ANONYMITY & CONFIDENTIALITY

Safeguarding student identity when making data or research findings public requires having an awareness of the range of possible anticipated and unanticipated consequences for participants. Approaching this issue with the depth of sensitivity it requires is an important first step. In addition, having a clear purpose for why data is being gathered and how it will be used will also ensure that data that will not be used is not collected.

In small settings, unless essential, avoid releasing any indirect identifiers as much as possible, for example, gender, age, race/ethnicity, class, grade, community, structure, personal characteristics or any specifics about when and where data was collected.

Rather than focusing on challenges and risks, taking an asset-based approach that focuses on strengths, or an approach that asks students  about their needs, hopes or aspirations may also provide avenues to generate urgent and useful insights while reducing students’ vulnerability. One example is asking students to engage in visioning work where they create solutions to problems, like designing a perfect school day. 

If the environment is especially risky or low-trust for students or other participants, opt for more private or unobtrusive methods of data collection, such as qualitative surveys, written reflections, interviews, ethnographies, home visits, equity participation trackers or classroom scans rather than focus groups, public listening sessions or fishbowls, where confidentiality and anonymity are very challenging to protect. 

*For a description of these methods, see Safir S. & Dugan J. (2021). Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity Pedagogy and School Transformation. SAGE Publications.

Centering students and participants from the margins is essential to an equity inquiry, but it is equally important to mitigate any harm that students may face when participating in such a process. When recruiting students, offer multiple ways to participate, offer multiple opportunities to participate, and allow students to participate discreetly. Creating ways for students to be part of an advisory group or team that elevates student voices may also be another way to center students without requiring data collection.

Authentic informed consent involves centering young people’s agency and well-being in an ongoing way, and ensuring students understand the range of possible ramifications of participating in research or making research findings public. Possible strategies include: allowing students time and space (individually, rather than in a group setting) to consider how they may want to participate; helping them understand how the data may be used; and inviting students to be an active part of making decisions around what parts of the data may be made public.

In small settings, attributing individual quotes to students with specific experiences or specific marginalized identities can be de-anonymizing. Using composite characters to report findings entails creating a fictional character to describe the experiences rooted in the data, but that don’t reflect the experiences of one single individual. In some cases, this method can be effective in increasing anonymity.

Because even anonymized data is often not truly anonymous in many smaller communities, school leaders are urged to exercise extreme caution and judiciousness when thinking about what types of data to make public. Especially when dealing with sensitive data sets (pertaining, for example, to mental health, substance use, sexual behavior, and other similar topics), it is wise to carefully consider the ethics of making such information widely available.

School leaders can engage a group of "critical friends" who are familiar with the context but are not a daily part of the institution. These friends can reflect alongside and think through questions of equity and data reporting to provide important support and insights in the process of undertaking the nuanced, challenging and necessary work of ongoing learning and courageous action for transformation.

Ultimately, conducting ongoing cycles of equity inquiry enables such processes to become a part of a school’s culture.  Using humanizing methods to provide regular opportunities for students to be in dialogue about their needs, experiences and identities can, over time, create an environment where equity inquiry is a strong school-wide norm, and where one-off “equity audits” are not needed.