When collecting personal data: ensure that these are collected, stored, and used in accordance with the requirements of the GDPR. When in doubt, contact your institution’s data steward. Whenever possible, anonymize data to protect participants’ identities and privacy.

When working with participants, always ensure that they are fully informed about the purpose of the research, how their data will be used, and their rights regarding data protection.

Other important issues to consider are data retention (only retain data for as long as necessary for the research purposes – but do consider the importance of the possibility for reuse by other researchers as well) and data access.

Last updated: 1-Oct-2025