What are the differences between anonymous, confidential and de-identified?
The IRB often finds that the terms anonymous, confidential, and de-identified are used incorrectly. These terms are described below as they relate to an individual’s participation in the research and the way that their data are collected and maintained for analysis. Participation An individual’s involvement in a research project can be described as anonymous if it is impossible to know whether or not an individual participated in the study. For example, participation in an online survey that cannot be linked in any way to the individual would be considered anonymous. When participation is confidential, the research team knows that a particular individual has participated in the research but is obligated not to disclose that information to others outside the team, except as clearly noted in the consent document. Data Data are anonymous if no one, not even the researcher, can connect the data to the individual who provided it. No identifying information is collected from the individual.
