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If you are storing sensitive data about identifiable people, that data must be securely stored, for example, on an encrypted laptop or on a secure, password protected UOB system. Sensitive data must not be stored insecurely or on non-UOB systems. See the University Secretary's research pages for further information. See also further information about encryption.

The table below is not an exhaustive list, but is a call to adopting a common-sense approach to your research. The Data Protection Act is not there to get in your way, but to ensure confidentiality of sensitive data about other people. You must gain the consent of data subjects to hold personal data - and also remember that the data subjects have a right of access to see what data is being held about them.  See the University Secretary's Data Protection Act guidance for further information.

Don't Do
  • Don't randomly accrue data on the basis that it might be useful sometime.
  • Don't collect data that you do not need.
  • Do plan carefully what data you need to collect.
  • Do monitor data requirements throughout your research project to ensure that you are only collecting required data.
  • Don't store data about identifiable individuals or otherwise sensitive data on a non-secure computer.
  • Do make data anonymous so that individuals cannot, by any means, be identified. 
  • Do use encrypted storage media or hard drive for storing any sensitive data - see your departmental IT Support Staff for further information.
  • Don't reuse data for other purposes. 
  • Do delete data once no longer required for the use for which it was gathered.
  • Don't keep sensitive data beyond the end of the research project.
  • Do delete sensitive data when you don't need it anymore - keeping it is a risk, and it'll go out of date.
  • Don't  just assume that the way you are conducting your research is ok.
  • Do seek advice from the Information Rights Officer based in the University Secretary’s Office.
Some research data must be maintained, and if there is nothing sensitive in it that isn't a problem. One of the criticisms levelled at the climate scientists at UEA is that they prematurely deleted raw temperature data which is academically valuable and if available would allow their work to be independently validated.