First, our intention is to help, not to complicate your life. We aim to maintain secrecy of all matters and the identities of the complainant(s) or witness(es) submitting private, confidential information except so far as may be necessary to enable us to help solve a reported situation. In any event, except as ordered disclosed by a court or other governmental authority and as otherwise required by law, Ethics Helpline will not release your identity and/or other personal, private and/or confidential information to a third party without your permission. Of course, we would like to have a way to contact you, so we can follow up, clarify points and ask for additional information, if necessary. For extra confidentiality, you may wish to use an anonymous web-based e-mail address. That's OK with us.

However, we do need complete information in order to be effective.

We need to obtain all data necessary to enable us to do something about your ethics report: time, place, description of the event(s), individuals involved, what was observed, any injuries or damage to person, property or equipment, who supervises the individuals involved, to whom we should report the matter, etc.

If we don't have the data and if you do not authorize us to report and/or otherwise handle the matter in a way that can lead to a solution, our ability to help is limited.