Amplifying marginalized voices: The necessity of anonymity for diversity and inclusivity in qualitative research

Abstract

Participant anonymity is a necessary option for qualitative inquiry with vulnerable adult populations about sensitive topics; and, based on participant anonymity alone, research using anonymity cannot be misunderstood as suspicious empiricism or as lacking credibility. Anonymity provides an ethical foundation to discuss research participants’ lived experiences with dignity and allows them one avenue to maintain power over their realities. Engaging in diverse, equitable, and inclusive research, especially among vulnerable populations already subjected to systems and structures that devalue their perspectives, is vital to improving policy and programming that disproportionately impacts marginalized populations. This article is a reflection on the practical challenges of interviewing young adults with histories of childhood family violence as an example of how participant anonymity is a methodological element. I follow these challenges with strategies for implementing full anonymity and ethically collecting data about sensitive topics to illustrate the value of anonymity in high-quality qualitative data collection.