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Anonymous surveys do not reveal enough information about respondents to be identifiable. Survey designers must determine whether it will be anonymous, public, or confidential. Anonymous surveys can encourage respondents to be more forthright, but also make it easier to lie. Sampling is difficult with anonymous surveys, and researchers have less control over the sample population. Anonymous survey participants can track researchers listed in the survey to see how the information will be used.
An anonymous survey is a survey that does not reveal enough information about respondents to be identifiable through routine statistical analysis of the information collected. Survey designers cannot tell who took the survey based on the information requested, and respondents cannot identify themselves based on their responses. This differs from a confidential survey, where such information is available, but the designers agree to keep it confidential for the safety of the participants. In open or public surveys, participant information is readily available.
Survey designers must be careful when creating a survey and must determine whether it will initially be anonymous, public, or confidential. When a survey is used for academic research, an institutional review board will typically need to examine the methodology and structure to determine whether the interests of its human subjects are adequately protected. For example, it may mandate a disclosure at the beginning of the survey that contains information about the designers and the privacy of the information.
Anonymous surveys can have advantages and disadvantages. Complete anonymity can encourage respondents to be more forthright, as they have fewer concerns about being deported or exposed to risk. Anonymity, however, can also make it easier to lie or question survey results. In the data analysis process, survey designers need to be on the lookout for signs of false responses so they can weed out those responses and leave them behind.
Sampling is also difficult with an anonymous survey. In a confidential survey, researchers can use a variety of techniques to obtain a uniformly distributed and reliable sample of information. This can increase the validity of their results. With anonymous surveys, there is less control over the sample population. Researchers can make the anonymous survey available in as many places as possible and collect some participant information to determine sample validity, but they may get flawed results.
Anonymous survey participants with an interest in how the information is used can track the researchers listed in the survey. When they publish articles based on survey results, it may be possible to read them to see what kind of conclusions were reached as a result of the survey and how the survey will be applied to research in the future. Clipping services and online people tracking programs can do this automatically for anonymous survey takers who don’t have the time to track the researchers themselves.
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