The ‘text anonymisation helper tool’ is a great resource for researchers and data repositories to use as an aid to anonymising data and removing disclosive information from the dissemination copy of data files.
The anonymisation tool is based on Microsoft Word macros and makes searching for addresses, names or years much easier by finding all numbers and words starting with capital letters. Once highlighted, potentially
disclosive information is easier to find and anonymise, enabling the use of pseudonyms or vaguer descriptors to replace any problematic identifying information.
Simple and practical in its approach but highly effective in application, the tool was designed by Kakia Chatsiou, whilst working with qualitative transcripts in the UK Data Service. Kakia who now works with our data partners in the
Administrative Data Research Network says “with my computational linguistics background I tried to find ways to read through long interview transcripts without missing potentially disclosive items. This evolved
into a tool which allowed me complete control on which terms to replace and hopefully others will find useful”.
“It is a tool that helps a great deal. In my opinion highlighting the key identifiers is simple, effective and brilliant way to make the anonymisation process easier”
Juha Ranta, Finnish Social Science Data Archive
Data Ingest Officer Ausra Suboniene, has created the documentation to accompany the tool and provides information on:
The tool is available to download as a
zip file; with
how to install instructions via Wiki.
UK Data Service Qualitative Anonymisation web page
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Annette Pasotti
Senior Communications and Impact Officer
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T
+44(0) 1206 872016/2009
W ukdataservice.ac.uk
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UK Data Service
UK Data Archive
University of Essex
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