UK Voices: Privacy notice

This privacy notice sets out how we will process information from everyone who takes part in this research. 

Privacy notice

The UKRI has funded the National Centre for Social Research and LSE to carry out pilot research exploring whether and how qualitative data can be collected from a large, representative sample of the UK population.

This privacy notice sets out how we will process information from everyone who takes part in this research. In line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it explains the legal basis for data processing; who will have access to your personal data; how this data will be used, stored and deleted; and how to submit a query or a complaint.

NatCen and LSE are joint data controllers for this research. This means we are responsible for deciding the purpose and legal basis for processing data, and for its collection, processing and storage.

What is the legal basis for processing my data?

For the use of personal data to be lawful, we need to satisfy one or more conditions in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as set out in Article 6(1). The legal basis for us to process your interview data for research purposes is ‘legitimate interest’. This means we believe that there is a genuine reason for us to process this data, this data is needed to fulfil this purpose, and using this data will not interfere with individuals’ interests, rights or freedoms.

Some special category data (for example, information about your ethnicity, sexuality, and gender) is included in the Panel data that will be archived in pseudonymised form as part of this research. While we do not specifically ask about these topics in interviews, you may also choose to discuss them. The lawful basis for processing this data is Article 6(1)(f) – legitimate interest – and Article 9(2)(j) – research, archiving, and statistics.

Who will have access to my personal data?

NatCen is carrying out this research and will have access to your name and contact information, as well as the recordings and transcripts of interviews.

McGowan Transcriptions is the service we use to transcribe interview data. They will have access to audio recordings and transcripts from; no other data will be shared with them. The interview data will be shared through our secure online file transfer portal (FTP) system and held in accordance with NatCen’s security policy requirements. McGowan Transcriptions is on NatCen’s approved supplier list and compliant with all of our information security policies.

The audio recording of the interview will not be provided to LSE and the transcripts will be pseudonymised prior to sharing with LSE. This means that personal information will be replaced with aliases to make datasets more private. Pseudonymised data cannot be matched to an identifiable person unless it is combined with a separate set of information.

How will my data be used?

Your data will only be used for research purposes.

To ensure its availability for future research, while maintaining confidentiality and participant privacy, the interview data generated by the research will be carefully pseudonymised, stored securely, and made accessible to qualified researchers in the UK Data Archive, run by the UK Data Service. You can find out more about the UK Data Service at: https://ukdataservice.ac.uk.

The data will be archived under the ‘Safeguarded Data’ category. This means that only researchers with an institutional affiliation, a justification for the use of the data, and who accept the terms of the archiving can access the data.

The data that will be included in the data archiving for this project are:

• Pseudonymised interview transcripts, with identifiable information such as names or places removed or replaced with aliases.
• Pseudonymised data from the Opinion Panel data, including demographic information that may include special category data such as ethnicity, gender, and employment details. These data will be linked with the relevant transcript to facilitate more in-depth analysis. The data for these variables will be grouped into ranges to reduce the specificity of the answers and protect your confidentiality. No personally identifiable information will be included in the archive.

Information obtained from the interviews will also inform our research outputs, including a report for our funder, the UKRI. No data that can identify you as an individual will be passed on to them. The report may include some quotes from participants, but no identifying information (including, for example, names of individuals or places) will be included, to protect participants’ anonymity as far as possible.

How will my personal data be stored?

All personal data held by NatCen will be stored securely in the UK, in line with international best practice and NatCen’s ISO27001, ISO 20252 and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications. At LSE, data will be stored in OneDrive folders, which are password-protected and encrypted.

LSE will delete the project data once it has been archived. At NatCen, all personal data will be securely deleted one year after completion of the project.

Archived versions of the data will be stored at the UK Data Archive, as described above.

Can I change my mind?

Yes. You have the right to change your mind and withdraw your permission for processing at any time up to two weeks after your interview takes place. You don’t have to justify or explain why you are doing so if you don’t want to state your reasons. To withdraw your permission, please contact the research team.

If you do decide to withdraw, we will no longer process any information we have on you for the purpose or purposes you originally agreed to, unless we have another legitimate basis for doing so in law.

You can also request access to your personal data, ask for it to be deleted or updated by NatCen, and/or for an explanation of how it has been used, at any time before it is destroyed. Rights requests will be responded to without delay and within 30 days. Individual rights requests apply to personal data only, and there may be some occasions where you will receive an explanation of why the request you've made cannot be complied with.

Who can I contact with a query or a complaint?

We would welcome the opportunity to discuss the research with you to address any concerns directly. Please do feel free to contact us if you have any questions – email UKvoices@natcen.ac.uk or telephone on 0808 178 0074, or write to us at UK Voices research team, National Centre for Social Research, 35 Northampton Square London EC1V OAX.

If you believe we have not complied with your data protection rights, you can contact our Data Protection Officer at dpo@natcen.ac.uk.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office if your query is not satisfactorily addressed by us. You can do this via phone, on 0303 123 1113, online at https://ico.org.uk/concerns, or by writing to Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.