How do you secure your corporate communication research data?

1 Assess your data sources

Before you start your research, you need to identify what kind of data you are going to collect, where it comes from, how it is obtained, and who owns it. Depending on the nature and source of your data, you may need to comply with different ethical, legal, and regulatory standards and obligations. For example, if you are using personal data from your customers, employees, or partners, you need to respect their privacy rights and obtain their consent. If you are using public data from social media, websites, or databases, you need to check their terms of use and attribution requirements.

3 Manage your data access and sharing

Another important aspect of securing your corporate communication research data is managing who can access and share it within and outside your organization. You need to establish clear roles and responsibilities for your research team and stakeholders, and assign them the appropriate level of access and permissions to the data. You also need to monitor and audit the data usage and activity, and report any suspicious or unauthorized incidents. Furthermore, you need to be careful when sharing your data with external parties, such as vendors, consultants, or media outlets. You need to use secure channels, such as encrypted email or file transfer protocols, and sign non-disclosure agreements if necessary.

4 Analyze your data ethically and accurately

The final step of securing your corporate communication research data is ensuring that you analyze it ethically and accurately. You need to respect the original purpose and context of your data, and avoid any manipulation, distortion, or misinterpretation that could compromise its validity and reliability. You also need to acknowledge and address any limitations, biases, or errors that may affect your data quality and outcomes. Moreover, you need to follow the best practices and standards of your field and industry, and cite your sources and references properly.

Securing your corporate communication research data is not only a matter of technical skills, but also of ethical principles and professional standards. By following these tips, you can protect your data and your reputation, and enhance the value and credibility of your research.