nonattribution

Nonattribution is the practice of withholding or removing the attribution of statements, quotes, or information so that the source cannot be identified. It is used to protect privacy, reduce risk of harm, encourage candor, or prevent bias when the identity of the speaker is sensitive or not essential to the point being made.

In journalism, nonattribution often involves anonymous sources. Editors may withhold names or affiliations while presenting information that is corroborated by multiple sources, relying on verification and context to sustain credibility. In research and data release, nonattribution is achieved through anonymization and de-identification of participants, redaction of identifying details, or presenting findings in aggregate form to prevent re-identification.

Ethical and legal considerations include privacy laws, consent, and institutional or newsroom policies. Journalistic codes generally require clear justification for anonymity, ongoing verification, and limits on the duration or scope of nonattribution. In data contexts, nonattribution must balance anonymity with the risk of re-identification, often requiring statistical safeguards and careful data governance.

Advantages of nonattribution include protection for individuals at risk of retaliation or harm, the ability to gather sensitive information, and the preservation of confidentiality. Disadvantages include reduced accountability, potential erosion of reader trust if attribution is expected, and opportunities for misuse to spread unverified or misleading information without clear responsibility.

Nonattribution is related to, but distinct from, confidentiality and pseudonymization. It concerns the visible attribution in disseminated materials, whereas confidentiality involves protecting information in possession of an entity, and pseudonymization replaces identifiers with substitutes.

See also: anonymity, attribution, data anonymization, redaction, pseudonym.