IDCC26: Workshop 6 - Be ASSURED! Doing safe research with unsafe data.

When working with data in research, there is the risk that the outputs of the research could lead to harm. This could be because a publication reveals personal information about a Data Subject or (mis)attributes something sensitive to a group of people. Although usually accidental, once in the public domain, such publications could be used maliciously, perhaps even by authoritarian groups seeking to justify their actions. For example, study results could attribute criminal tendencies to an already stigmatised group such as children of single parents or immigrant groups from certain populations.

The ASSURED project is developing a training and accreditation scheme aimed at researchers and professionals who handle sensitive research data with a particular focus on techniques such as Statistical Disclosure Control to reduce the likelihood that results could lead to harm. In this workshop, we will explore the issues that might emerge from results generated from sensitive research data, and the basic principles through which Safe Outputs can be produced. One key feature of ASSURED is a focus on interactive training, whereby participants are encouraged to debate and discuss the topics. This training is not only relevant for researchers, but also for professionals involved in making sensitive data available.