A Study on Privacy and Anonymity in Computing at Tesco

This project proposal investigates the role of privacy and anonymity in computing and information technology, with a specific focus on Tesco. The study includes an abstract, literature review, research methodology, and data analysis. It explores the background of data privacy in the retail sector, research questions, and objectives, aiming to understand the factors affecting privacy and anonymity within Tesco's IT systems. The literature review covers past developments and history, examining mechanisms that interfere with privacy and anonymity. The proposal outlines research questions concerning the role of privacy and anonymity, factors affecting them, and strategies for improvement. The methodology involves a quantitative research approach using surveys. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of information technology in protecting data privacy. The project plan, ethical review form, consent form, and pilot study are included in the appendices.

MSc Information Systems Management
IMAT5262 Research, Ethics
& Professionalism in
Computing
Assignment - Project Proposal
‘A study on role of privacy and anonymity in computing and
information technology in the context of Tesco’
Pxxxxxxxx
De Montfort University
DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR
NAME AS THE WORK WILL
BE ANONYMOUSLY MARKED

P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics & Professionalism in
Computing
Abstract
The key aim of this investigation is to evaluate role of privacy and anonymity in computing
and information technology with respect to Tesco. This report addresses different chapters
such as introduction, LR (literature review), RM (research methodology), data analysis and
findings, conclusion and recommendation. Furthermore, introduction chapter supports to
know different chapters such as research background, significance of investigation, aim and
objectives of research. It supports to know the depth understanding of investigation issue.
The literature review chapter supports critically evaluates role of privacy and anonymity in
computing and information technology with respect to Tesco. In this study, quantitative
research methods have been practiced by incorporating survey through questionnaire method.
In addition, data analysis and findings chapter demonstrate privacy and anonymity in
computing and information technology plays an imperative role in meeting aim and purpose
of investigation issue. The conclusion chapter depicts that information technology has
positive impacts in making the privacy of data.
Key Words
Privacy, anonymity, information technology, data privacy, and computing
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics & Professionalism in
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Contents
1. Background.......................................................................................................................3
Research aim and objectives...................................................................................................4
2. Research questions............................................................................................................4
3. Literature Review.............................................................................................................5
Past developments and history...............................................................................................5
4. Methodology Review.........................................................................................................9
6. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................15
7. References........................................................................................................................16
APPENDICES........................................................................................................................19
8. Project Plan.....................................................................................................................19
10. Consent Form.....................................................................................................................2
11. Pilot study...........................................................................................................................5
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1. Background
In the retail sector, it is quite complicated for balancing data privacy by getting competitive
benefits. The retailer’s requisite the customer data for delivering products, evaluate the
customer profile, as well as offering modified services. In addition, the capability to survive
the organization in the marketplace is depending on how much they know about the existing
as well as new consumer’s needs. It could make differentiate the organization as compared to
other companies. Moreover, it is evaluated that current tools facilitate to easily understand the
needs of consumers and make their products and services.
With respect to getting higher benefits, the organization should need to which services are
more accessed by the customers. Moreover, it is illustrated that consumer cannot endure
anymore as well as data is subject to be shared with third parties named as advertisers. In
addition, it is examined that many researchers have identified data privacy as a sectorial as
well as national level phenomenon (Xu, et al., 2014). In addition, it is evaluated there is the
gap in our knowledge of company strategies which type of data is collected by instore as well
as online shopping, as well as how it can affect the data privacy.
It is illustrated that the organizational level of data privacy behavior as companies was
handling individual data. Since most of the study on privacy has not identified wider
managerial as well as organizational concerns. It seems to be the mismatch where the
companies are worried about data privacy but studies rarely reflect this level of evaluations in
its researchers. It is illustrated that the collection of individual data become an effective
theme during the 1970s before World wide web developed new sales methods for online
retailing in the 1990’s. Moreover, many firms tried to take benefit of this tool in reaching
customers as well as it was argued that a successful retailer has using both physical as well as
online stores. These sources would support to increase the profitability of the firm (Barocas
and Nissenbaum, 2014).
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics & Professionalism in
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Research rationale
This study is significant for gathering data regarding concepts as well as anonymity usually
misunderstood within the digital way. From the application of this tool, this investigation
would be significant to capture data related to investigation matter. This study supports
comprehending different research methods named as qualitative and quantitative technique.
This study could support to get the technical information that would support to effectively
conducting the study (Al Omar, et al., 2017).
Research aim and objectives
The key purpose of this investigation is to examine role of privacy and anonymity in
computing and information technology with respect to Tesco. Following research objectives
are considered by investigator to achieve the aim of research purpose:
 To comprehend role of privacy and anonymity in computing and information
technology with respect to Tesco
 To explore factors affecting privacy as well as anonymity in computing and
information technology with respect to Tesco
To recommends strategies in improving the privacy as well as anonymity in computing and
information technology with respect to Tesco
2. Research questions
The following research questions are considered by the investigator to meet the research
purposes:
 What is the role of privacy and anonymity in computing and information technology
with respect to Tesco?
 Which factors affecting the privacy as well as anonymity in computing and
information technology with respect to Tesco?
Which strategies are effective in collecting improving organizational performance?
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics & Professionalism in
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3. Literature Review
Past developments and history
Acquisti et al. (2015) stated that privacy is associated with the content. Refraining by public
eye as well as keeping confidentiality. Another method of privacy can be to record with the
cloud storage offers named as drop box. It will mean the individual will understand who is
long as have encrypted files as well as only have a key to decrypt such files then information
is private. In such a situation, an individual has privacy. It is illustrated that anonymity is
when an individual comprehend that they are but potentially they comprehend what are you
doing.
In such way, while an individual complete their practices and exercise something differs as
compared to their character. For example, there are large number of availability of
individuals but there are equivalent chances for each one to perform their tasks. This setting
can deal for assessing the content however it is not developed yet. In contrast to this, Kear et
al. (2014) addressed that the control of the interchanges and the progression of data are
obligatory for any substance that plans to oversee the general public. There are numerous
substances with such interests: governments, organizations, autonomous people, and so forth.
The majority of the exploration accessible on the subject cases that the primary originators of
the dangers against security and secrecy are legislative establishments and large corporations.
The inspirations driving these dangers are changed. All things considered, they can be
characterized under four classifications: social, political, mechanical and conservative. In
spite of the connection between them, the four classes have various foundations.
Social & political motivations
Zhang (2018) stated that human interaction is the best way of conducting the research in an
imperative way. Internet is best tool for social interaction as it is famous in the current time.
Popularity as well as enables that internet provides fundamental assent for society.
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics & Professionalism in
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Recently, it is projected that there are approximately 2.7 billion people users of the internet at
a global level. In addition, it is examined that the basics of such threats are often inspired by
an ideological cause. Thus, in the companies wherein speech free, privacy, as well as
anonymity, considered a state enemy. Moreover, the global defense as well as social morality
are some key arguments used when mitigating acts against anonymity as well as privacy.
Yüksel et al. (2017) illustrated that there are different cases wherein threats against
anonymity as well as privacy occur caused by effective technology. There are creation threats
that could occur accidentally. In addition, it is illustrated that information technology could
use much software caused by determine the users' information and making profitability in the
organization. In the current is, technology can play significant role in getting favourable data
but due to huge amount of information sometimes organizational would be confuted to
manage the data effectively. For securing a huge amount of data at a large scale is becoming
a major issue in the current period, hence organization has needed to use the information
technology and need to imply this tool to make higher befits. In support of this, Barocas and
Nissenbaum (2014) stated that the huge data of business, as well as personal information of
consumers, could be secured by the new tool. Moreover, the huge amount of business as well
as individual information transmitted as well as stored automatically, the key opportunity for
information breaches are melodramatically enhanced as well as a business might forestall
quick reactions to complete the satisfy state patchwork as well as federal information breach
rules. In addition, it is illustrated that those rules continue in raising the standard of
information security uses, constricting associates expect higher responsibility for such
standards.
III. MECHANISMS USED TO INTERFERE in PRIVACY AND ANONYMITY
Aitzhan and Svetinovic (2016) stated that any conceivable danger on the physical layer infers
direct access to the equipment associated with the system. Most normal antiquities used are
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known as system taps: gadgets that give access to the information stream of the system once
they are connected to it. These gadgets can be utilized either to screen the system quietly
(sniffing) or to divert the full traffic of the system to an alternate hub. Verifiably, any
perception of the system traffic includes the probability of influencing the security and
obscurity of the traffic.
On the other side, Aitzhan and Svetinovic (2016) examined that the majority of the
equipment arrangements focusing on the information interface layer center around the media
get to control (MAC) sublayer. It is in the MAC sublayer that specific channels can be
executed. The tending of the goals happens right now, is exceptional. This is the primary
control point for those elements that are meaningful to get some data concerning the client's
character, information streams and goals. Note, the property of uniqueness of the MAC
address and the present standard permits the classification of the gadgets present in the
system. This can prompt an untimely ID of the client (by maker/model).
Bettini and Riboni, (2015) illustrated that as of late, data innovation and portable
correspondence innovation are firmly coordinated and grow quickly. These have advanced
the improvement of the Internet, portable Internet, distributed computing, huge information
and the Internet of things. Simultaneously, an assortment of new help models improve the
nature of living significantly, for example, internet business administrations spoke to by
Amazon/Taobao, informal organization administrations spoke to by Facebook/Wechat,
vehicle administrations spoke to by Uber/Didi.
In support of this, Shen et al. (2018) stated that that nonetheless rise and fast advancement of
new innovation and new assistance mode lead to a typical circumstance in which enormous
clients close to home data interfaces across data frameworks, biological systems and even
national system limits. In each progression of the entire data lifecycle, the client's close to
home data can be definitely held in different data frameworks, for example, assortment,
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stockpiling, handling, discharge (counting trade), obliteration, etc. It prompts the partition of
the proprietorship, the administration and the usage right of data, which genuinely
undermines clients' privileges to assent, to be eradicated/to be overlooked and to broaden
approval.
Benson et al. (2015) illustrated that the absence of the help of viable observing innovation
prompts the trouble of following and crime scene investigation of security attack. The greater
part of the current security protecting plans center around moderately segregated application
situations and specialized focuses, and propose answers for explicit issues in a given
application situation. The protection saving plan dependent on getting to control innovation is
reasonable for a single data framework, yet the security saving issue in metadata stockpiling
and distributing isn't explained.
In support that, Martin and Murphy (2017) examined that security protecting plans depend on
cryptography is additionally just appropriate to a solitary data framework. In spite of the fact
that the usage of key administration with the assistance of believed outsiders can understand
the trading of security data between multi-data frameworks, the cancellation right/overlooked
right and the all-encompassing approval after the trade is not settled. The protection
safeguarding plan dependent on speculation, disarray, secrecy advances fluffs up information,
making it difficult to be reestablished, and consequently can be applied to numerous
situations, for example, single anonymizing and multi-anonymizing with expanded security
saving level.
Sicari et al. (2015) stated that In a nutshell, existing security protecting advances can't meet
the necessities of the security safeguarding in the intricate data framework, prompting
unsolved protection saving issues in the run of the mill application situations, for example,
online business and long range interpersonal communication. Accordingly, from the point of
view of the entire lifecycle conservation on protection data and to answer the interest of
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methodical security safeguarding in complex application situations, we set forward the
security registering hypothesis and the key innovation framework, including security
processing system, formal meaning of protection figuring, four standards of security
processing structure, calculation plan criteria, assessment of protection saving impact, and
protection registering language.
4. Methodology Review
SECTION 1 - REVIEW
Qualitative Research
This investigation is exploratory type research that is practiced for comprehending
knowledge about the motivation, reason, and opinion behind choosing qualitative type
research. It will also assist in developing hypotheses for this study. Qualitative research is
primarily thoughts and opinion of another researcher that supports in analysing the problem
in depth. There are different techniques which are used for qualitative data collection such as
semi-structured technique and unstructured techniques. Certain methods of qualitative data
collection are named as group discussion, observation/ participation and individual interviews
(Mackey and Gass, 2015).
For this approach, a small sample size is selected and under this, research participants are
chosen to accomplish allocated quota. A labor-intensive analysis technique is required for
this qualitative study which is named as recording, categorization etc. Along with this, well-
experienced research scholars are required for qualitative research to get the specified
information from the selected group of research candidates. Further, the various conclusion
is developed from the information that is gathered through the personal characteristics of the
research participant (Flick, 2015).
Quantitative Research
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics & Professionalism in
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Quantitative research is exercised for measuring the issues in order to develop numerical
information that can be changed into required statistics. This technique is practiced for
computing defined variables such as opinion, behaviour and attitudes and it also supports in
generalizing the result from a larger population of the sample. It is analysed that the
quantitative data pooling technique is more structured rather than qualitative data collection
technique. Quantitative data pooling techniques consider different forms of surveys that are
named as paper surveys, systematic observations, face-to-face interviews, telephone
interviews, kiosk surveys, website interceptors, systematic observations, mobile surveys,
online surveys, website interceptors, longitudinal studies, online polls and face-to-face
interviews (Bresler and Stake, 2017).
Techniques for data collection
Focus groups:
It is significant methods of quantitative research that could be exercised for accumulating the
relevant data. The focus group generally considers a particular number of research
participants range between 6-10. The main purpose of the focus group is to discover the
answer to the why, how and what type of question will be developed. The most imperative
factor and advantage of a focus group are that personal interaction with the targeted group of
the research scholar is not required (Bauer, 2014).
In the current era, the focus group can be sent to the respondents as an online survey on the
different types of devices and their responses could be gathered by just clicking a button. It is
analyzed that the focus group is a very expensive technique of data pooling as compared to
other methods of qualitative research. Usually, this method is practiced for explaining
complicated processes. This method of qualitative research is more advantageous when it is
practiced for conducting market research on fresh and new products and developing
innovative concepts (Mohajan, 2018).
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P Number: Pxxxxxxxx IMAT5262 Research, Ethics & Professionalism in
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Case study research
This method is very significant technique of qualitative investigation method that is practiced
from the past few years. This method is used for describing information about the
organization or about an individual and business. It is observed that this research method is
advantageous for various areas like social sciences, education as well as, other fields. This
technique is not so easy to operate but at the same, this is one of the easiest tools for
performing a research study because it considers depth knowledge of the data pooling
technique and concluding the information (Dumay and Cai, 2015).
Interview
This technique could be developed for gathering the information from suitable sample from
general population since in practical way, research have ability to reach on each individual
throughout this strategy. It would be identified that questionnaire strategy is limited through
fact that only literate individuals through covering it. The application of interview technique
makes sure the higher amount of usable returns rather than other techniques. In addition to
this, returned visits for completing the items on schedule and correcting mistakes could
usually be developed without annoying to informant. However, the efficacy of interviews
relied on through skills and training of interviewers as on severe management over them.
Along with this, recorded could be incomplete as well as, infeasible (Taherdoost, 2016).
Survey through questionnaire
Surveys could be easily created particularly while practicing the advanced survey software
solutions i.e. available in current times. There are different researchers who have making
efforts to collect the data through online software but it is not always preferred technique of
data collection particularly when participants are in hard to reach fields. Whether an
investigator practices mobile survey, paper and online survey or combination of all
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