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Based on the researcher's obligation to protect privacy, explain why complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed in this study design and state the alternative method the researcher must use to honor the participants' rights.
Case context: A psychologist is planning a study on the relationship between sleep habits and academic performance. The researcher will collect data through an online survey that asks for students' names and ID numbers so their responses can be matched with their official university transcripts at the end of the term.
Question: Based on the researcher's obligation to protect privacy, explain why complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed in this study design and state the alternative method the researcher must use to honor the participants' rights.
Sample answer: The researcher cannot guarantee complete anonymity because identifying information, such as names and ID numbers, is being collected to link the survey data to official transcripts. To uphold the obligation to protect participants' right to privacy, the researcher must instead maintain strict confidentiality of the collected data.
Key points:
- Anonymity is not possible because names and ID numbers are collected.
- Researchers are still obligated to protect the participants' privacy.
- The researcher must use strict confidentiality to protect the data.
Rubric: Award full credit if the student recognizes that the collection of identifying information prevents anonymity, and correctly concludes that the researcher must rely on strict confidentiality to protect privacy.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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