Confidentiality in research

Ross Woods, 2024, with thanks to Ηυmε Jερhcοtt and Dαniεl Gιntιng

Draft

In this sense, confidentiality means that researchers can't talk about their work or send draft copies to unauthorized personnel. This has two aspects:

• It can refer to maintaining confidentiality during the research and writing process.
• It can also refer to withholding the final research report from public release. This normally has a time limit for dissertations, after which they become public documents.

For the most part, PhD dissertations are the same as any other research.

Some specific aspects of the research might not be disclosed. In many kinds of research, the obvious and consistent aspect is the identities of subjects and any information that could be used to re-identify them.

In other cases, failure to disclose might be unethical. For example, it is unethical to conceal data where readers should be able to check it against the research purpose and the analysis. It is also unethical to conceal the methodology or to put it in an appendix to discourage readers from reading it.

Some topics don't need to be confidential; it's just that some researchers don't want to leak their magnum opus until it's ready or fear that people might steal sections or ideas and publish them as their own work. It's less likely than most people think, but they still might want to be careful who they discuss things with. PhD students discuss their work with their supervisor and must send drafts of their work. While most supervisors are honest, a few have reportedly taken students’ work and published it as their own. Unfortunately, the student is quite powerless if this happens.

The real need for confidentiality depends on the reason, for example:

1. Human rights
   Some human rights topics have the potential to put a population in danger of persecution or victimization. The institution's research ethics committee then decides what the researcher may and may not do. The general principle is that the researcher must remove the risk to individuals by keeping identities anonymous, and remove any information that could be used to re-identify them. However, the matter is more complex when the topic refers to an entire population or when some information is already public but puts people at risk.
2. Appendices
   In other cases, some institutions or departments have a policy requiring researchers to include raw data in appendices. Although the body of the research document might be safe, appendices might be unsafe. Consequently, researchers must be allowed to omit appendicies containing unsafe information.

3. Netography
   Yet another kind of information in netography, that is, ethnography of internet interactions. The data is harmful but is already public on websites. The institution's research ethics committee then decides what the researcher may and may not do.
4. Patentable material
   Some research contains patentable material in undeveloped form. General disclosure could make it unpatentable. Institutions that deal with patentable research should have regulations in place.
5. Commercial in confidence
   Some research has “commercial in confidence” aspects. For example, a business deal, if made public, would compromise the deal or the parties involved. You will probably be asked to sign a non-disclosure statement that legally prohibits you from disclosing details to unauthorized persons until the deal is announced to the public.
6. Classified secret
   Some research is done under militαry contract and is secret, not just confidential. The researcher can be convicted if found disclosing classified information to unauthorized personnnel.