Postgraduate Research Evaluation Survey (PRES) Privacy Notice

Information you need to know

The Doctoral Academy is part of Liverpool John Moores University. See further information on the institution.

Liverpool John Moores University is the Data Controller.

Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted at DPO@ljmu.ac.uk

LJMU takes your privacy very seriously.  This privacy notice explains how we use your personal information and your rights regarding that information. We will always use your data as set out in the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and all current Data Protection Legislation.  We are committed to being transparent about how we collect and use your data and to meeting our data protection obligations.

For information about how the wider University uses personal data please see the Privacy Notice section of our website.

What information are we collecting?

The purpose of this survey is to gain insight from students about their postgraduate research experience. If you choose to participate in this survey, LJMU will use some of your personal information (or personal data), namely your name, student ID or username, email address and some special category data (e.g. ethnic background).

Why are we collecting your data and what is the legal basis for this?

LJMU will collect personal data from you for several reasons, and will, at all times, do so in compliance with the principles of the GDPR.

In this case we process your personal data to carry out our official public functions of conducting research/evaluation for quality assurance and enhancement purposes, and to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, e.g. submission of statistical returns/evidence base to government or its agencies. The lawful basis for this processing is public task under Article 6(1)e.

Where we process any of your special categories data, we rely on your explicit consent under Article 9(2)a  You may withdraw your consent at any time, if you no longer wish for your personal data to be used in this way. If you wish to withdraw your consent, please email doctoralacademy@ljmu.ac.uk.

Who has access to this data?

Your personal data will be used only by relevant LJMU staff where the data is necessary for them to undertake their designated role. The Doctoral Academy staff involved in the survey administration and data analysis will have access to your personal data.

The full survey dataset will be available to the Advance HE in order to conduct national level research and analysis.

How does the University protect your data?

The University takes Data Protection very seriously and at all times your personal data will be handled in line with the University’s Information Security Policy.

All participating institutions, LJMU included, have agreed not to identify any individuals when reporting their results internally or externally, and will ensure that no individuals can be identified by those results. You will not be identified by Advance HE (an Industry Professional body) in any reports produced.

For how long does the University keep your data?

All personal details relating to you that were provided to this survey (including name, student ID or username, and email address) will be securely destroyed by LJMU once the survey is completed. Individual responses linked to anonymised demographic variables (programme of study, mode of study, age group or ethnic background) will be held for a period of 5 years for use in longitudinal research into quality of teaching and the student experience.

Your rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights. You can:

  • access and obtain a copy of your data on request, this could be in a portable electronic format;
  • require the University to change incorrect or incomplete data if you think that it is inaccurate or out of date
  • require the University to delete or stop processing your data, for example where the data is no longer necessary or legally required for the purposes of processing

As your personal data has been provided by consent, you have a right to withdraw that consent at any time.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer DPO@ljmu.ac.uk

What if you do not provide data?

If you do not wish provide your data, but still want to take part in the survey (give feedback on your research degree experience), please contact Dr Victoria Sheppard at the Doctoral Academy  to arrange for an alternative form of the survey completion (email: doctoralacadmy@ljmu.ac.uk).

Transfers of data outside the EAA

Your personal data will not be shared outside of the EU.

Automated decision making

We will not make any decisions about you automatically using a computer, based on your personal data (e.g. profiling).

How to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office?

You have the right to complain to The Information Commissioner if you believe that our processing of your personal data does not meet our data protection obligations. The Information Commissioner can be contacted:

By post: Information Commissioners Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK95AF.

By phone: 0303 123 1113.

By email: contact can be made by accessing www.ico.org.uk