Child Data Classification Standard (CDCS v1.0): A Data Governance Standard for Child Development Research

The Child Data Classification Standard (CDCS v1.0), published by the Blue Blocks Micro Research Institute, is a normative institutional framework that governs how data collected in child development research is classified, stored, shared, and ultimately destroyed. It establishes four tiers of data classification — Open, Researcher, Internal, and Restricted — each carrying progressively stricter access controls, encryption requirements, and handling procedures that reflect the sensitivity of the data and the risk of identifying individual children. The standard covers the full data lifecycle, from collection through to secure destruction, and includes detailed provisions on participant withdrawal rights,…