Anonymity and Confidentiality

Ethical Considerations

Individual participants in a research study risk possible loss of anonymity, and this risk increases in studies using qualitative research methods such as interviews and observation. The loss of anonymity can lead to personal embarrassment and a possible loss of self-esteem and employment for the participant. Entities that are used as research sites can also suffer from a loss of anonymity, leading to damage of public reputation or disclosure of trade secrets, for example. In her landmark study Men and Women of the Corporation, Rosabeth Moss Kanter identified her research site by a pseudonym—INDSO—in order to protect the identity of the organization and its employees.

Protecting the research participants' identity does not, however, eliminate the need to protect information obtained during the research that may be of a confidential nature. Publication of confidential information can, inadvertently, lead back to the identity of specific individuals. Research participants can overlook or forget that information they are providing to the researcher is not known or generally available outside of the research site. For example, they may discuss information obtained from the entity's intranet site concerning new product development, acquisitions, or investments [Page 23]that have not yet been made available outside of the entity, or specific personnel matters or individuals. It is the researcher's responsibility to ensure that this type of information is not published even when it might represent a significant component or aspect of the research study. If such information is disclosed, it is the reputation of the researcher and potentially the researcher's institutional affiliation that is damaged.

Privacy and confidentiality form one of the major cornerstones of the ethical research policies concerned with the use of human subjects in research. Research ethics boards (REBs; Canada) and institutional review boards (IRBs; United States) have been established in academic institutions as well as other entities engaged in research of and using humans. Researchers must receive approval from the relevant committee prior to conducting the study.

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