Which principle ensures privacy of participant information?

• A. Anonymity
• B. Confidentiality
• C. Data Integrity
• D. Disclosure

Answer: (B)

Protecting privacy of participant information hinges on confidentiality. This means the information collected from participants is kept private and accessible only to authorized members of the research team, with safeguards like coded data, secure storage, restricted access, and clear consent for any sharing. Anonymity, while related, is not always feasible or used in every study because it removes identifying links entirely; confidentiality specifically addresses keeping the data private even when identifiers may exist. Data integrity focuses on accuracy and consistency of data, not on who can see it. Disclosure concerns the act of sharing information, which can threaten privacy if not properly controlled. So confidentiality is the element that directly protects participant privacy.