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What are best practices for managing and storing sensitive research data?

My project involves sensitive health surveys. I have signed consent forms and identifiable data. What are the concrete steps for secure storage, sharing with the team, and long-term archiving that comply with ethics and data protection laws (like GDPR)?

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By Tom Kwon Answered 10 months ago

Handling sensitive data requires a formal, auditable chain of custody. First, de-identify data immediately: replace names with unique ID codes, and store the master key linking IDs to names in a separate, encrypted file. Store all data on university-approved, encrypted servers or drives—never on personal laptops or cloud services like Dropbox without institutional approval. Use VPNs for remote access. For sharing with team members, use access-controlled folders and keep access logs. Your IRB-approved protocol should detail all this in a Data Management Plan (DMP). For long-term archiving, most universities have secure data repositories. Remember, confidentiality is a legal and ethical promise; a breach can end your study and career. When in doubt, consult your institution's data protection officer.

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