I'm doing a research study on a computer system in my uni. A lady in another department has been advising on my research, because she sits on various committees to do with the use of the system. I had previously promised my participants that the research would be confidential and would go no further than my research team and advisers, but now I've found out that this lady has forwarded my confidential research results to the vice chancellor of the uni without my permission or knowledge. Obviously when my participants have found out they've blamed me for not maintaining confidentiality, and have refused to continue with the research, and without participants my PhD is dead in the water. My supervisor says we have to find out who's done what, let people cool off, and potentially pull this lady in front of the comittee that manages research because she's posed a serious risk to a student's research through her actions. I'm very upset and feel like my life (and my research) is over.