← Years 7–8 Data & Information

Reducing the data a form collects

Collecting only the data a form really needs. Remove extra questions, mark fields optional and use ranges, like an age range instead of a birth date.

Part of: 7-8 Digital Technologies: Digital footprint and privacy — Module 16, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Digital Footprints — Module 24, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Digital Footprints and Data Minimisation — Module 23, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Privacy Principles and Digital Footprints — Module 35

Understanding Reducing the data a form collects in Years 7–8 Data & Information

What it does: A drop-down of year levels replaces an exact birth date, so less personal data is collected. An anonymous survey only needs the answers, so asking for a name collects data that is not needed. If you only want to count which lunches are popular, names are not needed. Leave them out. Optional fields let people choose whether to share extra details. Required fields should be only the data you truly need. Ranges give the organiser the information they need while keeping personal details more private.

Common mistakes: A birth date is more precise than the survey needs. Use a drop-down age range like ask age_range: dropdown instead. This poll does not need to know who answered. Asking for a required full name collects extra data, so ask for year level in a drop-down instead.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

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Learning
Duo
A school canteen form needs to know if a student is old enough for a Year 7 offer. Which field is better?
Year level drop-down: Year 7, Year 8, Year 9Full date of birth
Matches
Date of birth: [ 14 / 03 / 2011 ] for a school canteen survey
↓
Asks for an exact birth date when a simple age range would do. The form collects more than it needs.
Applying
Meanings
Term
data minimisation
Meaning
Collecting only the data a form really needs. Remove extra questions, mark fields optional and use ranges, like an age range instead of a birth date.
Practice
<form>
Testing
Gaps
< name="age">
Check Answer
Spots
2ask favourite_food: dropdown
3ask birth_date: typed

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Quick Questions

1. A school canteen form needs to know if a student is old enough for a Year 7 offer. Which field is better?
A. Year level drop-down: Year 7, Year 8, Year 9 ✓
B. Full date of birth
A range or year level answers the question without collecting a precise birth date. Less data means less risk.
2. A sign-up form for a gaming club asks for a phone number, but the club only uses email. What should the designer do?
A. Remove the phone number question ✓
B. Keep it and hope nobody minds
If the data is not needed, the best choice is to remove the question completely. That is data minimisation.
3. Which age question collects less personal data?
A. Type your exact birth date
B. Age range drop-down: 11-13, 14-16, 17+ ✓
An age range is less precise than a birth date, so it reveals less about a person.
4. A survey about favourite school lunches asks for each student's full name. Is the name needed?
A. No, the survey can be anonymous ✓
B. Yes, every survey needs a name
If you only want to count which lunches are popular, names are not needed. Leave them out.
5. A form asks for a home address, but the data is only used to see which suburbs students come from. What is a better design?
A. Ask for the full street address
B. Ask for a suburb from a drop-down list ✓
A suburb drop-down is a less precise answer that still does the job.

Match the Pairs

Email (optional) → A field the user can skip, so the form does not force them to hand over data it does not really need
Age: [ 10-12 | 13-15 | 16-18 ] → A drop-down of ranges that collects a rough age group instead of an exact birth date
Replace a precise answer with a range so the form collects less detail → Year level: [ Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 ]
Leave out the name field when the form does not need to know who you are → Survey: Which lunch do you prefer? (no name box)
Date of birth: [ 14 / 03 / 2011 ] for a school canteen survey → Asks for an exact birth date when a simple age range would do. The form collects more than it needs.
Full name (required), Home address (required) for a quick poll → Makes name and address compulsory for a poll that does not need them. The unneeded questions should be removed or made optional.

Key Term

data minimisation
Collecting only the data a form really needs. Remove extra questions, mark fields optional and use ranges, like an age range instead of a birth date.

Fill in the Blanks

1. <label>Age range</label> <select name="age"> <option>12-13</option>
Hint: Type the tag that makes a drop-down list of ranges instead of asking for an exact birth date.
2. <label>Phone (optional)</label> <input type="tel" name="phone">
Hint: Type the word that tells users they are allowed to skip this field.
3. <label>Nickname, not full name</label> <input type="text" name="nick">
Hint: Type the input type used for a short typed answer, so the form asks for a nickname instead of a real name.
4. <option>10-11</option> <option>12-13</option> <option>14-15</option>
Hint: Type the age range that fits between the other two options.
5. <label>Email for your reply</label> <input type="email" required>
Hint: Type the attribute that makes a field compulsory. Use it only for data the form really needs.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A form Canteen Survey
B ask favourite_food: dropdown
C ask birth_date: typed
Line C — A birth date is more precise than the survey needs. Use a drop-down age range like ask age_range: dropdown instead.
Question 2
A ask full_name: required
B ask favourite_sport: dropdown
C submit
Line A — This poll does not need to know who answered. Asking for a required full name collects extra data, so ask for year level in a drop-down instead.
Question 3
A form Newsletter Signup
B ask email: required
C ask suburb: required
Line C — A newsletter only needs an email address. The suburb is not essential, so the field should be marked optional, not required.
Question 4
A ask exact_money: typed
B ask spends_on: dropdown
C submit
Line A — Typing an exact amount collects more detail than needed. A drop-down range like ask money_range: dropdown collects less data.
Question 5
A form Game Club Signup
B ask username: required
C ask age_range: dropdown
D ask home_address: required
Line D — A game club does not need a home address, and making it required is worse. The question should be removed, so it should be a non-essential question like ask favourite_game: optional.

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