What occurred when a researcher left a file of aggregated data in her car that got stolen?

The situation described involves aggregated data that does not include any identifiable information about individual subjects. When aggregated data is presented without any identifiers, it typically does not carry the same risks regarding privacy breaches as data that includes personal identifiers.

In this case, even though the file was stolen, the lack of identifiers means that individuals cannot be traced back or identified from the data alone. Therefore, because the data is non-identifiable and aggregated, it leads to the conclusion that there was no violation of privacy or breach of confidentiality as per the ethical guidelines concerning data protection.

This reasoning hinges on the understanding of how aggregated data that lacks personal identifiers minimizes the potential for harm to individuals, which is a key consideration in research ethics and compliance.