Guides: Research Data Management: Ethics and Compliance

Sensitive Data

Not all data can or need to be open. Neither Scholars Portal Borealis or FRDR are appropriate to store sensitive or restricted data and you will have to de-identify and anonymize your data before you can publish it.

Human Participant Data
- Such as biographical data and human biological material
- Ensure you have consent to share this data and de-identify participants
- Contact the Ontario Tech Research Ethics Board for more information
Indigenous-owned Data
- Includes data collected from Indigenous people, Indigenous lands, water, and ice
- Must receive consent from the affected Indigenous community leaders to share data
- For more information see:
  - The First Nations Principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP™)
  - First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). A First Nations Data Governance Strategy. March 30, 2020.
  - Inuit Tapiriiti Kanatami (ITK) and Nunavut Research Institute Negotiating Research Relationships with Inuit Communities: A Guide for Researchers
  - ITK’s National Inuit Strategy on Research
  - National Aboriginal Health Organization’s Principles of Ethical Métis Research
  - Global Indigenous Data CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance
Location information
- Includes data collected of vulnerable species, from field sites in protected areas, from sensitive archaeological sites, or from private property where consent to reveal location was not obtained, could devalue property, cause stigmatization, or endanger vulnerable species
- For more information consult:
  - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
  - Global Biodiversity Information Facility’s Guide to Best Practices for Generalizing Sensitive Species-Occurrence Data

Source: FRDR. (n.d.). Preparing Your Data. FRDR-DFDR. Retrieved January 29, 2021, from https://www.frdr-dfdr.ca/docs/en/preparing_your_data/#choosing-preservation-friendly-file-formats

Adapted from Research Data Engagement https://libguides.unbc.ca/rdm

Indigenous Data

Indigenous-owned Data includes data collected from Indigenous People, Indigenous lands, water, and ice. Researchers must receive consent from the affected Indigenous community leaders to share data. This applies to all research conducted with Indigenous-owned Data both in Canada and internationally.

For more information, visit:

The First Nations Principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP™)
First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). A First Nations Data Governance Strategy. March 30, 2020.
Inuit Tapiriiti Kanatami (ITK) and Nunavut Research Institute Negotiating Research Relationships with Inuit Communities: A Guide for Researchers
ITK’s National Inuit Strategy on Research
National Aboriginal Health Organization’s Principles of Ethical Métis Research
Global Indigenous Data CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance

Best Practices When Working with Sensitive Data

Encrypt computer hard drives and other devices to prevent unauthorized access to information
Do not use Dropbox, Google Drive, and other free cloud services to store sensitive data
Do not collect personal information unless absolutely necessary and de-identify data immediately. Segregate personal information from the other data collected.
For more information refer to the Sensitive Data Toolkit for Researchers by Portage Network Sensitive Data Expert Group

Source: Kaitlyn Gutteridge. (2015). Data Privacy and Information Security: Researcher Checklist. UBC. https://universitycounsel.ubc.ca/files/2015/08/UBC-Checklist-for-Privacy-in-Research_Updated-August-2015.pdf

Adapted from Research Data Engagement https://libguides.unbc.ca/rdm