Certification for IRB Professionals (CIP) Practice Exam

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What occurred when a researcher left a research file in her car, which contained aggregated data but no identifying information, and the car was stolen?

  1. There was a minor breach of data security.

  2. There was neither a violation of privacy nor a breach of confidentiality.

  3. There was a significant violation of the consent agreement.

  4. The aggregated data was still at risk of being identified.

The correct answer is: There was neither a violation of privacy nor a breach of confidentiality.

The scenario involves a researcher leaving a file with aggregated data in her stolen car. The key aspect of this situation is the nature of aggregated data, which typically does not include identifiable information linking to specific individuals. When aggregated data is used correctly, it presents summarized information about a group rather than any particular individual. This means that even if the data itself is accessed, it does not infringe upon the privacy of the individuals from whom the data was originally collected since no identifying details are present. Thus, there would be no violation of privacy or breach of confidentiality, as the data cannot be traced back to anyone specific. While there may still be consequences regarding data security (as losing any kind of research data is generally concerning), the absence of identifying information neutralizes significant privacy and confidentiality issues that would typically accompany a breach of personal data. Therefore, stating that there was neither a violation of privacy nor a breach of confidentiality accurately reflects the situation given the characteristics of the data in question.