Working with sensitive research data

Tuesday, 16 June 2026, 11am to 1pm

A workshop outlining some of the key principles to bear in mind when working with sensitive or restricted research; whether collected yourself or obtained from a third-party source such as a data archive. Issues of confidentiality, informed consent, cybersecurity and data management will be covered. Examples of scenarios or concerns drawn from the research of participants are particularly welcome. The role of support services at Oxford will also be outlined and in particular the role of the Bodleian Data Librarian who will lead the session. Follow up consultations with the Data librarian or other subject consultants are also offered. Topics to be covered include:

Key best practice principles when working with sensitive or restricted research data
Issues around creating original data
Informed consent agreements
Maximising the usage potential of data during and after a project
Strengths and weaknesses of anonymisation, data blurring and similar techniques
Key strategies for protecting data including encryption, embargoes, future vetting and access restrictions
Obligation put on researchers by legislation and research partners

Speaker(s): John Southall (Bodleian Libraries), Dan Crane (Bodleian Libraries)

Series: Bodleian iSkills - Workshops in Information Discovery and Scholarly Communications

Department: Bodleian Information Skills (Unit)

Organiser: Helen Bond

Register here: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ask/workshops#/course/OXFORDBODL/ISKILL0076