4.4 Anonymisation options
You will need to anonymise both transcripts and fieldnotes by removing any names, locations, or any other identifying information. When removing these details you should make it clear that anonymisation has happened and specify what has been removed. There are several ways to do this; using pseudonyms, omitting information and replacing it with a description, or using codes. Each has advantages and disadvantages and many researchers will use a combination of methods.
Pseudonyms
You can replace people’s names and locations with names and locations you have made up. For example, if you have an interviewee whose name is Jane who lives in York, you could replace her name with Anne, and York with Cityville. If you choose this, you should make it clear in any reports that you have used pseudonyms.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
Improves readability Allows you to indicate gender and sometimes ethnicity through name choice You can allow interviewees to choose their own names |
Potential to choose an inappropriate pseudonym (culturally, or because interviewee dislikes it) It can be time consuming to choose appropriate names or to rename locations |
Omitting information
You might omit any identifying data and replace it with a description of the information you have replaced, for example replacing someone’s name with ‘[name]’ and someone’s email address with ‘[email]’.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
Simple Easy to be consistent No potential for inappropriate choices |
Can interrupt the reading experience Can feel less personal May lose details about who interviewees are |
Codes
You can give each interviewee a numerical code, and then provide demographic information in a table within any report. If you are using a code system, you may need to use another method to anonymise other details, such as locations.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
Allows you to give information about interviewees without the potential to choose inappropriate names Easy to be consistent |
Can interrupt the reading experience Can feel less personal Depending on the demographic details given, care may need to be taken that interviewees are not recognisable |
Activity 7
Read the transcript excerpts provided and decide in each case whether the anonymisation is a good or bad example.
Start with a yes/no answer then think about why you have come to this conclusion. For example, it’s too revealing, the choice makes everyone male/white/etc., it’s too close to their actual name.
Example one - original transcript
So, the first part then, could you tell me a bit about yourself, so your background, a bit about what you do at the moment?
Yes, so my name’s Rachel Smith, I live in Preston and I’m 45 years old. I work part-time as a veterinary nurse. I have two children: one age 12 and one aged nine. I have a partner and we’ve been together about 17 years.
Anonymised transcript
So, the first part then, could you tell me a bit about yourself, so your background, a bit about what you do at the moment?
Yes, so my name’s XXX, XXX XXX and I’m 45 years old. I work part-time as a veterinary nurse. I have two children: one age 12 and one aged nine. I have a partner and we’ve been together about 17 years.
Answer
This anonymisation works, but we lose some of the context about the information that has been given.
Example two - original transcript
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
So I’m 47 years old. I live in Wrexham in Wales. I grew up in a little town called Brighouse near Huddersfield. I’ve got a boy, my son who’s 14 and a daughter who is 11. I’m married to my husband Gwain and we’ve been married for 18 years. And I studied here in Wales and I went to nursing college here in Wrexham and I work now as a practice nurse.
Anonymised transcript
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
So I’m 47 years old. I live in [city] in [country]. I grew up in a little town called [town] near [another city]. I’ve got a boy, my son who’s 14 and a daughter who is 11. I’m married to my husband [name] and we’ve been married for 18 years. And I studied here in [country] and I went to nursing college here in [city] and I work now as a practice nurse.
Answer
This anonymisation has worked well. We can understand the context of information that has been given, but anonymity is preserved.
Example three - original transcript
Did you talk about your experiences with the pill with your sister?
All I remember as growing up that I think she started taking the pill, but she had a lot of problems, she always had just either heavy periods or really bad stomach pains. Where I was OK, I didn’t seem to have any problems, I seemed to be OK, I was on the combination pill where you get a seven day break and I had no problems at all. But I always remember Marie always had, what you’d call like her periods were never right, so yeah. But no I don’t think we’ve ever spoke about it to be honest. Well not at that age, not when we were young I don’t think.
Anonymised transcript
Did you talk about your experiences with the pill with your sister?
All I remember as growing up that I think she started taking the pill, but she had a lot of problems, she always had just either heavy periods or really bad stomach pains. Where I was OK, I didn’t seem to have any problems, I seemed to be OK, I was on the combination pill where you get a seven day break and I had no problems at all. But I always remember Mary always had, what you’d call like her periods were never right, so yeah. But no I don’t think we’ve ever spoke about it to be honest. Well not at that age, not when we were young I don’t think.
Answer
This anonymisation has not worked well, as it has made the pseudonym too similar to the original name.
Example four - original transcript
So the first part we’re going to talk about is the beginning parts of contraception, so for you if you can tell me Aaliyah, when you were first introduced to contraception and how that came about for you?
I suppose contraception, talked about it with my mum.
Anonymised transcript
So the first part we’re going to talk about is the beginning parts of contraception, so for you if you can tell me Anne, when you were first introduced to contraception and how that came about for you?
I suppose contraception, talked about it with my mum.
Answer
This anonymisation has not worked well, as it has made the pseudonym of the interviewee too different by choosing a name that implies a different cultural background.
Example five - original transcript
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I’m 23, and I live in Brighton, with my partner Jordan. We don’t have kids, but we do have two cats.
Anonymised transcript
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I’m 23, and I live in Townville, with my partner Richard. We don’t have kids, but we do have two cats.
Answer
This anonymisation has not worked well, as the gender of the partner has been assumed when they have a unisex name.
Example six - original transcript
So at the points when you’ve had the children and in between have you returned to the same forms of contraception or have you had different?
I think I went back on the pill; and then the last one, for Rowan when I said that I wasn’t going to have any more children then I ended up with a coil [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .
OK. So do you still have the coil now?
No.
And is there a reason why you don’t have it now?
Well because Phil had a vasectomy.
Anonymised transcript
So at the points when you’ve had the children and in between have you returned to the same forms of contraception or have you had different?
I think I went back on the pill; and then the last one, for Ash when I said that I wasn’t going to have any more children then I ended up with a coil.
OK. So do you still have the coil now?
No.
And is there a reason why you don’t have it now?
Well because Phil had a vasectomy.
Answer
This anonymisation hasn’t worked well. Although the child has been given a suitable pseudonym, the partner’s name has been left in.