Issues of Data Handling
Video Script
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The data collected for a human subjects project is being maintained in a personal computer at a computer laboratory facility. The computer is networked and has login and password protection. When storing data for a highly confidential human subjects project, the research staff person in charge of data collection realizes that the computer is maintained by a Local Area Network (LAN) administrator who is not involved in the human subjects project. The LAN administrator has been in charge of all the computers in the facility for a long time, and has access to all the data maintained in the computers in the facility. Their responsibilities include: d atabase administration & backup, setting of permissions for users of the network, database and other resources on the network. The administrator is also responsible for every device attached to the network. The PI wonders about the true confidential nature of all the human subjects data maintained in the computers in the facility and at the same time realizes that the LAN administrator’s technical expertise is often needed for dealing with problems related to hardware or software issues. Taking the role of the researcher, decide to act on one of the following options:
|  | The PI takes steps to prevent the LAN administrator from having any access to the human subjects data on the computers
|  | The PI allows the LAN administrator to have access to data stored on the network so if problems arise, they can assist the researcher staff.
|  | The PI allows the LAN administrator to have access to data stored on the network so if problems arise, they can assist the researcher staff. However, the PI considers having the LAN administrator sign a confidentiality agreement? The researcher also considers inform the participants about it.