Anonymity guaranteed! Let me tell ya how

For those of you wondering if you'd like to participate, let me explain how I protect your identity.

It's a small industry. I am very sensitive to this. But beyond that, the university has very high standards on protecting confidentiality.

I take a recorder to interviews. I also take hand written notes. I transcribe the recordings and re-write my notes. I keep the digital recording on my computer, which is password protected, and to which only I have access. It's kept in a locked room in my home. I keep these files until six months after my project is completed. I then shred the paper, and delete (and I mean really delete) the soft copies.

I also change names, company names, and any other identifying information. Sometimes that means leaving out anecdotes that are too identifying, or changing the gender of a participant, or changing the title they have.

In short, the university takes confidentiality very seriously. And so do I. I know this is a small industry and I'm committed to protecting your information.