New guide gives researchers more detailed guidance on the use of personal data in research

The University of Tartu Centre for Ethics invites researchers who come into contact with personal data in their research to familiarise themselves with the Guide for data protection in research, which aims to support university researchers in complying with the Code of conduct for research integrity.

The guide explains how legislation related to personal data protection affects research work and what the exceptions are. It also deals with the planning of research, data collection and analysis, and the publication and retention of data. No knowledge of data protection is required to read the guide.

“The guide aims to explain how to deal with personal data in research. The new guide is an excellent tool that explains the most important principles and concepts in a way that everyone can understand,” said one of the authors of the guide Marten Juurik, Junior Research Fellow in Ethics at the University of Tartu. “Researchers usually have to deal with data protection issues related to their research on their own. The guide could be helpful in situations like that,” Juurik added.

The guide was inspired by discussions on the intersection of good research practice and data protection, organised by the University of Tartu Centre for Ethics. The compiling of the guide was supported by a project of the University of Tartu’s development fund, “Implementing the code of conduct for research integrity and launching a faculty-based counselling system” (2020–2022). The authors of the guide are Marten Juurik, Terje Mäesalu and Tiiu Tarkpea, and editor Helika Mäekivi.