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Open Book Futures Privacy Notice

Information on how the Open Book Futures (OBF) project will collect, use, disclose and protect personal data captured as part of the OBF Project.

Published onMay 08, 2024
Open Book Futures Privacy Notice
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Introduction

This Privacy Notice explains how the Open Book Futures (OBF) project will collect, use, disclose and protect your personal data. The Notice applies to all those whose data is specifically captured as part of the Open Book Futures (OBF) Project, for its direct use. Examples of the groups whose data could be collected include:

  • Participants in events and research

  • Applicants for funding

  • Subscribers to mailing lists

  • Employees and contractors of partner organisations, providing personal data related to OBF activities

What information do we collect from you?

Participants in events and research, subscribers to mailing lists, applicants for funding

We may collect personal information from you such as your name, nationality, contact details and institutional affiliation, to enable us to conduct research and/or to keep you in touch with our activities.

In the course of our research and wider project work, we may collect further information about you including:

  • Your own answers to interview questions, focus group questions, survey questions and other forms of data collection

  • Financial information about your organisation (in the case of research on business models)

  • Information about your support needs, to enable you to fully participate in events and/or research, e.g. disabilities and access needs

Employees and contractors of partner organisations

We may collect personal information from you such as your contact details and institutional affiliation.

In the course of the project, we may collect further information about you including:

  • Your communications and information on OBF platforms, including Mattermost and Nextcloud, as related to project work

  • Salary and contract information, as part of the project’s financial reporting requirements

  • Information about your support needs, to enable you to fully participate in events and/or research e.g. disabilities and access needs

How is your information collected?

Participants in events and research, subscribers to mailing lists, applicants for funding

There are a number of collection points to obtain your information:

  • Directly from you when you respond to an invitation to participate in research or join a mailing list

  • When you register and/or attend an event/outreach activity

  • When you apply for funding to a programme associated with the Open Book Futures project

  • If you have declared a disability or long term medical condition to a member of the OBF project, we will collect additional information about your specific support needs in order that we can make appropriate arrangements

Employees and contractors of partner organisations

There are a number of collection points to obtain your information:

  • Directly from you when you respond to an invitation to participate in OBF activities

  • If you have declared a disability or long term medical condition to a member of the OBF project, we will collect additional information about your specific support needs in order that we can make appropriate arrangements

  • Directly from a partner organisation, as part of our requirements under the Collaboration Agreement

How do we use your information?

We use your personal data to assist in the completion of the aims and objectives of the Open Book Futures project. This work includes research with various stakeholders (including libraries, publishers, infrastructure providers, funders), building workflows, revenue models and digital infrastructures, undertaking collaborative pilot projects with publishers and service providers, building networks.

We will share your information with members of the OBF project team (see, ‘Who do we share your data with?’, below) when there is a justified operational need to do so. This may include the sharing of special category personal data, where it is relevant, provided, and on the basis of your consent.

Participants in events and research, subscribers to mailing lists, applicants for funding

Where you provide personal information in order for us to arrange research, to collect research data from you, to process an application for funding, or to provide you with optional information, such as subscribing to an electronic newsletter or joining an email mailing list, we will be processing your personal data on the basis of your consent.

Employees and contractors of partner organisations

Where we collect personal information from you such as your contact details and institutional affiliation, in order to involve you in project activities, we will be processing your personal data on the legal basis of legitimate interests and consent.

Where we collect your communications and information on OBF platforms, including Mattermost and NextCloud, we will be processing your personal data on the legal basis of consent.

Where we collect your salary and contract information, as part of the project’s financial reporting requirements, we will be processing your personal data on the legal basis of legitimate interest.

If none of these apply then we will seek your consent to use your information.

Who do we share your information with?

The OBF team will ensure that the sharing of data is in line with data protection legislation, and on the basis of legitimate interest and consent. 

In emergency situations i.e. a life or death situation the OBF team may share your personal data, including sensitive personal data with organisations/individuals such as a medical professional or the police service.

A full list of organisations that the OBF team may, in some circumstances, share your personal data with is listed below.

Participants in events and research, subscribers to mailing lists, applicants for funding

We make every effort to limit the sharing of your information beyond what is necessary for a legitimate interest and with your consent.

For those participating in events, we may share personal information such as your contact details and institutional affiliation, to enable us to arrange these events. This information may be in some cases shared with members of the OBF consortium and other organisations (e.g. open access advocacy organisations, universities) helping support our events.

For those subscribing to mailing lists, while one partner organisation will store this information, it may be initially collected and shared between different members of the OBF consortium and other partners, before it is entered into the mailing list.

For those participating in research, we may share personal information to select members of the OBF consortium, to enable us to complete this research. The details of what data is to be collected, what data is to be shared, and to which members of the consortium, will be outlined in a participant information sheet and consent form. Such information may include information about your contact details and support needs, to enable your participation in the research. It may include answers to interview questions, focus group questions, survey questions and other forms of data collection. It may include financial information about your organisation, in the case of research on business models.

For those submitting applications for funding, for programmes associated with the Open Book Futures project (e.g. the Experimental Publishing pilot projects, and the Open Book Collective Collective Development Fund pilot), while one partner organisation will store this information, it may be initially collected and shared between members of the OBF consortium specifically involved in the programme. It may also be shared with external participants whose contributions are required for the completion of the programme (e.g. external reviewers).

Employees and contractors of partner organisations

We may share your communications and information on OBF platforms, including Mattermost and Nextcloud, as related to project work, within members of the OBF consortium.

We may share salary and contract information, as part of the project’s financial reporting requirements, within members of the OBF Senior Management Team and with funders.

To enable you to fully participate in events and/or research, we may share information about your support needs e.g. disabilities and access needs, with members of the Senior Management Team and with event/research partners, as relevant and appropriate.

We may share your personal information with any other authorised third party with which the OBC has a legal/contractual obligation to share data, and on the basis of legitimate interest.

Organisations the OBF Team may, in some circumstances, share your information with

Do we transfer your data to third party countries?

Sometimes we may need to share your personal data with other organisations based within or outside the European Union (EU). Punctum Books are based in the United States of America (USA) and are a partner on the project. Any transfers to Punctum Books are safeguarded by the Project’s signed Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) which contains both the Standard Contractual Clauses and the International Data Transfer Addendum. You can request a copy of these sections of the DSA by contacting [email protected].

When it is necessary to share your data with organisations outside of the European Union, we will ensure that there are appropriate safeguards in place, thereby offering a comparable level of protection of your data as within the EEA.

How do we keep your information secure?

Each member of the OBF Consortium has a Privacy Policy, which details how your information is kept secure. Links to these Privacy Policies are shown at the end of this Notice.

All research data and data related to specific OBF project activities led by Lancaster University is stored on Lancaster University’s servers and therefore conforms to Lancaster University’s robust Information Security policies, in order to protect your information. All staff in the University have a responsibility to make sure that your data is handled securely.

For further information please refer to the University’s Information Security Policy.

How long do we keep your information

Lancaster University will maintain the project data, stored on Lancaster University’s server, for the duration of the project and for a period of 6 years after the end of the project. All Personal Data held by any other partner in the project will be deleted at this point, if not already done so before.

What are your rights?

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • To have access to your personal data – for further information see the Subject Access page

  • To have inaccurate or incomplete personal data amended

  • To have your personal data deleted – this will only apply when there is no legitimate reason for the OBF project to continue to use your personal data

  • To restrict the use of your personal data

  • To request personal information in a digital form so that you can provide it to other organisations

  • To object to automated decision making and profiling

  • To withdraw consent when we have used consent as the basis for using your information.

Lancaster University, the OBF project’s lead institution, has further information on data subject rights.

If you wish to exercise your rights, you are advised to first read this information as there are some exceptions to using your rights. For example, it is a statutory duty for UK universities to send some of your information to HESA each year. In this case you could not apply to restrict this use of your information.

Any requests to use your rights over your personal data should be made to Lancaster University’s designated Data Protection Officer.

What are your responsibilities?

You are required to read this Privacy Notice when it is presented to you during OBF activities. It is important that you do this so you understand how we use your personal information and your rights.

Who do I contact for further information or if I have concerns?

Lancaster University’s designated Data Protection Officer is:

Mike Abbotts, Information Governance Manager
Email: [email protected]

Contact Mike if you have any concerns or complaints about this Notice or about the way your personal data is being used by Lancaster University’s work on the OBF project.

Lancaster University is the Data Controller for the OBF research data that it holds about you, as well as personal data related to wider OBF activities specifically led by Lancaster University. The University’s contact details are:

Lancaster University
Bailrigg
Lancaster
LA1 4YW
United Kingdom

Other OBF partners are the data controllers for the specific activities they are leading. See their privacy policies for details of their data controllers and how to contact them, should you have any concerns or complaints about the way your personal data is being used by their work on the OBF project.

Below is a list of the Data Protection Officers (or similar) for each OBF partner, and links to further information about their Information Security Policies:

If you are not happy with the way the project has handled your concern or complaint then you may submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Changes to this notice

This Notice has been developed to be compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). This Notice is regularly reviewed and sometimes updated. It is important that you check for updates to this Notice. If we make significant changes we will contact you to inform you of this.

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