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Hi Glen, and others,

In the case where one would want to see names in the graph, would it not be
sensible to create a two column table in whatever spreadsheet program you use,
where the first column would have the name of the person and in the second
column a culturally and gender appropriate pseudonym? Then you could cut and
paste the pseudonym into the dataset where the original name was, print the
table and destroy the soft copy or keep it with the rest of your sensitive
network data.

After having said that, I'm not quite sure how difficult deriving culturally
appropriate names would be, but I think it would be better to change Wen to Ye
rather than Nicole. This also assumes that the ethnicity and gender of the
respondents are going to be available in the public files. Best of Luck.

BERNiE

Bernie Hogan
Ph.D. Student
Department of Sociology
NetLab, Knowledge Media Design Institute
University of Toronto
[log in to unmask]

OPEN SOURCE CONFERENCE @ UofT: http://osconf.kmdi.utoronto.ca

Quoting Stephen Muth <[log in to unmask]>:

> *****  To join INSNA, visit http://www.sfu.ca/~insna/  *****
>
> From:                   Steve Borgatti <[log in to unmask]>
> > Glen, is there some reason why you need to enter names into the network
> data
> > files? Why not use id codes in the ucinet/netdraw files?
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Glen Murphy" <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Entry of data - common procedure
> > >...
> > > interview records.  If (as I had unthinkingly planned to do) I key in
> > > participant names into a matrix (using UCINET) then theoretically that
> > > data file is highly vulnerable.
>
> It's only as vulnerable as it gets, in this business. (depending on what
> other data
> your visualization shows, i.e. what the connections represent or other
> sensitive nodal
> attributes).
>
> > > leave a problem with UCINET reports and the raw data file itself.  What
> > > is the usual procedure ? How do people deal with this issue ?  I'm
> aware
> > > that US IRB boards are a little touchy regarding network analysis - has
> > > anyone had any stipulation from their IRB about this issue ?
> > >
> > > So far no-one I've dealt with has twigged to this problem, but I
> thought
> > > I'd be proactive just in case.
>
> If data are sensitive, and IRBs were involved with the study, you can bet
> that EVERYBODY has had stipulation from their IRBs regarding non-disclosure
> of that sensitive information.  Including releasing a graph with names in
> it.
>
> Especially releasing a graph with people's names in it.
>
> Borgatti's suggestion is the most straightforward and practical way of
> dealing
> with the issue... create a unique actor ID and use that as labels, if
> desired.
> I suggest 1, 2, 3... having dealt with a host of perplexing ID systems in my
> time.
>
> At very worst, one could use actor initials in the graph - but such a
> practice
> is useful only for the researchers themselves, and may, in combination with
> other variables in the graph, lead to disclosure of the actor identities if
> the
> graph is released for general consumption.  (and the nature of the graph is
> specific enough to permit elucidation of the persons involved).
>
> For a general discussion of issues arising from network research
> involving sensitive data:
>
> Woodhouse DE, Potterat JJ, et al.  Ethical and legal issues in social
> networks research: the real and the ideal.
> in Needle RH, Genser SG, Trotter II RT (eds):
> Social Networks, Drug Abuse and HIV Transmission.
> National Institute of Drug Abuse Monograph No. 151.
> (NIH Publication No. 95-3889); 1995: 131-143.
>
> also note, in the same volume, sociograms (pp 169-170) from
> Trotter et al.'s piece on HIV Outreach and prevention networks.
> (Actor identities are easily suppressed in released materials by
> using numeric labels.)
>
> Sociograms of such data with *personal* identifiers in it would obviously
> need to be accorded the highest protection possible, and eventually
> destroyed.
> (if there was a long-term need to keep the sensitive pictures, one safeguard
> is to
> keep only some encrypted electronic form of the pictures, where only
> authorized
> personnel has access to the keys.)
>
>
> --
> Quintus-ential Solutions
> Stephen Q. Muth -- [log in to unmask]  /  [log in to unmask]
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