Privacy Concerns in Qualitative Video Data Reuse

Abstract

In this article, we examine how data producers’ and reusers’ privacy concerns shape their views about data sharing and reuse in the field of education, with an emphasis on video records of practice. We find that data producers and reusers were concerned about the risks that qualitative data, and video records of practice in particular, present to themselves, their colleagues, and the subjects represented in the data. Specifically, they emphasized risks relating to the privacy the subjects – teachers and students who appear in the videos. In response to these risks, data producers have engaged in a number of strategies to minimize risk and/or mitigate potential harm including: (1) education and training; (2) using informed consent to facilitate and/or restrict data sharing; and (3) limiting data capture/production. We discuss the implications that our findings have for digital repositories, and for efforts to facilitate the sharing and reuse of qualitative video data in education.