Protecting Your Personal Information
What is ‘personal information’?
Personal information is data that allows an individual to be identified. In many surveys we will ask you for certain personal details. This, for example, may include your:
- Name
- Address
- Telephone Number
- Age or Date of Birth
Certain surveys also collect information about those you live with. This is often important background information and puts your answers in context. It means that when the information from the survey is analysed, we are better able to group together responses from those with similar demographic characteristics.
Why does BMRB collect this personal information and what do we do with it?
BMRB securely retains personal information so that we can check that our questionnaires have been completed by the correct person. Further to that, if you give us your permission, we retain personal information for the purposes of further research. We may contact you again to ask you to take part in another study.
In some situations (and only where you have given us your permission) we may add certain administrative data to the answers you have given. This is known as data linking and is done in a way which makes sure that you cannot be identified from the study results.
The answers you give to our survey questions will be treated as strictly confidential by the BMRB research team. The information you provide is combined with the responses from all the other people taking part in the survey (often hundreds of people). Results from many surveys are written up in reports (which are sometimes published) in which it will be impossible to identify you.
Any information you provide will only ever be used for genuine research purposes, and will never be used to target individuals for direct marketing.
When we ask you for personal information we promise:
- to make sure you know why we need it;
- to only ask for what we need, and to not collect too much or irrelevant information;
- to protect it and make sure nobody has access to it who shouldn’t;
- to make sure we don’t keep it longer than is necessary;
- not to make your personal information available for commercial use
If anyone feels that they have been deceived or misled over the collection of their personal information they have the right to have it rectified.
BMRB abides by the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct and is bound by the Data Protection Act, 1998
The Data Protection Act 1998 exists to protect individuals' rights to privacy. It also protects against excessive and unreasonable retention of data. BMRB is committed to fulfil all its obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 and individuals are assured that it will treat their personal data with all due care.
The Market Research Society (MRS) is the professional body for market and social researchers. All its members are bound by a Code of Conduct which sets professional standards and guarantees confidentiality and fair treatment for individuals interviewed.
The Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct is intended to reassure the general public and other interested parties that research is carried out in a professional and ethical manner. It outlines that all personal data collected will never be used in any form other than research, and that respondent’s co-operation in market research is voluntary.
For further information about the MRS, and to check the credentials of any company that approaches you, the MRS Freephone Service is available seven days a week, 9am to 11pm, on 0500 39 69 99
For further information, please see the MRS website: www.mrs.org.uk
What types of information does BMRB hold?
BMRB has registered its use of personal information through the “Notification” process to the Information Commissioner. That entry informs the Commissioner of certain details about the processing of personal data carried out by BMRB. It does not reveal whether or not information is held on any specific individual.
If you wish to have a copy of the register entry this can be obtained from the Information Commissioner.
Any queries regarding Data Protection should be addressed to our Data Protection Officer, Laura Brayley. Please contact her using the 'contact us' section of this website.
