Parent and child views on anonymity: ‘I’ve got nothing to hide’

There is considerable debate around the application of ethical principles and the notion of risk in qualitative research, and as such it is becoming increasingly important that we have empirical evidence to draw upon to contribute to these arguments. In this article, we use discourse analysis to look at what Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service users think about the role of anonymity in research. We consider the viewpoints of children and their parents to look at how necessary this ethic is and whether there is a possibility that a choice could or should be offered to those participating. Our findings demonstrate variability in perspectives and differences between parent and child views. Our findings highlight that a single approach to qualitative research ethics does not fit all people, and we consider the wider implications of offering choices in research contexts.