How to anonymize participants in online qualitative research?

Anonymisation is a set of decisions, applied at each stage of a qualitative project: the session, the backroom, the transcript, and the export.

It often involves deciding who needs to see real names, using participant IDs or display names in the video room, hiding names from observers, and replacing names in the transcript (before it is shared). The key linking participant IDs to their real names is retained in a restricted file.

Deciding what to hide and from whom

Start by mapping who will see participant data and at which stage in the project cycle. For instance - the moderator usually needs real names, during recruitment and scheduling; Observers in the backroom typically do not; Analysts reading transcripts rarely do and Clients should never know.

Once you know who needs what, you can apply the right controls at each stage rather than anonymising everything at a go.

Using display names or IDs in the video room

Most qualitative platforms let you set a display name that is different from the participant's real name. Set this to an ID (P1, P2, P3) or a first name before the session starts. Participants see their own display name; observers in the client backroom see the same.

If a participant's email or full name appears anywhere in the session interface, check whether observers can see it through the backroom view. Some platforms show more participant metadata to backroom observers than to the moderator. Confirm this, particularly before a sensitive study.

Hiding names from observers

The backroom is where anonymisation most often breaks down. Observers can see the video, the chat, and sometimes the participant roster. If real names appear in any of these, the session is not anonymous, from their perspective.

Set backroom permissions to show participant IDs only, not email addresses or full names. Restrict who can download the session recording until names have been replaced in the file metadata.

Anonymizing the transcript and other exported files

The focus group consent form should make clear to participants what anonymisation means in practice for your study. Once a session is complete, replace participant names in the transcript before sharing it outside the research team. This means a find-and-replace across the full document.

flowres.io supports PII redaction in research transcripts, which automates the identification and removal of personal identifiers before a transcript leaves the platform. Automated redaction catches most instances in most documents. However, it should always be reviewed before sharing.

Keep a separate key file that maps participant IDs to real names. Store it with restricted access and do not include it in any research deliverable. 

FAQs

How do you anonymize interview data?

Replace participant names with IDs in the transcript, remove identifying details from quotes before using them in reports, and store the mapping between IDs and real names in a restricted file, kept separate from the data collected.

Can observers see participant names?

It depends on how the backroom is configured. Some platforms show participant display names and email addresses to backroom observers by default. Check your platform's backroom settings and set display names to IDs or pseudonyms before a session where anonymity matters.

What is the difference between anonymous and confidential?

Anonymous means no one, including the researcher, can link a response to an individual. Confidential means the researcher knows who said what but agrees not to share it. Most qualitative research is confidential rather than truly anonymous, because the moderator knows who the participants are.