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Strategies

Questions to consider regarding data management and participant re-identification

reflection-questions

“How are data being managed, stored, and represented? - What method is being used to secure and manage potentially sensitive data? - What unanticipated breaches might occur during or after the collection and storage of data or the production of reports?20 (For example, if an audience member recorded and posted sensitive material presented during an in-house research presentation, what harms might result? - If the researcher is required to deposit research data into a repository for future use by other researchers (or wishes to do so), what potential risks might arise? What steps should be taken to ensure adequate anonymity of data or to unlink this data from individuals? - What are the potential ethical consequences of stripping data of personally identifiable information?- How might removal of selected information from a dataset distort it such that it no longer represents what it was intended to represent? - If future technologies (such as automated textual analysis or facial recognition software) make it impossible to strip personally identifiable information from data sets in repositories, what potential risks might arise for individuals? Can this be addressed by the original researcher? If so, how? How will this impact subsequent researchers and their data management?” (Markham and Buchanan, 2012, p. 9-10)

Overarching Principles Respect for persons
Sources AoIR report 2