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| dcc:pdpsol:dataminimization [2026/03/23 13:51] – marlon | dcc:pdpsol:dataminimization [2026/04/29 13:52] (current) – add comment solveig about contact information in surverys marlon | ||
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| ===== Introduction ===== | ===== Introduction ===== | ||
| - | Data minimization is one of the data protection principles that form the basis of the GDPR. It states that the processing of personal data should be // | + | **Data minimization is one of the data protection principles that form the basis of the GDPR. It states that the processing of personal data should be // |
| + | ** | ||
| When designing your research, it is important to consider the personal data required to answer your research questions, as well as the level of detail needed and any data that may be collected automatically due to your chosen method. The data minimization practices introduced below will help you to implement data minimization in your own research. | When designing your research, it is important to consider the personal data required to answer your research questions, as well as the level of detail needed and any data that may be collected automatically due to your chosen method. The data minimization practices introduced below will help you to implement data minimization in your own research. | ||
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| In all types of research, it is important to consider the level of detail of the variables you selected. | In all types of research, it is important to consider the level of detail of the variables you selected. | ||
| - | Collecting **demographics** about your research participants is important | + | Collecting **demographics** about your research participants is important to investigate whether certain groups are represented in your sample or behave differently, |
| - | This concept is also relevant if you use certain variables as an **independent variable** in your research. For example, if you want to collect location data, it is often unnecessary to know someone’s exact address or neighborhood in order to answer a research question. For example, if the goal is to compare happiness within different regions in a country, broader categories such as rural versus urban areas may be sufficient. However, in some situations, it might be necessary to collect more detailed or high granular | + | This concept is also relevant if you use certain variables as an **independent variable** in your research. For example, if you want to collect location data, it is often unnecessary to know someone’s exact address or neighbourhood |
| - | ==== Take into account the effort of research participation | + | === Take into account the effort of research participation === |
| - | Although it is important to consider what personal data you need for your research, it is also important to be mindful of the effort and strain participation may place on data subjects. This means you should limit the collection of personal data to what you need for your research. However, you should also respect participants’ time and effort, and avoid designing studies that require participants to take part multiple times due to narrowly defined research questions. This is particularly important when working with vulnerable or hard-to-reach groups. In such cases, it is advisable to design studies that can address several relevant questions at once, thereby maximizing the value of participants’ contributions while minimizing their strain. | + | Although it is important to consider what personal data you need for your research, it is also important to be mindful of the effort and strain participation may place on your participants. This means you should limit the collection of personal data to what you need for your research. However, you should also respect participants’ time and effort, and avoid designing studies that require participants to take part multiple times due to narrowly defined research questions. This is particularly important when working with vulnerable or hard-to-reach groups. In such cases, it is advisable to design studies that can address several relevant questions at once, thereby maximizing the value of participants’ contributions while minimizing their strain. |
| ==== Use consistent file naming and version control ==== | ==== Use consistent file naming and version control ==== | ||
| Organize your data consistently by using a file naming strategy and good folder structure. The [[https:// | Organize your data consistently by using a file naming strategy and good folder structure. The [[https:// | ||
| - | * Do not include contact information | + | * Do not include contact information, other (parts of) personal data or any information relating to your participants |
| - | * Add version numbers to your file names to easily track of the different versions of processed data you are storing. | + | * Add version numbers to your file names to easily |
| * It is good practice to create a version control table to keep track of different versions. The version control table can include information on different version numbers, authors, notes, and when the file was last updated. The table can also include a summary of the differences between the current version and previous versions. The version control table can be an independent text file, or it can be included at the top of your document, scripts, or other files. | * It is good practice to create a version control table to keep track of different versions. The version control table can include information on different version numbers, authors, notes, and when the file was last updated. The table can also include a summary of the differences between the current version and previous versions. The version control table can be an independent text file, or it can be included at the top of your document, scripts, or other files. | ||
| - | * Using a version control table in combination with consistent file naming allows you to securely delete | + | * Using a version control table in combination with consistent file naming allows you to securely delete versions of your data with identifiable information about your participants as soon as these are no longer required for your research. |
| * Refer to the DCC website for more information on [[https:// | * Refer to the DCC website for more information on [[https:// | ||
| - | **Table | + | **Table |
| ---- | ---- | ||
| {{: | {{: | ||
| - | + | ===== Research-specific data minimization practices ===== | |
| - | + | ||
| - | ===== Research specific data minimization practices ===== | + | |
| ====Interviews, | ====Interviews, | ||
| ===Type of data=== | ===Type of data=== | ||
| - | Some data can reveal more information about an individual than others. Only use an extensive or detailed data collection method, if you also use this type of data to answer your research question. | + | Some data can reveal more information about an individual than others. Only use an extensive or detailed data collection method if you also use this type of data to answer your research question. |
| - | * **Video**: Observational research, facial expressions, | + | * **Video**: Observational research |
| - | * **Audio**: | + | * **Audio**: |
| - | * **Text**: Structured interviews | + | * **Text**: Structured |
| ===Contact information=== | ===Contact information=== | ||
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| Informed consent can reveal personal information about your participants. Minimize the amount of personal data on your consent form and plan to handle consent registration with care. Follow the practical guidelines on the DCC website about [[https:// | Informed consent can reveal personal information about your participants. Minimize the amount of personal data on your consent form and plan to handle consent registration with care. Follow the practical guidelines on the DCC website about [[https:// | ||
| - | ++++ Informed consent on paper | | + | ++++ (Click) |
| - | If you are conducting interviews or experiments, | + | If you are conducting interviews or experiments, |
| When asking for consent, ensure you collect only the personal data that is necessary: | When asking for consent, ensure you collect only the personal data that is necessary: | ||
| * If your objective is to collect anonymous data, do not ask for names, and signatures and do not use pseudonymization IDs in consent forms. | * If your objective is to collect anonymous data, do not ask for names, and signatures and do not use pseudonymization IDs in consent forms. | ||
| - | * If your objective is to collect (pseudonymized) personal data, do not ask for names, signatures on the consent form. Instead, use a pseudonymization ID in consent forms to prevent direct identification. Ensure this pseudonymization ID corresponds with name and/or contact details in a keyfile. At the relevant time in the project, remove the link between the consent form and the research data and the participant’s identity reported on the keyfile. For example, when you've started to analyze the data and the participants can no longer request their data to be removed (right to withdraw consent), as stated in the consent form. After the link between the pseudonymization ID and the identity of the participant | + | * If your objective is to collect (pseudonymized) personal data, do not ask for names, signatures on the consent form. Instead, use a [[pseudonymization|pseudonymization ID]] in consent forms to prevent direct identification. Ensure this pseudonymization ID corresponds with the name and/or contact details in a keyfile. At the relevant time in the project, remove the link between the consent form and the research data and the participant’s identity reported on the keyfile. For example, when you've started to analyze the data and the participants can no longer request their data to be removed (right to withdraw consent), as stated in the consent form. After the link between the pseudonymization ID and the identity of the participant |
| After you finish your research: | After you finish your research: | ||
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| ++++ | ++++ | ||
| - | ++++ Informed consent on audio | | + | ++++ (Click) |
| - | If you are conducting interviews, it is sometimes necessary to ask consent during the interview itself. Make sure to follow | + | If you are conducting interviews, it is sometimes necessary to ask consent during the interview itself. Make sure to follow |
| * Be aware that audio or video recordings of informed consent cannot be fully anonymized without altering their content; | * Be aware that audio or video recordings of informed consent cannot be fully anonymized without altering their content; | ||
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| ++++ | ++++ | ||
| ===Metadata=== | ===Metadata=== | ||
| - | Photo, video or audio files might contain a timestamp, date and depending on the equipment and settings also location. Check whether you can prevent the collection of these data or remove these metadata as soon as possible after collection. [[https:// | + | Photo, video or audio files might contain a timestamp, date and, depending on the equipment and settings, also location. Check whether you can prevent the collection of these data or remove these metadata as soon as possible after collection. [[https:// |
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| ===Contact information=== | ===Contact information=== | ||
| - | Do not collect contact information if you do not plan to contact your participants after you collected the data (e.g. in case of recruitment via social media, posters or third parties). The [[https:// | + | Do not collect contact information if you do not plan to contact your participants after you have collected the data (e.g. in case of recruitment via social media, posters or third parties). The [[https:// |
| === Informed Consent === | === Informed Consent === | ||
| Informed consent can reveal personal information about your participants. Minimize the amount of personal data on your consent form and plan to handle consent registration with care. Follow the practical guidelines on the DCC website about [[https:// | Informed consent can reveal personal information about your participants. Minimize the amount of personal data on your consent form and plan to handle consent registration with care. Follow the practical guidelines on the DCC website about [[https:// | ||
| - | ++++ Informed consent via an online platform | | + | ++++ (Click) |
| - | If you are conducting questionnaire research via an online platform (e.g., Qualtrics), you can ask consent via a question in the platform itself. Make sure to follow | + | If you are conducting questionnaire research via an online platform (e.g., Qualtrics), you can ask consent via a question in the platform itself. Make sure to follow |
| When asking for consent, ensure you collect only the personal data that is necessary: | When asking for consent, ensure you collect only the personal data that is necessary: | ||
| * If your objective is to collect anonymous or de-identified data, do not ask for names or other contact details for consent registration purposes. | * If your objective is to collect anonymous or de-identified data, do not ask for names or other contact details for consent registration purposes. | ||
| - | * If your objective is to collect identifiable or sensitive personal data, use a pseudonymization ID to prevent direct identification. At the relevant time in the project, remove the link between the consent and the participant’s identity reported in your keyfile. For example, when you've started to analyze the data and the participants can no longer request their data to be removed (right to withdraw consent), as stated in the consent form, or after you connected these data to other data (e.g. interview data). | + | * If your objective is to collect identifiable or sensitive personal data, use a [[pseudonymization|pseudonymization ID]] to prevent direct identification. At the relevant time in the project, remove the link between the consent and the participant’s identity reported in your keyfile. For example, when you've started to analyze the data and the participants can no longer request their data to be removed (right to withdraw consent), as stated in the consent form, or after you connected these data to other data (e.g. interview data). |
| ++++ | ++++ | ||
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| ===Data collection method=== | ===Data collection method=== | ||
| As a researcher, you can reduce the amount of personal data you collect when conducting social media research by carefully selecting your data collection method. Here are three common research approaches, with practical tips for each: | As a researcher, you can reduce the amount of personal data you collect when conducting social media research by carefully selecting your data collection method. Here are three common research approaches, with practical tips for each: | ||
| - | * **Social media data scraping** is the automated collection of user-generated content and metadata from platforms like X (Twitter) and Youtube | + | * **Social media data scraping** is the automated collection of user-generated content and metadata from platforms like X (Formerly |
| * **[[https:// | * **[[https:// | ||
| - | * **Manual data collection and observation** make it possible to already anonymously or pseudonymously collect certain | + | * **Manual data collection and observation** make it possible to carefully design your data collection and easily prevent the collection of identifiable |
| ===Contact information=== | ===Contact information=== | ||
| - | If you are [[https:// | + | If you are [[https:// |
| ===Metadata=== | ===Metadata=== | ||
| - | Photo, video or audio files might contain a timestamp, date and depending on the equipment and settings also location. Check whether you can prevent the collection of these data or remove these metadata as soon as possible after collection. [[https:// | + | Photo, video or audio files might contain a timestamp, date and, depending on the equipment and settings, also location. Check whether you can prevent the collection of these data or remove these metadata as soon as possible after collection. [[https:// |
| + | ---- | ||
| [[dcc: | [[dcc: | ||