Anonymizing or de-identifying data: nuances and issues

Christian Lovis

Many projects have to deal with sensitive data, at the level of the individual, a group of people or an organization. In Switzerland and Europe, there is a regulatory framework governing the use of sensitive data for research purposes. It is important to understand the differences between coded or pseudonymized data and anonymized data, as this distinction is found in most regulatory frameworks. Processes and steps, such as ethics commissions, are also part of these regulatory frameworks and apply in particular to all research on human beings.