I thought it was considered good practice to keep transcripts from qualitative interviews (well locked-up) in case future researchers should want to interrogate the data or check the conclusions. I could have sworn I read this in published papers on research practice - so much so that I didn't even track where I'd read it. Lesson learned - assume nothing - but is it not a matter of reliability and/or validity to ensure transcripts are kept as 'proof' of claims / conclusions? Or is it the case that it's fine to destroy them as soon as an article based on the findings has been accepted for publication? I understand the need to keep them from the general public, but thought this wouldn't apply to colleagues or academics in the same field.
Does anyone have any references for or against this idea?
Most universities in the UK have a repository for data, and policies for use. In addition, there is the UK Data Service provided by the ESRC where data can be deposited, and which provides guidance on preparing and managing data for deposit; see:
https://www.ukdataservice.ac.uk/deposit-data/preparing-data.aspx
It is good practice to keep the data for future use. However, there are policies for keeping the data and managing the same in secured manner. Please refer to the law of land and act accordingly.
A lot depends on the commitments you made as part of your ethics review. If the participants are not at risk, then archiving the data is a good idea. But if your data contain sensitive information, then you should consult with the ethics board that approved your original application about how to handle the retention or disposal of your data.
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