Protecting Research Data
Protecting research data, whether it is the result of survey responses, laboratory experimentation, clinical trials, or creative work, is the responsibility of every researcher.
Select the "Check" or the "Cross" according to whether you think each protection described is appropriate or not appropriate, then read the feedback text to find out if you are correct. Use the "Next" button to move on to the next statement.
Reflect on the three statements, and consider if they are correct or incorrect. Then continue on for some feedback.
Statement 1 of 3
Once survey data is de-identified, it is impossible for the identity of a participant to be inferred and hence extreme protection is not necessary.
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Incorrect. Even when de-identified, it may be possible to infer the identity of a survey respondent by cross-referencing certain variables such as academic department, position, second language spoken, age, sex, and race. Data must be coded in a manner that prevents anyone from inferring the identity of participants, and protected even when de-identified.
Correct. Even when de-identified, it may be possible to infer the identity of a survey respondent by cross-referencing certain variables such as academic department, position, second language spoken, age, sex, and race. Data must be coded in a manner that prevents anyone from inferring the identity of participants, and protected even when de-identified.
Whether it is a research notebook, research electronic files, or field notes, it is the researcher's responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the contents in a manner that minimizes the risk of inadvertently exposing the information. Safeguarding content includes understanding that research data and results belong to whoever is paying the bills, regardless of who is actually conducting the project.
Importantly, even if you are not a human subjects researcher or do not have patentable results, you may at times be a participant in a study or handle other individuals' personal information as an employee. Knowing the terminology and basic legal rules associated with data protection is a valuable and transferrable skill.