Module 17:
Reporting and Recording Data
Overview
This module is focused on saving data and securely storing it.
Learning outcomes: You'll know where to store, what to store, and how to store our collected data!
What we'll do: Review best practices and start getting comfortable with different kinds of data!
So much to store, in so much space!
Data... From What?
We've talked a lot about the different kinds of data we'll be collecting. Life event calendars, focus groups, program data, literature reviews, interviews - it's a lot to keep track of!
Since we have so much to manage, let's start by nailing down the basics: which ones are qualitative and which ones are quantitative data?
Qualitative (remember: text, images, observations!)
Focus groups
Interviews
Literature reviews
Quantitative (remember: numbers!)
Life event calendars
Program data
Literature reviews
Data can be fluid too - notice that literature reviews may provide us with both kinds of data. That's because we'll be reading up on projects which use quantitative data, qualitative data, or both - just like ours!
Data... What Data?
Every method of collection we're using will end up resulting in a different kind of data for storage. That also means everything has different protocols on how to store it. We'll cover those next!
First though, we need to establish what we're storing:
LECs - Qualtrics will save the responses we input for us. When it's time to use that data for analysis, we'll download it, most likely as a spreadsheet
Focus Groups - Notes you take during the conversations, and recordings, if participants consent. Remember not to save names in the notes!
Interviews - Notes summarizing responses, and recordings, if the interviewed person consents. Just like focus groups, remember not to save anything which might identify the person.
Program Data - This will depend on the site, but most likely data such as attendance, any sort of behavioral write ups, and meeting notes/plans.
Literature Review - Notes, summaries, and important pieces from previous research. This might be the numbers from a model or a description of a mentoring program!
How to Store Data
The specific rules and practices we have for data storage are called protocols. These are standardized across Urban, as a way to make sure everyone is keeping data safe - it's important to make sure only people who should be able to can access data! This boils down to our commitment to ethics as researchers. When people give us permission to collect any information about them, we owe it to them to make sure we respect their right to privacy and confidentiality.
As such, we've going to be storing our data in one of two ways, each of which is secure and limited only to project staff!
Y: Drive - is an encrypted storage drive we use for particularly sensitive stuff. We'll be saving anything with identifiable information here. Think of encryption like a bank vault with a very difficult combination to crack - then multiply it by five... hundred.
Box - we talked a little about Box earlier, but we'll be storing things such as notes, program data, and literature review information here.
Both of these storage devices are accessible through the internet, but to access the Y: Drive, you'll need special access with an encryption key, and to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) which allows your computer to be connected securely to Urban servers!
The Takeaway: Securely storing data is just as important as collecting it. We owe it to participants to protect the information they present to us. We have multiple kinds of data, and multiple ways we'll manage the storage of it.