Research participants can file a suit for invasion of privacy under tort law. However, if the researcher has taken reasonable precautions and if the activity is approved by the IRB, they are usually dismissed. Privacy has two major aspects. The first is the freedom to pick and choose the time and circumstances under which facts about a person, e.g., attitudes, beliefs, opinions, etc., are shared or withheld from others. The second is a person s right not to be given information that he or she does not want, i.e., HIV testing results, standardized testing scores , etc.
Anonymity provides excellent protection of privacy.
Anonymity means that the identity of participants is not attached to the data, and can never be inferred from the data through any means, i.e., social security numbers, addresses, etc. Confidentiality refers to agreements with persons as to what may be done with their data. Researchers should refrain from sharing private information with others, unless authorized by the participant, or some other justification. Authorization is obtained through the informed consent process. Confidentiality is becoming increasingly hard to maintain.