RESEARCH METHODS / 12

Minimize and de-identify data

Keep only necessary material and consider identification through combinations of details.

About 3 min
Study notes & citation

Minimize and de-identify data. Institute of Chinese Mantic Arts. https://www.manticarts.com/en/handbook/anonymization

01

Research focus

Use random identifiers and separate contact details. Birth details, occupation and rare experiences can still identify someone in combination.

02

Procedure and example

Create public and internal versions of a fictional record, justifying every field. Check free text and file metadata before sharing.

03

Output and review

Deliver a field list, access scope, retention and deletion plan. Use the study desk for general notes, not sensitive personal records.

Resources and methodological references

The procedures and exercises are editorial teaching suggestions. These resources provide textual, collection or open-research access; links imply no affiliation or endorsement.

International Dunhuang Programme ↗
Manuscript collections, images and catalogue access.

Editorial study material · 2026-09-28