Hosted by the DRAGoN research group based at the University of the West of England.

This workstream aims to explore methods for preserving confidentiality in qualitative research results.

This event is suitable for anyone responsible for, or interested in, disclosure control of research outputs based on confidential qualitative data.

When research data consists of personal identifiable information, there is a risk that publishing analyses will inadvertently release confidential information about data subjects.

Quantitative data has well-established practices to manage this risk. As well as statistical theory, there are widely used practical guidelines and teaching materials. Research in statistical disclosure control (SDC) was mostly sponsored by national statistics institutes (NSIs), which provided both the motivation and the market for the research.

In contrast, there are almost no guidelines for qualitative data. Researchers working with qualitative data must trust to their own judgment and experience, often without any training or mentoring. As well as increasing the risk of confidentiality breach, this is inefficient, as each generation must learn the same lessons for itself.

One reason for this is the sheer range of qualitative data: ethnographic studies, social media analyses, interviews, videos, clinical case studies, court records… Guidelines in one field may be meaningless in another. A subsidiary reason is that there is no equivalent of the NSI network to sponsor qualitative data research.

We think this needs to change. The aim of this workshop will be to

-review the current state of play;

-propose a plan of action and

-identify interested parties to take work forward.

The provisional structure will be

Understanding the problem

-Types of qualitative research -Risks and responses

-What can we learn from SDC?

Breakout groups to consider

(a) research questions (and if these are the right questions)

(b) subject-specific issues

Report back

Identifying

(a) a research plan

(b) collaborators

Any questions and queries please contact Lizzie Green elizabeth7.green@uwe.ac.uk