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This issue affects 3 person(s).
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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
20353Feature requestsSurvey participants (Tokens)public2025-11-26 21:15
Reportericeclimber81 Assigned To 
PrioritynoneSeverityfeature 
Status newResolutionopen 
Summary20353: Provide "semi-anonymous" mode so token attributes can be used selectively (except name and email)
Description

Until about 1 year ago, it was possible to run an anonymous survey but still use custom token attributes (like group affiliation). It seems this was fixed to ensure anonymity. However, for us this was an essential feature which other users need too (https://bugs.limesurvey.org/view.php?id=16228).

Use case: We run an anonymous annual staff survey but want to be able to associate responses with departments (groups), with full consent of the users. This isn't possible anymore without cumbersome workarounds (like setting up separate surveys per department).

Please make anonymous mode 'configurable' such that token attributes (except firstname, lastname, email) are usable in the survey and can be stored in the response table.

Thank you!

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Activities

jelo

jelo

2025-11-25 10:31

partner   ~83926

Yes, that is a pitty. These attributes were used for workarounds.

vytautas

vytautas

2025-11-25 14:10

reporter   ~83933

Second it, these attributes used for demographic information for closed access surveys. That is key to analysis.

Joffm

Joffm

2025-11-26 17:14

reporter   ~83944

Either it is anonymous or it is not.
There can't be a mode that allows to undemine anonymity by entering name and email in the attributes.
You can't promise technical anonymity if there is no.

The real pity was, that this - using attributes in an anonimous survey - was allowed in some releases.

jelo

jelo

2025-11-26 17:27

partner   ~83945

I second this statement from joffm "You can't promise technical anonymity if there is no."
The pity is that every surveysoftware began to offer such an mode. But LimeSurvey is so depend on workarounds that changing setting will break workflows.
So I want a token remove mode. I want that the token is not saved in the results but i want to use personal attributes for workarounds.

The market research survey know-how will be gone soon. Employee surveys conducted with anonymous mode but results are not aggregated enough to protect people.
Rules of thumb applied without looking at crosstabs which reveal peoples identity in small groups.

iceclimber81

iceclimber81

2025-11-26 21:15

reporter   ~83946

Exactly. Anonymous mode should remain anonymous. There is no disagreement. Nobody wants to pretend something is anonymous when it isn't.

The feature, as jelo suggests, could be an addition to the standard survey mode, letting the admin select in "Participant settings" which participant fields are usable in the survey and will be captured in the results table.

Something similar already exists at the tail end: The "Export results" feature offers the user "Participant control" to decide which participant fields are included the exported file - just that the data to be excluded shouldn't even have been captured.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2025-11-14 12:08 iceclimber81 New Issue
2025-11-25 10:29 guest Bug heat 0 => 6
2025-11-25 10:31 jelo Note Added: 83926
2025-11-25 10:31 jelo Bug heat 6 => 8
2025-11-25 14:10 vytautas Note Added: 83933
2025-11-25 14:10 vytautas Bug heat 8 => 10
2025-11-25 14:11 vytautas Bug heat 10 => 16
2025-11-26 17:14 Joffm Note Added: 83944
2025-11-26 17:14 Joffm Bug heat 16 => 18
2025-11-26 17:27 jelo Note Added: 83945
2025-11-26 21:15 iceclimber81 Note Added: 83946
2025-11-26 21:15 iceclimber81 Bug heat 18 => 20