The SOAR project is exploring ways to make checking research outputs in Trusted Research Environments (TREs) faster, more efficient, and just as secure.
TREs – also called Secure Data Environments (SDEs) – provide safe access to sensitive research data, but every output from a research project must currently be checked manually to prevent accidental disclosure. This can be time-consuming, especially in large environments like the ONS Secure Research Service (SRS), one of the UK’s largest TREs, supporting over 800 research projects using 140+ de-identified, unpublished datasets.
SOAR (Semi-Automated Output Assessment and Review) is one of the DARE UK Early Adopter projects launched in March 2025. Led by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the project is working with researchers and the SRS to test a semi-automated output-checking tool developed through TREvolution, the DARE UK programme of work transforming how TREs operate.
The project aims to see whether semi-automated checking can improve efficiency while maintaining robust security and compliance standards. The tool is designed to highlight potential statistical disclosure risks in research outputs, supporting human reviewers rather than replacing them.
What SOAR hopes to achieve
By the end of the project, SOAR will:
- Test remote access – assessing whether researchers can safely and effectively use the semi-automated research output checking tool from within the SRS.
- Evaluate effectiveness – comparing how well the tool identifies disclosure risks versus existing manual checking.
- Support wider adoption – providing recommendations for integrating semi-automated checking into standard TRE business processes, making research output review faster and more scalable.
Progress so far
SOAR has gotten off to a good start in its first few months. The project team has:
- Completed internal testing of the ACRO Package (in Python – a software programming language) and SACRO Output Viewer, successfully integrating them into the SRS environment.
- Identified and begun resolving compatibility issues with STATA and R (statistical software packages) versions of the ACRO Package, collaborating with the product owner, University of the West of England (UWE).
- Secured participation from three trusted external organisations to test the tools in real research settings, providing insights on usability and accessibility.
How SOAR supports TREvolution
SOAR is directly helping TREvolution by piloting a key new capability in a real-world TRE. By testing semi-automated output checking at scale, the project is showing how UK TREs can operate more efficiently, maintain security, and scale up to support more researchers and projects.
Together with other Early Adopters, SOAR is helping TREs become faster, safer, and more effective – while keeping public trust at the centre of sensitive data research.
About the DARE UK Early Adopters
The DARE UK Early Adopters are pioneering projects helping to put the standards and innovations assembled through TREvolution into practice. Working across more than 10 Trusted Research Environments (TREs), including five sub-national NHS SDEs in England, these projects bring together researchers, TRE operators and members of the public. Their role is to test the new approaches in real-world settings, making sure they are practical, effective and safe before being more widely adopted for research in the public interest.
