Should reports in a Just Culture be anonymous or confidential?

Confidentiality is often necessary; anonymity is useful as an additional route, but also has limitations.

Confidential reporting means that the identity is only known to people who need it for a careful process. Anonymous reporting means that the recipient does not know the identity. Confidentiality allows further questions and personal feedback; anonymity can lower the threshold if someone fears reprisals or conflicts of interest.

Offer both routes where appropriate and explain honestly in advance what can and cannot be protected. Complete anonymity cannot always be guaranteed technically or legally, and details of an event can indirectly make someone recognizable. Therefore, do not collect more personal data than necessary and limit access and retention periods. European aviation rules mention shielding and removing identifying data as ways to support trust in reporting systems. See the EASA explanation to Regulation 376/2014.