Anonymize Worker IDs

CloudResearch allows you to use "anonymized" Worker IDs, which are MTurk Worker IDs that have been encrypted. These IDs offer workers an extra layer of privacy and assuage some IRB concerns about privacy.

On Mechanical Turk, each worker is given a unique Worker ID. CloudResearch gives researchers the option to create an "anonymized" worker ID for each participant in their study.

When you choose the Anonymize Worker IDs feature, all Worker IDs that appear in your study's downloadable .csv file will be encrypted. For example, if the Worker ID is "ABCDEFGHJKL," it will instead appear as "TP_1UPKSI2WHSJ4." This encrypted CloudResearch Worker ID begins with the letters TP and can be used in all operations on CloudResearch where an Amazon Worker ID can be used. For example, you can use the CloudResearch ID to Include or Exclude workers from a study, add Workers to a Worker Group, approve or reject workers, or grant workers a bonus.

To turn this feature on, navigate to the Basic Information section of the study setup. Expand the privacy options at the bottom of the page and you will see the Anonymize Worker IDs option. Select this option and the Worker IDs within your study will be anonymized.