What practice should not be followed when storing confidential, sensitive, and/or personal data?

The correct answer highlights that keeping personal information in the data files should not be practiced when storing confidential, sensitive, and/or personal data. Maintaining personal identifiers within the same dataset complicates the protection of participant confidentiality and increases the risk of unintended disclosure.

In research, it is crucial to anonymize or de-identify data, which involves separating personal information from the data being analyzed or shared. This separation reduces the potential harm to participants if the data were to be accessed by unauthorized individuals, as the lack of direct identifiers makes it more difficult to connect data back to individual participants.

Effective data management practices prioritize confidentiality and the ethical responsibility researchers have to protect personal information from unauthorized access, ensuring that participants’ privacy is maintained throughout the research process.