From time to time, individuals may not want their name published on the Internet or associated with a conversation or notes. This is often related to company policies around external communication and messaging, but can be due to a wide variety of reasons.
Rather than becoming “off the record,” these interviews are “on background.” This means1:
The information can be published but only under conditions negotiated with the source. Generally, the sources do not want their names published but will agree to a description of their position.