Protecting Sensitive Data

What is sensitive data?

Sensitive data refers to any data that, if released to the public, would have an adverse effect or cause potential harm. In other words, sensitive data is data that must be protected against unwanted disclosure. Protecting sensitive data may be required for legal or ethical reasons, for personal privacy, or for proprietary considerations. 

***Any research conducted involving human subjects must go through the University of Windsor's Research Ethics Board.

Examples of sensitive data

Personal data: identifiers such as names or identification numbers, physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social characteristics, it also includes location data from GPS or mobile phones.
Confidential data: trade secrets, investigations, data protected by intellectual property rights. Also, security-related data such as passwords, financial information, national safety, etc.
Biological data: endangered (plant or animal) species, where their survival is dependent on the protection of their location data.
Combination of different datasets that can be combined or linked to reveal sensitive or personal data.

Guidance for protecting sensitive data

The following tools can aid in the management of sensitive research data:

• Glossary of Terms for Sensitive Data used for Research Purposes
• Human Participant Research Data Risk Matrix
• Samples of Research Data Management Language for Informed Consent
• ICSPR's guide for assessing disclosure risk
• Anonymising Qualitative Data (UK Data Archive)