Comprehensive Guide to File Anonymization for Peer Review

Introduction

File anonymization serves as a cornerstone of maintaining integrity in the peer review process. When documents contain identifying information, whether visible in the text or hidden within file properties, it can potentially compromise the objectivity of reviewers. This comprehensive guide walks you through the process of ensuring your files are properly anonymized across different document formats and operating systems.

Removing Visible Author Information

Text Content Anonymization

Before submitting your document for peer review, you should carefully review and modify several key elements:

• Replace all instances of author names in the main text with “Author” (for example, change “As Smith (2023) demonstrated…” to “As Author (2023) demonstrated…”)
• Remove all institutional affiliations from the title page and headers
• Modify references to use “Author” format:
  • Original format: Smith, J. (2023). The impact of climate change…
  • Modified format: Author. (2023). The impact of climate change…
• Remove or create placeholders for acknowledgments sections
• Examine headers and footers for any identifying information
• Remove or modify any biographical notes

Common Oversight Areas

Pay particular attention to these frequently overlooked locations where identifying information might appear:

• Figure captions and table descriptions
• Appendices and supplementary materials
• Funding statements and grant acknowledgments
• Dataset attributions and data availability statements
• Running headers and footers
• File names (consider using generic names such as “manuscript.docx”)

Removing Hidden Metadata

Microsoft Word (Windows) Instructions

Follow these steps to remove hidden metadata from your Word document:

1. Open your document in Microsoft Word
2. Navigate to File menu
3. Select “Info” from the left sidebar
4. Click “Check for Issues” button
5. Select “Inspect Document”
6. In the Document Inspector dialog:
   • Select all checkboxes for comprehensive inspection
   • Pay special attention to “Document Properties and Personal Information”
7. Click “Inspect”
8. Review results and select “Remove All” for each category
9. Click “Close”
10. Save your document

Microsoft Word (MacOS) Instructions

For MacOS users, follow this process:

1. Open your document
2. Click Tools in the menu bar
3. Select “Protect Document”
4. Check “Remove personal information from this file on save”
5. Click “OK”
6. Save your document
7. Verify changes by reopening the document

PDF Document Instructions

To anonymize PDF files:

1. Open your PDF file
2. Access File Properties:
   • Windows: Use Ctrl + D
   • MacOS: Use Command + D
   • Alternative: Navigate to File → Properties
3. Clear these fields:
   • Author
   • Subject
   • Keywords
   • Additional metadata
4. Click “OK”
5. Save the document
6. Create a new copy to ensure changes persist

Verification Process

After completing the anonymization steps, perform these verification checks:

Document Opening Test

• Close your document completely
• Reopen it and inspect properties again
• Note that some changes may not persist until proper saving

External Viewer Test

• Open the document in a different program
• Check if any identifying information appears
• For PDFs, test in multiple PDF readers

Search Test

Perform comprehensive searches for:

• Your name and variations
• Your institution
• Your email address
• Common identifying terms

Best Practices

Creating Clean Copies

• Work from a fresh copy of your document
• Save anonymized versions with clear naming (e.g., “manuscript_anonymous_v1.docx”)
• Maintain original versions in a separate location

Systematic Approach

• Utilize a checklist methodology
• Document all changes made
• Have a colleague verify anonymization

File Naming Conventions

• Use generic, non-identifying names
• Avoid institutional or personal identifiers
• Consider using submission numbers if provided

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Persistent Personal Information

If personal information continues to appear:

1. Create a new, blank document
2. Use “Paste Special” → “Unformatted Text” to copy content
3. Reformat as needed
4. Save as a new file

Track Changes History

To remove revision history:

1. Accept or reject all changes
2. Disable track changes
3. Save as a new document
4. Verify no change history remains

Final Verification Checklist

Before submission, confirm:

• Main text contains no author names
• References follow “Author” format
• File properties are cleared
• Track changes are resolved
• Comments are removed
• Headers and footers contain no identifying information
• Filename is appropriate
• Document opens properly in different viewers

Note: It is always better to be overly thorough than to risk compromising the blind review process. When in doubt, err on the side of anonymizing the information in question.

Additional Resources

For more detailed information about specific document formats or anonymization tools:

• Journal Peer Review Guidelines
• Document Anonymization Best Practices
• Metadata Removal Tools

Last updated: 2025-01-19