
- A statement by an ethics committee (for medical research)
Application for an amendment or extension of a permit
It is possible to apply for an amendment of a research permit or a permit on access to information by completing the application extension form (in Finnish). Use the form if any changes to the data processors have occurred, if the research materials need to be extended or if you need an extension to the granted time limit.
The application on an extension of a research permit and the enclosures can be submitted to the Legal Register Centre in one of the following ways:
- By email to tietopalvelu.ork(at)om.fi
- By post to Legal Register Centre/Criminal records, PO Box 157, FI-13101 Hämeenlinna, Finland
Research plan
In the research plan, the information held in the register must be linked to a specific project. An appropriate research plan also provides as much information as possible about the research task, the research materials and the research methods. For example, the research plan must specify the information required for carrying out the research and why the information is necessary.
The research plan must also include the following:
- A research schedule
- Information about the publication of the research results
- Usability of the research results
- Objectives of the research project
- Division of responsibility between the persons participating in the research project
- How the research materials will be handled during and after the research project
Statement by an ethics committee
In accordance with the Medical Research Act, an ethics committee must give a favourable opinion on the research plan before medical research is started. Prior ethical evaluation is mandatory for all medical research.
Impact assessment and application of codes of conduct
In scientific and historical research, it is possible to derogate from the data subject’s right of access, right to rectification, right to restriction of processing and right to object laid down in Articles 15, 16, 18 and 21 of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 if it is necessary for the performance of the research. A derogation is possible if
- the processing is based on an appropriate research plan;
- a person or team responsible for the research project has been named; and
- personal data will be used and disclosed only for the purposes of historical or scientific research or other compatible purposes and otherwise so that the data of specific individuals is not disclosed to any third parties.
If the data to be disclosed for research purposes contains personal data belonging to special categories of personal data or personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences, a derogation from the rights of the data subject also requires, under section 31 of the Data Protection Act (1050/2018), the preparation of an impact assessment under Article 35 of the GDPR or compliance with the code of conduct under Article 40 of the GDPR. The impact assessment must be submitted for information in writing to the Data Protection Ombudsman before starting the processing of data.
The impact assessment or the code of conduct applied to the research project should be enclosed with the research permit application.
For additional information and instructions on how to derogate from the data subject’s rights in connection with scientific and historical research, see the Data Protection Ombudsman’s website.
Applicable fees
The Legal Register Centre will disclose information free of charge if an electronically saved document is sent to the requester by email or the disclosure of a document falls within the authority’s obligation to give advice, consult or inform and the information is readily available. Materials such as statistics, reports, tables and record data are often disclosed free of charge, for example.
For information used for scientific research or other similar purposes, the Legal Register Centre charges EUR 50.93 per hour plus VAT at 25.5% for the retrieval and disclosure of information based on the decision of the Legal Register Centre on the criteria for charging fees.
If an external application provider needs to be used to retrieve the information, the Legal Register Centre will charge the costs arising from the use of the external provider in a manner to be separately agreed. For more information about fees applicable to the retrieval of information, please contact tietopalvelu.ork(at)om.fi.
Additional information:
Scientific research and data protection