Privacy policy

When you visit our website we collect data that is obtained from cookies. We only collect and use information using cookies if you accept these cookies. You can find information on how we collect and use cookies on our cookies policy.

We currently offer three different types of newsletter for people to subscribe to. They are:

• Longitudinal News
• Blog alerts
• In the Loop

You can find out more about the different types of newsletters we offer on our newsletter sign up page.

When you sign up to receive one or more of our newsletters, you will be asked to provide:

• your first name
• last name
• email address
• job title (non-mandatory)
• organisation (non-mandatory)

Once you have selected the newsletter(s) that you wish to subscribe to, you will be asked to provide your consent for us to store and use your data as detailed below.

We collect this information so we can email you details on how to add yourself to your chosen newsletter mailing lists and get an understanding of your areas of interest for us to provide relevant content in future newsletters. This information is collected via an online sign up page hosted on our website, which is also linked to from our CLOSER Learning Hub. Information submitted via this online sign up form is securely stored on our website management system, WordPress. The website management system is password protected, is only accessible to CLOSER employees. This newsletter subscription information is deleted from this system after six months.

We use a third party – currently Mailchimp – to help us manage each of these newsletter mailing lists and to distribute newsletters. When you sign up to our newsletters via the newsletter sign up page, you will receive a separate email from Mailchimp to confirm that you wish to receive emails from CLOSER. Should you follow the link in the email to confirm your consent, the above-listed data will be shared with MailChimp. You can read more about Mailchimp’s privacy policy on its website. We will retain this data for as long as we continue to provide newsletters or until you withdraw your consent.

Every newsletter we send includes an option for you to unsubscribe from future notifications or update your newsletter preferences and contact details. There is no obligation for you to provide a reason for unsubscribing to our mailing list.

We collect this information on the lawful basis of consent. If you wish to withdraw consent, simply unsubscribe using the link provided in the newsletter.

We regularly run workshops, conferences and seminars for a range of audiences including researchers, policymakers and the third sector.

When you register to attend one of our events, you will be asked to provide the following information on the lawful basis of consent:

• first name
• last name
• email address
• information about your occupation and research interests (if applicable).

We use a third party supplier – currently Eventbrite – to manage our event registrations and collect this information. When you sign up to an event through Eventbrite, you will be asked for your consent to collect this data. You can find out how to remove your data and how your data is processed in Eventbrite’s privacy policy.

We will use the information you provide during the registration process to keep you up to date with the latest event details, and to follow up with you once the event has ended. It is likely we will send you materials from the event such as presentation slides and/or reports. We may also invite you to take part in a post-event feedback survey which may ask if you would like to receive email notifications about future relevant events. We will retain this information for up to six months after the event, after which it will be deleted.

Depending on the event you sign up to, we may also ask you to let us know about any dietary or accessibility requirements you may have. This information is used in our legitimate interest to help us make our events as inclusive as possible. This information is stored in a password-protected document that is only made accessible to the CLOSER Communications team and is deleted once the live event has passed.

We do not share this information with any third parties unless we need to inform a venue at which an event is being held of any adjustment they need to make, in which case your name and/or email will not be passed on without your express consent to do so.

You may also be asked if you would like your personal details including your name, email address and organisation to be included in a delegate list to be distributed at certain events. We produce delegate lists to help facilitate discussion and networking for event attendees. There is no obligation for you to agree to share your information in this way, and if you change your mind at any time, you can notify closer@ucl.ac.uk to have your details removed from any digital or hardcopy delegate lists if prior to the event. We do not store this list beyond the duration of the event.

If you join one of our networks or communities of practice, such as the Data Managers Network, we may collect the following information:

• first name
• last name
• email address
• job title
• organisation or affiliation
• research interest
• social media handle

We collect this information to email you network updates, as part of our legitimate interest to keep you up-to-date with the latest developments relevant to your chosen network. We will only retain this information for as long as you choose to remain a member of your network. Details of where this information is stored for each network, is contained within the network’s Terms of Reference (TOR). You can request a copy of the TOR from the Chair of the network. The TOR also explains whether this information is shared with other network members, and how to request for your data to be removed.

We use an online survey tool – currently Qualtrics – to collect your feedback following a CLOSER event you attended. We do not ask for any of your personal data when you provide feedback on our events. We use your feedback to help us evaluate and improve our events. You can read more about Qualtrics’ privacy policy on its website.

We also store information collected from event registration forms and feedback surveys securely on our internal server. This is password protected and accessible only to CLOSER employees. We use this information to evaluate our events, to plan our future activities, for internal reporting purposes, and to inform our funders of the reach and success of our events. Only aggregate information is provided for reporting purposes, and no individual or identifying information is included in our reports. We remove this data from Qualtrics within eighteen months after the event has passed.

When you join our user-testing group, we collect the following information via online survey tool Qualtrics on the lawful basis of consent:

• First name
• Email address
• Information about your occupation and research interests

You can read more about Qualtrics’ privacy policy on its website.

We will send you occasional emails through Qualtrics to invite you to user-test our resources through surveys or working groups. You can unsubscribe from these emails and request to be removed from the user-testing group at any time.

Every user-testing survey we send includes an option for you to unsubscribe from future surveys.

• handle or username
• name
• location
• photograph(s)
• email address

We may collect some of the above information when you contact us through social media platforms in order to:

• Respond to your post/enquiry;
• Share your post on our social media accounts.

Where we are sharing your post on our official accounts (sharing, re-tweeting, etc.), we will do so in our legitimate interest to promote longitudinal population studies and general content of interest to the longitudinal research community.

Prospective job applicants who apply to work at CLOSER will have their personal data processed by UCL’s Human Resources department. Further information is available in UCL’s privacy policy for staff (prospective and actual).

Note: We do not collect any data that you share via our online Written Evidence Submission form on our website.

Any data that you add to this form, such as your email address, is used only for the purpose of sending you a copy of the information that you provided within a document template. They are not stored or shared with anyone else.