Confidentiality protection of identity – UGC NET Question

Confidentiality means that researchers keep participants’ data secure and do not disclose information in a manner that would allow others to identify individual participants. This may involve using codes, storing data securely and reporting findings in aggregated form. It is a core ethical obligation in research involving human subjects. Because the stem describes the assurance that information will not be disclosed in a way that reveals identity, confidentiality is the correct term.

Option A:
Anonymity goes a step further by ensuring that even researchers cannot link responses to individuals, whereas confidentiality allows researchers to know identities but restricts disclosure. The stem focuses on assurance about disclosure to others, not on whether the researcher can link data, so anonymity is not the best answer.

Option B:
Debriefing is the process of explaining the true nature of a study to participants after it has concluded, particularly when deception was used. It does not pertain directly to protecting identifiable information in reports or records, so debriefing does not match the description in the question.

Option C:
Confidentiality requires clear procedures for who can access raw data, how long it will be stored and how it will be destroyed. These practices ensure that personal information is not exposed unnecessarily, aligning closely with the ethical assurance mentioned in the stem.

Option D:
Plagiarism concerns using others’ work without acknowledgment and is a violation of academic integrity, but it is unrelated to safeguarding participant identities. Thus, plagiarism is not the appropriate completion here.