Six years ago, seven health care researchers were fired by the BC government for alleged misuse of data. They’re still trying to understand what happened
On August 28, 2012, three days before his eleven-month term as a researcher for the health ministry in Victoria was due to end, Roderick Mac Isaac found himself being interrogated. A PhD student at the University of Victoria, MacIsaac had been reviewing the effectiveness of British Columbia’s new smoking-cessation program. He’d been working with a small, specialized drug-evaluation unit that used anonymous health records to conduct its research. Facing him were four investigators looking into several complaints levelled at ministry researchers. The investigators had come to believe that potentially personally identifiable data had been copied to a flash drive for MacIsaac’s use in his dissertation — a privacy breach he denied. If caught lying, MacIsaac was warned, he could be hauled up on criminal charges.
“Are you in the possession of any information,” one of the investigators asked, “that includes data for your PhD?”
“Well, I am in possession of data for the smoking-cessation program,” said MacIsaac.
“I’m going to repeat my question.”
Confused, MacIsaac tried again, more pointedly: “I have not produced any data sets for my PhD.”
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2019-Ausgabe von The Walrus.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 2019-Ausgabe von The Walrus.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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MY GUILTY PLEASURE
I WAS AS SURPRISED as anyone when I became obsessed with comics again last year, at the advanced age of forty-five. As a kid, I loved reading G.I. Joe and The Amazing Spider-Man.
The Upside-Down Book
In her new novel, Rachel Cusk makes the case for becoming a stranger to yourself
Pick a Colour
BACK HERE, I can hear a group of women trickle in. Filling the floor with giggles and voices.
Quebec's Crushing Immigration Policy
Familial separation can have devastating consequences on mental health and productivity
The Briefcase
What I learned about being a writer from trying to finish a dead man's book
In the Footsteps of Migrants Who Never Made It
Thousands have died trying to cross into the US from Mexico. Each year, activists follow their harrowing trek
Blood Language
Menstruation ties us to the land in ways we've all but forgotten
Dream Machines
The real threat with artificial intelligence is that we'll fall prey to its hype
Invisible Lives
Without immigration status, Canada's undocumented youth stay in the shadows
My Guilty Pleasure
"The late nights are mine alone, and I'll spend them however I damn well please"
