User Study: Interviews on the DP Creator Application

This study is registered with the Harvard University Area Institutional Review Board.
(IRB Registration – IRB00000109)

Contact information: 
If you have any questions or concerns please contact the researcher conducting the study: Farzaneh Karegar <farzanehkaregar[atsign]fas.harvard.edu>

Note: The study recruitment period has ended.

We are looking for data analysts and data managers to participate in testing the DP Creator application.  The software uses “differential privacy,” a concept not widely-known beyond data privacy experts.

Our objectives in conducting the user interviews are two-fold: 

(1) To investigate the suitability and effectiveness of our proposed explanations in conveying differential privacy (DP) to potential users, and

(2) To explore users’ perceptions, understanding, and experience of the different steps of the DP Creator tool including how the tool may be used to reach their data analysis goals as well as the problems they may encounter.

Eligibility Criteria

An eligible candidate should:

(1) Be at least 18 years old.

(2) Be able to participate in an online interview while physically located in the United States.

(3) Possess data analysis/managing experience. The level of expertise in data analysis could vary from being a junior to a senior.

(4) NOT have familiarity with differential privacy. The candidate might have heard the term “differential privacy”, or “DP”, and be aware that it is deployed in different companies and organizations but should not be aware of the privacy features of DP and DP mechanisms.

Examples of eligible participants include, but are not limited to, senior or junior researchers who have data analysis experience, lecturers who teach courses related to data analysis, or people in industry who work with data and analyze data, i.e. with experience in different data science roles.

What you will do in the interview

• Read the consent form and give your consent if you would like to continue and participate in the interview and agree that the session will be recorded via Zoom.
  • (Harvard’s Zoom uses end to end encryption as well as additional security settings to protect privacy.)
• Answer a few optional demographic questions. 
• Answer questions related to your perceptions about the DP explanation we provide to you during the interview,
• Interact with the DP Creator tool according to the tasks and instructions and answer questions related to your understanding and experience of the tool.   

Duration and Conditions

• Where: On Zoom in the English language. You will need to have Zoom installed on your computer.
• How long: Estimated to take 75 minutes on average. 
• The interview session will be recorded using Zoom recording functions. No need to share your video.
• Participation is completely voluntarily with the participant’s consent. You remain in full control of your actions and may leave or end the study without giving reasons, in which case all information gathered until then will be erased.   
• All information provided by you will be treated confidentially and will be processed in pseudonymous form and solely for the purpose of scientific research.