Certification for IRB Professionals (CIP) Practice Exam

What does the Right of Subject Confidentiality imply?

1. Subjects must always provide identifying information to researchers.

2. Researchers know the identity of a subject but must protect that identity from being disclosed.

3. All research data must be anonymized at all times.

4. Consent forms must never include identifying information.

The correct answer is: Researchers know the identity of a subject but must protect that identity from being disclosed.

The Right of Subject Confidentiality implies that researchers are aware of a subject's identity but are obligated to safeguard this information from unauthorized disclosure. This principle is pivotal in ethical research as it ensures that individuals can participate without the fear of their personal information being exposed. Maintaining confidentiality fosters trust between researchers and participants, encouraging more open and honest sharing of information, which is crucial for the integrity of research. The chosen answer highlights the duality of knowledge and responsibility; while researchers may have access to identifying details, they are ethically and legally bound to protect that information. This fosters an environment conducive to ethical practices in research, aligning with standards set by institutions and regulatory bodies. In contrast, other options misrepresent the nature of subject confidentiality and ethical research practices. For instance, requiring subjects to always provide identifying information undermines their privacy, while the requirement for all data to be anonymized at all times is not practical or necessary as long as identifying information is kept secure. Similarly, stating that consent forms must never include identifying information fails to recognize that such information can be included, provided there are safeguards in place to ensure confidentiality is maintained.