Archival and Governance

Data archiving is the controlled preservation of study data and documentation after active work ends. Archival does not mean dumping files into a folder. It requires decisions about what will be retained, where it will be stored, who can access it, how long it will be retained, and what governance applies. An archival package may include: 1. Final locked database export. 2. Final data dictionary and CRFs. 3. Data management plan. 4. Cleaning log and query resolution documentation. 5. Analysis datasets and derivation scripts. 6. Codebook and metadata record. 7. Statistical analysis plan and analysis scripts where relevant. 8. Data sharing agreement or access conditions. 9. Ethics approvals and consent language relevant to data reuse.

Access control is essential. Identifiable data should be protected according to legal, ethical, and institutional requirements. De-identification or pseudonymization may reduce risk but does not automatically eliminate governance obligations. The Kenya Data Protection Act and institutional policies should be considered when handling personal data [@kenya2019dataprotection].