Hands connecting an archive drive while a code-key envelope remains separate
Unique faceless editorial photograph created for this research workflow.
01 / PRIVACY QUESTION

Separate working and retained states

Do analysis on a controlled working copy and keep an approved retained copy from being silently replaced by edits.

Separate editable working copies from encrypted retained copies; show safe import and lock/unlock boundaries

Practical scenario

A researcher finishes redaction and imports a transcript into an encrypted archive, then continues editing a copy outside it. Weeks later the team cannot tell which version is authoritative or whether the archived file contains the final redactions.

02 / WORKFLOW CONTROL

Verify before locking

Confirm participant code, transcript version and redaction status before importing. Test retrieval with harmless sample data.

  1. 01Confirm the participant code, version and redaction status before import.
  2. 02Use a stable filename and an internal version record rather than personal names.
  3. 03Verify the archive opens with harmless test data before adding study material.
  4. 04Import the approved retained copy and confirm its checksum or equivalent integrity marker.
  5. 05Restrict or retire uncontrolled duplicates after the verified copy is available.
03 / DECISION RECORD

Leave evidence another custodian can follow

The archive log should identify the retained version, import date, custodian, approved access group, integrity check and recovery test date. Keep the log free of transcript quotations and direct identifiers.

Pause and review when

  • The archive contains files called final, final2 and final-new.
  • Researchers routinely export plaintext copies and leave them in download folders.
  • No one can identify the recovery owner or last successful restore.
04 / TECHNICAL BOUNDARY

Encryption does not decide permitted research use

Does not replace provider permissions, guaranteed backup, password recovery or enterprise identity management. Pseudonymized data can remain sensitive, especially when indirect identifiers or a usable code key exist. Technical protection must sit inside the approved research workflow rather than replace it.

Document the decisionRecord the data state, approved roles, participant code convention, storage location, recovery owner and review date without copying identifiers into the log.
05 / COMMON QUESTIONS

Questions to resolve before acting

Can encryption correct a bad archive decision?

No. It protects the bytes placed inside; it cannot determine whether the file was correctly redacted, current or permitted to retain.

Should the only copy be moved into a new vault immediately?

Use harmless test data first, then follow a controlled migration with a verified source and recovery copy. Avoid experimenting on the only good record.

PRIMARY REFERENCES

Sources for this decision

Links are selected for the question on this page, not to meet a link quota. They do not imply endorsement. Institutional, IRB, consent, legal and funder requirements control the actual study; this independent resource does not make an IRB or regulatory determination.