Confidentiality agreement is the non-disclosure contract that is made between parties involved. This agreement involves the consent process that seeks to protect the source of the data as well as the confidentiality of the research subject. Non-disclosure agreement is essential in transcription services as it provides guidelines of dos and don\u2019ts such that when the recorded research data is provided to the transcriptionist it does not find its way to a third party. This contract is valid for both the individual recorded research interviews and focus group discussions as the data collected might be sensitive to be shared hence confidentiality need to be guaranteed. In addition, the researcher would not wish the findings to leak out before analyzing it. Here are several areas of concern that need to be checked before signing the agreement.<\/p>\n
When signing the confidentiality agreement, it is vital to find out from the transcriptionist other people who have access to the data. Here, identify any third party in the picture and establish the partnership they have with the professional you are about to work with. It is advisable to insist on use of password in their computer or on the file that you provide to them. Once you feel that there is limited access to the data they are working on, you can go ahead and sign the contract.<\/p>\n
The data disposal entails the storage of the complete transcription before delivering it to you and disposing it after sharing it with you. This is a vital point of discussion with the transcriptionist before signing a contract with them. It is advisable to have a fixed time between when the work is complete and when to delete it. Thus, agree on the duration of time the transcriptionist will need to save a file a waiting for your review and when to delete it and have this time clearly stipulated in the confidentiality agreement. In addition, the mode of disposal of the transcription need to be clear whereby the deleted work should not be held in the recycle bin since it can be retrieved easily but deleted permanently.<\/p>\n