Audiotapes and videotapes may be particularly revealing and require special precautions to maintain confidentiality when airing or viewing and for storage. If research is published, the investigator is accountable for the results and may be required to keep the data available for five to ten years. Also, when federal funds are used for research, the agency may require that the data be shared with other researchers. To keep identifiable data out of reach of subpoena a researcher may send the data to a colleague in a foreign country where it may be safely analyzed and stored. In studies using coded data, the master list of subject names linked to codes may also be handled in this way.
Some federal agencies issue certificates of confidentiality for funded research.
Remember, whatever method is used to assure confidentiality it must be explained clearly and simply to the subject.