Confidentiality ethical principle – UGC NET Question

Confidentiality means that researchers safeguard the privacy of participants by ensuring that identifiable information is not revealed to unauthorised persons or reported in a way that could expose individual identities. Data may be stored securely, and results are often presented in aggregate form or with pseudonyms to protect participants. Upholding confidentiality builds trust and encourages honest responses, which are crucial for the integrity of research. Because the stem focuses on preventing disclosure of information that reveals identity, it is referring to the principle of confidentiality.

Option A:
Beneficence is the ethical principle that researchers should maximise possible benefits and minimise potential harms to participants. While maintaining confidentiality can contribute to beneficence, the term itself is broader and does not specifically denote privacy protection. Since the question emphasises non-disclosure of identifiable information, beneficence is not the most accurate completion.

Option B:
Confidentiality requires researchers to design data handling procedures that control who has access to raw data, how long data are kept and how they are destroyed. Participants are often informed about these protections during the consent process. This focus on privacy and non-disclosure of identifying details matches exactly the situation described in the stem, making confidentiality the correct answer.

Option C:
Deception involves intentionally withholding important information from participants or giving them false information about some aspect of the study, typically to prevent bias in behaviour. While some studies may use deception under strict ethical safeguards, it is the opposite of transparency and does not protect identities. Therefore, deception cannot be the appropriate term for the principle described.

Option D:
Randomisation is a methodological technique for assigning participants to groups in an unbiased manner, commonly used in experimental designs to control confounding variables. It is not an ethical principle about protecting the privacy of participant information. As such, randomisation does not fit the context of the stem.