In today's research landscape, protecting participant privacy is not just a legal requirement—it's a fundamental ethical obligation and an essential step in the research process. Before data can be shared with collaborators, submitted to repositories, or published in findings, researchers must ensure that personally identifiable information has been properly removed or obscured. Without proper deidentification, research institutions risk serious HIPAA violations, breach of participant trust, and potential harm to the individuals whose data they steward.
De-ID is our team's suggested tool for safely anonymizing qualitative data. Read more about De-ID and sign up for free via the Institute for Mixed Methods Research here.