In research, what is meant by confidentiality?

In research, confidentiality refers specifically to the protection of participant identities. This is a crucial ethical consideration, ensuring that personal information gathered during the study is kept private and secure. Researchers are responsible for ensuring that the data collected does not allow others to identify individuals who participated in the study. By maintaining confidentiality, researchers help to build trust with participants, encouraging honest and open responses without the fear of being identified or judged. This practice is foundational in upholding ethical standards in research, particularly in studies involving sensitive topics.

The other options have different meanings. The ability to replicate findings relates to the reliability of research methods and results, emphasizing the importance of reproducibility in science. The openness of data sharing pertains to the transparency of research, which is a different ethical consideration focused on the availability of research data to the wider community. The limitation of study scope refers to the boundaries set on the research itself, which does not directly relate to how participant information is handled.