Confidential data and integrity in criminology: a practical example
Criminology has to do with sensitive and confidential data. This contribution deals with the safe and integer storage and analyses of these data as daily practiced at the NSCR (the Netherlands). At that research a great number of quantitative and qualitative datasets are stored. It has a pragmatic policy based on simple rules to store these data safely in an internal storage, not connected to any university network or cloud. Staff members are not allowed to transport the data outside the institute and access from outside is prohibited. The NSCR has a protocol with the police and public prosecution about the use and storage of parts of their data. Furthermore, there are clear rules who has access and who has not. In the last part of the contribution the practice of working in groups of researchers is discussed, aiming at a minimum chance of fraud by individuals and to keep the institute integer in its scientific mission.