What confidentiality procedure protects against compelled disclosure of individually identifiable information in a longitudinal study?

Securing a Certificate of Confidentiality is a well-established procedure designed to enhance the confidentiality of data collected in research, particularly in sensitive studies where there is a risk of compelled disclosure. This certificate, issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other entities, provides legal protection for researchers by prohibiting the disclosure of identifiable information about participants even if legally compelled to do so in court or by other governmental requests.

This means that if a participant’s identifiable information is protected by this certificate, the researchers cannot be forced to reveal that information, effectively shielding the participants from possible repercussions related to their involvement in the study. This is especially crucial in longitudinal studies, where data is collected over an extended period, and the potential for sensitive information being exposed can increase.

The other options may contribute to maintaining confidentiality in different ways but do not specifically address the protection against compelled disclosure to the same extent as a Certificate of Confidentiality does. For instance, obtaining participant consent is fundamental for ethical research and participant autonomy; using pseudonyms may help in anonymizing data; and limiting access to data to the research team can help control who views the data, but none of these measures provide the same legal safeguard against mandatory disclosure that the certificate does.