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Ethics

You will have to obtain IRB approval before collecting data from participants for research. You will have to describe how you will maintain data privacy and confidentiality and what kinds of data you will collect. 

It is always important to treat data from participants with care, such that it stays private and confidential. However, there is some data that requires additional steps to protect, and may mean you cannot use some methods of data collection or storage. Consider whether you have 

  • Personally Identifiable Information (PII)  - A person's name, identifier, or enough specific information that someone could figure out who they are.
  • Sensitive Information - Health, legal, or educational data that is protected by law or that could potentially cause harm to a person's reputation or personal safety were it to be revealed.