Ethical Considerations for Augmenting Surveys with Auxiliary Data Sources

Abstract

Survey researchers frequently use supplementary data sources, such as paradata, administrative data, and contextual data to augment surveys and enhance substantive and methodological research capabilities. While these data sources can be beneficial, integrating them with surveys can give rise to ethical and data privacy issues that have not been completely resolved. In this research synthesis, we review ethical considerations and empirical evidence on how privacy concerns impact participation in studies that collect these novel data sources to supplement surveys. We further discuss potential approaches for safeguarding participants’ data privacy during data collection and dissemination that may assuage their concerns. Finally, we conclude with open questions and suggested avenues for future research.