The correct answer is a) Remove all direct identifiers from the data as soon as possible.

Explanation:

People, who are involved in social and behavioral researches, often put themselves at risk of being identified. For this reason, special safeguards should be utilized to ensure participants’ safety. The best solution is to remove personal identifiers like age, name, nationality, and others from the research data. The Human Subject Protection Program offers additional means to handle the task.

Every social and bivariable study participant must be 100% sure his or her rights are safe and protected. Safeguards are used to prevent the most vulnerable groups from potential threats. Those groups may consist of pregnant women, children, disabled people, and other participants with specific disadvantages. The first step to protect them is to remove all possible identifiers that will pint them out from the crowd. Common identifiers to remove usually include real names and addresses, health data, medical reports, diagnosis records, etc.

What’s more, it is the organization or academic institute, which holds the research, is responsible for conducting the study that meets all necessary standards and requirements. Before publishing, it must be approved and thoroughly evaluated by the Institutional Review Board. IRB operates concerning participants’ rights protection. It is supposed to identify and eliminate potential threats that may hurt vulnerable population groups taking part in the research.

IRB is supposed to approve every research that may contain sensitive personal data. The board evaluates the risks and as well as the level of anonymity, right, and privacy protection, etc. IRB commission has the right not only to evaluate but also to change and customize study content, In the end, it comes up with the final decision on whether the study is approved or not.