Qualidata in Secure Data Facilities?

While (sensitive) personal data has been available for researchers via secure access through Trusted Research Environments (TREs) for some time, currently this is not an option for sensitive qualitative data. However, there is huge interest in unlocking the potential in the enormous collections of qualitative data, especially where this data holds particular historical value and/or captures voices of hard-to-reach populations. The main reason for sensitive qualitative data not being made available via TREs is that there is a lack of agreed review guidelines which would allow qualitative outputs to be checked for disclosure. One method would be to employ quantitative Statistical Disclosure Control and validate its usability for qualitative data. However, the range of methods and data formats is greater for qualitative than quantitative data, requiring further conceptualization of what disclosure risks look like in research outputs. In group discussions with the International Secure Data Facility Professionals Network (ISDFPN), which includes a range of perspectives, such as archivists, researchers, and users of data for secondary analysis, we have explored current practices in national and international TREs successfully making sensitive quantitative data available and now seeking solutions to making sensitive qualitative data available. The goal of this exercise was to set out how sensitive qualitative data could be made available while mitigating potential disclosure risks.
The talk will present our findings regarding current practices and potential solutions which outline safeguarding measures. In this discussion, we explore the potential for standardised procedures which would enable secure access to sensitive qualitative data. Following on from that, our talk will invite the audience, using Mentimeter, to start thinking about solutions for sensitive qualitative data being made available for research via TREs.