universitaire canadien
Data Security
General information
When you connect to LibreQDA at libreqda.org, you are using a version of the software made accessible by the Plateforme en humanités numériques (PHuN).
- Data storage is centralized throughout the project, which puts an end to sharing via USB key or email;
- Automatic backups are performed daily;
- The web browser interface makes the software compatible with multiple operating systems within the same team (macOS, Windows, Linux);
- The underlying hardware is provided by a supercomputer from Calcul Québec, an organization supported by the provincial government to administer computing services used by virtually every university research discipline.
Note: The Plateforme en humanités numériques and the LibreQDA team are not responsible for versions of LibreQDA hosted elsewhere. If you use the application at an address other than libreqda.org, we cannot offer support or guarantees regarding the security of your data.
Who can view your data?
A small number of people on the Plateforme en humanités numériques team may need to access your project data for diagnostic purposes, including the text of files you upload to your projects. This is done sparingly, and generally at the request of users experiencing major technical issues.
These PHuN analysts have signed a confidentiality agreement containing several clauses to protect your identity and your project data.
See the confidentiality agreement template.
Institutional uses
Some institutions have set rules for their community's use of LibreQDA:
Université du Québec network (UQ)
- The Centre d'expertise en sécurité de l'information has conducted a security assessment of LibreQDA. Ask them for guidance!
Université Laval
- Consult the Bureau du numérique en recherche.
High security and confidentiality needs
For university research uses, always refer to your institution's research ethics office. You may need to follow specific guidelines.
libreqda.org may not be suitable for your data. A few options are available to you:
- Contact the LibreQDA team (libreqda@usherbrooke.ca) to set up a personalized, isolated service;
- Self-host LibreQDA for your team;
- Install it on your own computer for personal use (will work offline).
For these last two options, consult our Gitlab code repository.
