Which definition best describes Confidentiality in research ethics?

• A. Protecting participants' identities from being disclosed.
• B. Not collecting identifying information about participants at all.
• C. Participants are informed about the study and voluntarily agree to participate.
• D. Data structure in Excel.

Answer: (A)

Confidentiality in research ethics means protecting the information you collect about participants so their identities aren’t disclosed to others without permission. This involves keeping data private, using codes or de-identified data, storing records securely, and limiting who can access identifiable information. Even if researchers know who participants are, they must not reveal that information in reports or to unauthorized people.

Not collecting identifying information at all describes anonymity, where researchers never know or record identities. In practice, confidentiality often applies even when identifying data exists, as long as it is kept confidential and only used for the study. The idea of participants being informed and consenting relates to informed consent, not confidentiality. A data structure in Excel is simply a tool and has nothing to do with the ethical concept.