How do you ensure the privacy and confidentiality of research participants' social media profiles? - Navigating Careers in Education with Purpose

Sample interview questions: How do you ensure the privacy and confidentiality of research participants’ social media profiles?

Sample answer:

Obtain Informed Consent:
Explicitly obtain written informed consent from participants before accessing or analyzing their social media profiles.
Clearly explain the purpose of the research, how their social media data will be used, and how their privacy will be protected.
Provide participants with the option to withdraw their consent at any time.
Anonymize or De-Identify Data:
Anonymize social media data by removing personal identifiers such as names, profile pictures, and location information.
Use pseudonyms or unique identifiers to replace personal information.
Ensure that the anonymized data cannot be traced back to individual participants.
Limit Access to Data:
Restrict access to social media data to authorized researchers only.
Implement secure data storage and access protocols, such as password protection and encryption.
Regularly monitor and audit access to the data to prevent unauthorized use.
Educate Participants About Privacy Settings:
Provide participants with information about privacy settings on social media platforms.
Encourage participants to adjust their privacy settings to limit the visibility of their personal information.