Confidentiality comes from the Latin “to trust.” Data that is collected confidentially is held privately by the researcher so that no one will find out the identity of the people who provided the information. As evaluators, we often know who provides us with information (e.g., from an interview), but we take steps to keep it confidential by ensuring their identity is not shared with anyone. In contrast, anonymity means there is no way for anyone to know the identity of who provided the information, not even the evaluator.

See also: anonymity

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