The Finnish Social Science Data archive started archiving qualitative data in 2003. Many researchers found this to be highly problematic. Their main reason for opposing the archiving of qualitative data was research ethics. Researchers who oppose the archiving of qualitative interviews mainly appeal to the confidential nature of the interview situation. This kind of argument against archiving is put under scrutiny in this article. It covers issues such as the presentation of research subjects and the understanding of research relationship. Researchers tend to define the interview relationship as unpredictable and private, and interviewees as helpless participants
in need of protection. In contrast, the interviewees themselves define the relationship as an institutional one aiming to foster science.