Researchers can include several additional protections to safeguard subject privacy and data confidentiality in their practice:
- Reporting data in aggregate form in publications so individual subjects are not identifiable.
- Keeping any key linking names to data responses in a secure location.
- Destroying all identifiers connected to data once no longer needed.
- Requiring all research team members to sign confidentiality agreements.
- Employing encryption to secure data from unauthorized access.
- Implementing anonymization by removing personally identifiable information.
- Enforcing access controls such as password protection and role-based permissions.
- Practicing data minimization by collecting only necessary information.
- Using secure data storage solutions, either physical or encrypted cloud servers.
- Complying with legal protections such as HIPAA, GDPR, and Certificates of Confidentiality where applicable.
These combined measures create a comprehensive framework to protect participant privacy and maintain data confidentiality throughout the research process.
Additionally, researchers are encouraged to assess privacy risks throughout the research lifecycle and implement measures appropriate to the nature and sensitivity of data collected, following institutional and disciplinary standards.
