@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@ PEP's generated participant identifiers are alphanumeric and rather short, to al
Sometimes PEP rows must be associated with data stored outside PEP. (This is e.g. the case with non-digital specimens, such as biosamples taken during medical research.) These external data are often intended to be analyzed together with data stored in PEP, requiring them to be associated with a particular PEP row. But we want to make it impossible to associate different external samples with each other, precluding data blending by means of a common (fixed) identifier.
Although PPs could conceivably be used, they are often too long and unwieldy to be of practical use. For example, PPs are too long to print onto (stickers that fit) blood vials, and they are too long to (conveniently) manually type into different software systems. So instead of PPs, external samples are usually associated with shorter and more readable identifiers. Known as short pseudonyms (SPs), these identifiers are then stored in PEP.
Since SPs uniquely identify a single external sample, they are also usable to uniquely identify a single PEP row. Care should therefore be taken not to expose SPs to (different) access groups, preventing different sets of PEP data from being blended together.
Although PPs could conceivably be used, they are often too long and unwieldy to be of practical use. For example, PPs are too long to print onto (stickers that fit) blood vials, and they are too long to (conveniently) manually type into different software systems. So instead of PPs, external samples are usually associated with shorter and more readable identifiers. Known as short pseudonyms (SPs), these identifiers are then stored in a separate PEP column. For example, a `ShortPseudonym.Visit1.Blood` column could store the identifier associated with a research subject's blood sample taken during their first visit to the research center.
PEP has the ability to generate SPs for participants registered using the `pepAssessor` application. These generated SPs can then be printed onto stickers that can be affixed to the external (bio)samples.
Once a short pseudonym has been introduced, it can be used to store further data into PEP without divulging a subject's identity. For example, a lab technician might store a value in a PEP column named `Blood.Visit1.PlateletCount` for the participant whose `ShortPseudonym.Visit1.Blood` is equal to what they read on the vial they analyzed. The technician would learn no additional details about the subject's identity, while still being able to contribute to the data set stored in PEP. These data can then be made available to others for further research.
Since SPs uniquely identify a single external sample, they are also usable to uniquely identify a single PEP row. Care should therefore be taken not to expose SPs to (different) access groups, preventing different sets of PEP data from being blended together.
