Good idea, wrong way
A leisure centre wants to find out why swimming lessons are nearly empty on Tuesdays. An analyst copies the whole member list, with names and health notes, onto her own laptop and starts work.
The question was fair. The way she worked was not. A safe and ethical analyst plans before she touches the data.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ethics | Ideas about what is right and wrong in how we act. |
| Personal data | Information about a living person who can be identified. |
| Purpose | The reason you are using the data. |
| Investigation | A piece of work to find the answer to a question. |
| Process | A set of steps that is repeated, such as a weekly report. |
| Procedure | The steps to follow to do a task the right way. |
| Informed consent | A person agrees after being told clearly how their data will be used. |
| Permission | Official approval to use or see data. |
| Data subject | The person the data is about. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can plan a data task for its purpose, check it is ethical, and carry it out following the organisation's policies.
Starter: last lesson
Have a go
Starter: last lesson
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Step 1: identify the purpose
Data work has a reason. It might be an investigation, such as why Tuesdays are quiet. It might be a process, such as a weekly attendance report. It might be a procedure, such as checking a customer's record when they call.
Write the purpose in one sentence. If you cannot, stop and ask.
Three kinds of purpose
| Kind | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation | A one-off question | Why are Tuesday lessons nearly empty? |
| Process | Steps that repeat on a schedule | A report every Monday morning |
| Procedure | Steps for one task done the right way | Check a member's record before a refund |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Step 2: assess the ethics
Ask four questions before you start. Has the person given informed consent for this use? Do I have the right permission and access? Is the data stored securely? Does the work protect the people in it?
If any answer is no, fix it first.