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Cybersecurity in research exploration

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McGill.CA / Digital Research Services Hub

FAQ

Data Storage

Storage solutions

What kind of research data can I store in McGill OneDrive, MS Teams or SharePoint Online?

  • McGill OneDrive, MS Teams and SharePoint Online can be used for storing research data, including information governed by legal regulations, such as personal information (e.g., name, email address, mailing address, IP address, health card number, social insurance number, etc.) and personal health information (e.g., electronic health records).
  • Personal health information data may be stored on McGill OneDrive, MS Teams or SharePoint Online with participant consent.
  • Please note that payment card information and data involving controlled goods are not approved to be stored in McGill OneDrive, MS Teams or SharePoint Online.

What data storage options are approved at McGill to store personal information and/or personal health data securely?

Can I store research data on my personal Dropbox or Google Drive?

  • If your data is sensitive (e.g., any personal information, personal health information, data protected by contractual agreement or IP protection), you cannot use private Cloud storage services, such as Google or Dropbox.
  • If you are a researcher working with publicly available data or research data that is otherwise not sensitive in nature, you can use Dropbox or other Cloud solutions to store your research data. However, governmental regulations still require you to perform due diligence by documenting the choice of solution taking into account the sensitivity of the data.
  • Please refer to the McGill approved Cloud Services for the list of solutions that have already been approved for specific use cases. You can also refer to the list of McGill rejected Cloud Services for services that cannot be used with sensitive data (McGill login required).
  • If you have any questions about whether your research data can be stored in any third-party Cloud solutions, please contact the DRS team at drs [at] mcgill.ca.

What is the storage capacity for McGill OneDrive, MS Teams and SharePoint Online?

  • The default allocation for McGill OneDrive is 1 TB per user.
  • MS Teams can provide up to 25 TB of file storage per site/team.
  • SharePoint Online can provide up to 25 TB of file storage per site.
 

Storage permissions and sharing

Where can I request access to create a SharePoint Online site for my research project?

Can my students use McGill OneDrive, MS Teams or SharePoint Online to store research data?

  • Yes. These solutions are accessible to students as well if they have an active affiliation at McGill.

Can I share files stored in my McGill OneDrive, MS Teams or SharePoint Online with external collaborators outside of McGill?

 

Large data storage

For simulation studies conducted in my field of research, we generate several TBs of data a week. What storage and computational resources are available to accommodate my research?

  • Large storage can be obtained for a fee at ITS, or freely with Calcul Québec for non-sensitive data.
  • Please contact McGill IT Services (McGill login required) or the drs [at] mcgill.ca (Digital Research Services Hub) for large storage needs assessment.

Research Software

Interview and transcription software

What kind of McGill approved software can I use to record and transcribe interviews and focus groups?

  • McGill Webex and MS Teams can be used for recording and transcribing face-to-face interviews and focus groups for research purposes.
  • MS Teams recordings are stored in the meeting organizer's McGill OneDrive and SharePoint with meeting transcripts automatically generated shortly after the meeting.
  • MS Teams will also allow you to generate live transcriptions of a MS Teams recording in English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and much more. Please see the link below for more information on all 28 languages available for live transcription in MS Teams and how to export the transcript after the meeting. For more information, see Microsoft article - View live transcription in a Teams meeting. Please note that live transcription is not available for “Meet Now” or Channel meetings.
  • Webex can transcribe recordings in English only.

I used MS Teams to record my interviews and focus groups. Where are the recordings automatically stored?

  • Video recordings using MS Teams, as well as meeting transcripts, are automatically stored in the meeting organizer’s McGill OneDrive.
  • If you would like to move/share the recordings to a SharePoint/MS Teams site so that your team members can also have access to the recordings, please use the “copy to” function rather than the “move to” function to share your videos

How long will McGill OneDrive keep my MS Teams video recordings?

  • McGill OneDrive will keep your video recordings generated from MS Teams meetings for 365 days by default. After this time, the recordings will be automatically deleted from your McGill OneDrive.
  • If you would like to move/share the recordings to a SharePoint/MS Teams site for longer term storage, please use the “copy to” function rather than the “move to” function to share your videos.

I conduct my interviews with participants in both English and French. Can Webex’s transcription system transcribe French interviews automatically?

  • No. Currently, Webex can transcribe recordings in English only.
  • MS Teams will allow you to generate transcriptions of a MS Teams recording in English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and much more. Please see the link below for more information on all 28 languages available for live transcription in MS Teams and how to export the transcript after the meeting. For more information, see Microsoft article - View live transcription in a Teams meeting. Please note that live transcription is not available for “Meet Now” or Channels meetings.
  • Transcriptions of recorded meetings are now automatically generated in MS Teams. The transcript can be accessed through the meeting chat and the "Recording and Transcript" tab in MS Teams. See Microsoft article - View live transcription in a Teams meeting for further information.
  • If you already have the audio recordings available, you may consider using the transcribe feature in Office 365 Online Word, See Microsoft article - Transcribe your recordings in Online Word for further details. Please note that with a recent upgrade of this preview service, you can now upload and transcribe unlimited minutes of audio speech content. Since this is a preview service from Microsoft, a limit (upper cap) for the uploaded audio may be reintroduced in the future, with the option to purchase additional minutes.

I have difficulties installing the Webex Desktop App. Can I join a Webex meeting through my web browser without installing the Webex App?

  • Yes, you can join a scheduled Webex meeting through your web browser without installing the Webex desktop app.
  • Click the green "Join Meeting" button in the email invitation you have received, and then click "Join from your browser" under the "Launch Meeting" button to join the Webex meeting.
  • For more information on joining Webex meetings, see this joining a Webex meeting video or visit the Webex instruction page.

Can I use Zoom to conduct research involving human participants, such as interviews and focus groups?

  • Zoom is currently approved for teaching purposes only at McGill.
  • Webex and MS Teams have been approved for any usage, including research involving public data, protected data, personal information and personal health information with participant consent.
  • If you have special needs for using specific online conferencing platforms to conduct your research, please consult with our team at drs [at] mcgill.ca.

I need to transcribe my audio recordings for further analysis. What transcription system can I use for research purposes?

  • If you already have the audio recordings available, you may consider using the transcribe feature in Office 365 Online Word: Transcribe your recordings in Online Word.
  • With a recent upgrade of this service, you can now upload and transcribe unlimited minutes of audio speech content.
  • This feature currently supports .wav, .mp4, .mp4a and .mp3 file formats.

Can I use Otter.ai to transcribe my research data?

  • Otter.ai has not been approved by McGill IT at this time. As this software is not the standard offering of research software at McGill, it is recommended that you request a consultation with McGill IT services through the Cloud service acquisition form (McGill login required) about the possible use of Otter.ai.
  • You may also consider using MS Teams to conduct focus groups or interviews in order to obtain a transcript. Transcriptions of recorded meetings are now automatically generated in MS Teams after the recorded meeting. The transcript can be accessed through the meeting chat as well as the "Recording & Transcript" tab in Teams. See Microsoft article - View live transcription in a Teams meeting for further information.
  • If you already have the audio recordings available, you could consider using the transcribe feature in the McGill provided Office 365 Online Word. You can find some more information about how this process works from the following Microsoft article - Transcribe your recordings in Online Word.
 

Survey and data analysis software

What survey tools can be used for research purposes at McGill?

  • McGill LimeSurvey (v.3); You may request a McGill LimeSurvey account by submitting a Create LimeSurvey form to IT Services.
  • LimeSurvey user guide and other training information are available in this Knowledge Base article (KB0010818) - LimeSurvey (McGill login required).
  • If you experience difficulty in registering for the Intro to LimeSurvey training provided by IT, please do not hesitate to contact the DRS team drs [at] mcgill.ca.

Can I use LimeSurvey to collect personal information (e.g., emails, IP addresses) and personal health information?

  • Yes. McGill hosts the open source “Community” edition of LimeSurvey on servers located on McGill premises. This McGill provided online survey solution can be used for research purposes to collect demographic information of human participants, including personal information and personal health information with participant consent.
  • LimeSurvey user guide and other training information are available in the Knowledge Base article (KB0010818) - LimeSurvey (McGill login required).

I am using LimeSurvey to conduct my research. Should I back up my survey and the survey responses?

  • Yes.
  • You can create a complete backup of an active survey for archival purposes by exporting survey archive (.lsa), including your survey structure and the already stored survey responses.
  • If you want to have a backup of your survey structure only, you may export the .lss file instead.
  • More information on exporting survey archive file (.lsa) vs. survey structure file (.lss), please refer to the LimeSurvey Manual article - Display/Export survey.

I am done with data collection using LimeSuvey. Should I delete my survey entirely from LimeSurvey?

  • No. It is not advisable to delete your surveys in general.
  • Instead, you may de-activate your survey once data collection is completed and you have exported and saved your survey responses in a secure storage location (e.g., McGill provided OneDrive, MS Teams and/or SharePoint Online).

Can I use Qualtrics or REDCap Cloud to conduct my research?

  • REDCap Cloud is currently being evaluated for general research purposes at McGill.
  • If you want to use Qualtrics for your research project, you can request an IT assessment (McGill login required).

Can I use NVivo for my research project?

  • With the desktop version of NVivo (i.e., local installation), data will not leave your computer and as such, the Cloud Directive does not apply.
  • If you plan to use the additional Cloud collaboration tool that NVivo offers, you will need to go through the Cloud Service acquisition process.

Cloud Directive

General

Where can I find out if a particular software is approved or rejected for research under McGill's Cloud Directive?

  • Please refer to McGill Approved and Rejected Cloud Services (McGill login required) for a list of solutions that have been vetted for specific use cases at McGill.
  • The solutions on this list do not necessarily take into account potential use in research. Researchers who are using a Cloud solution are responsible for performing due diligence (in line with the sensitivity of the research data), evaluating risk and ensuring compliance. If you have questions about this process, please drs [at] mcgill.ca (reach out to the DRS team).
  • Please note that each individual research study must be assessed for possible use of Cloud services. Just because a Cloud service has been approved for one research study does not mean that it is approved for all research.

Why does software get rejected?

  • A typical scenario where Cloud solutions are rejected is because the vendor does not comply with Québec and/or Canadian laws and regulations. For instance, sensitive data (e.g., Personal Information or Personal Health Information) is not sufficiently protected.
  • Additionally, some solutions do not adequately protect Intellectual Property, which may lead to problems if/when applying for patents.
  • If you are unsure about whether you are permitted to use a particular Cloud solution for your research project, you can reach out to the DRS team at drs [at] mcgill.ca.

My research data is not sensitive (e.g., personal information, personal health information, confidential data due to contractual agreement or IP protection). Do I still need to follow the Cloud Directive?

  • When working with data that is not sensitive in nature, governmental regulations still require researchers to perform due diligence by documenting the choice of Cloud solution taking into account the sensitivity of data.

I am collaborating with researchers at another institution who are using Cloud solutions that are not approved through McGill’s Cloud Directive. Is this permitted?

  • The use of these solutions will depend on a variety of factors and considerations. These considerations may include the sensitivity of the data, Research Ethics Board approvals, data use or data transfer agreements and licenses, and applicable legal frameworks on personal or personal health information protection, amongst others. If you have questions about your specific research project, please drs [at] mcgill.ca (contact the DRS team) directly to discuss it further.
  • When collaborating externally, a data transfer and/or data use agreement may be needed. For more information, please reach out to the Office of Sponsored Research at info.osr [at] mcgill.ca.

Do I need to plan ahead for the renewal of payable Cloud Service subscriptions?

  • Yes! It is recommended to work with your Fund Financial Manager (FFM) to identify these renewals as soon as possible in the fiscal year (May 1st), and a minimum of 3 months before the subscription expires.
  • More details on subscription renewals and other common questions can be found on the Cloud Services Considerations page.

Research Data Management

RDM support and best practices

I want to write a data management plan (DMP) for my next grant application. What are the tools and services available to help me in writing DMPs?

  • You may use the DMP Assistant (developed by the Digital Research Alliance of Canada) to help you to draft your DMPs. The DMP Assistant is a free online bilingual tool for writing your DMPs. You will also find several disciplinary specific DMP templates within this tool.
  • More information on DMPs is available from McGill Library - DMP.
  • Our Research Data Management Specialist from the library is also available to consult on writing data management plans. You may contact her at rdm.library [at] mcgill.ca.
  • Instructional videos on writing DMPs: English videos & vidéos en français.

Where can I get someone to review my DMPs?

  • Our Research Data Management Specialist from the library will be happy to review your DMPs. You may contact her at rdm.library [at] mcgill.ca.
  • More information on DMPs is available from McGill Library - DMP.
  • There are disciplinary specific DMP templates developed by the Digital Research Alliance of Canada.

Where can I access the online self-paced McGill RDM Learning Program?

Should I encrypt my files and how?

 

Data repositories

Where can I deposit my research data?

I want to deposit my data in a data repository. Should I include documentation to describe the data along with my data set?

  • Yes.
  • Including documentation to describe your research and your data can help others and even the future you to understand and to increase the reusability of the data.
  • Typical documentation for describing your data could include: a high-level “Readme” file for project information, a codebook, or a data dictionary.
  • Instructional videos on data sharing and deposit: English videos & vidéos en français.

Web Hosting

General

Is web hosting for media files on university servers possible?

  • Yes.
  • Virtual Web Hosting Service at McGill (VHOST) publishes independently designed websites on a centrally managed system that is secure, reliable and easily recoverable, with a reduced risk of server downtime. Please contact McGill IT Services directly for more information.

I want to build and host my own website. What options are available to me?

 

Last updated on 2023-05-18

 

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