6.4 Anonymity and labeling

As preserving anonymity is an important part of avoiding harm, any information hinting at an informant's identity should be changed. Names, for instance, should be changed into pseudonyms, initials or numbers, while group data, if possible, should not be reported with any reference at all. The same applies to names of towns, blocks or other specific locations which might help reveal someone's identity. On the other hand, at times it may be necessary to specify the location in which research is conducted in order to compare its findings with other projects' results. Also, the researcher must obtain the informants' approval, if the data is intended to be used by other scholars or presented in public lectures. The authorization must be written down in the consent form or an extra document. The data has to be kept safely with access restricted to the researcher (cf. Tagliamonte 2006: 51; Milroy and Gordon 2001: 81).

Bowern (cf. 2008: 181), on the other hand, says that when describing an undescribed language an informant who is proud of his/her contribution may be keen on his/her name being mentioned. Some might even argue that for the fieldworker to withhold such information is inappropriate. Just as an author is always sure to acknowledge his/her co-authors or fellow academics involved in writing a book, the researcher should show his/her appreciation to the informants involved in his/her project. Furthermore, the informant may own the rights to a story and get angry if he or she feels unacknowledged. Therefore, researchers are strongly advised to ask and record - favorably in writing - whether informants want their names to be mentioned or not.

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