We have probably all seen news stories about public data loss, e.g. where a memory stick containing millions of people’s personal details was lost by the Department for Work and Pensions, where the Home Office lost data on 130,000 serious offenders, or when there was significant data loss at the University of Southampton after a serious fire and the data were not properly backed up.

The kind of incidents noted above not only represent a serious issue for those whose data has been lost, but invite negative associations with the institution that was supposed to keep these data safe. There can also be negative consequences for research itself; the general public are, quite understandably, less likely to feel confident about volunteering their data when they hear about such security breaches and loss. A drop in response rates is not good for research!

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Last modified: Monday, 11 January 2021, 1:45 PM