Survey Anonymity Settings

One of the features we’re most proud of here at SurveyMethods is our anonymity feature. We have made our surveys capable of collecting data anonymously, which is valuable for companies and organizations that need to: Protect user privacy. Improve user response rate.

Generate more genuine responses. Anonymous surveys – where the survey is clearly marked anonymous and respondents are notified that their answers will be kept confidential – are a very important survey tool, and one that many survey software platforms do not make simple.

But sometimes we’re asked by our clients why, when a survey is over, the anonymity option cannot be turned off in order to learn more about specific respondents. There are several reasons: Legal Issues – If you claim a survey is anonymous/confidential, and then make it possible to identify respondents in the future, you may be setting yourself up for legal issues. Claims of anonymity are taken very seriously, and any temptation could cost your company far more than a customer.

Hacking/Prying Eyes – While our surveys are on secure servers and your data is always kept safe, if someone gets ahold of your password you want to make sure that no one can access private data without your permission. Because the anonymity feature cannot be turned off, all anonymous/private surveys will always remain confidential. Ethics – In addition to legal issues, there are ethical issues at play as well.

We built the SurveyMethods platform based on sound survey ethics, because we want to make sure that every survey is run the right way. While it’s tempting to want to turn off anonymity for even valid reasons (for example, sending gifts to unsatisfied customers or contacting those with a great idea), anonymous surveys are meant to be kept anonymous, and we take great pride in the safety of our survey system for both the client and the respondent.