Privacy Policy

Version 1.1 | Last updated: May 2026

This project has been submitted for ethical approval to the Education, Culture and Society Research Ethics Panel, University of Worcester (Ref: ECS25260029)

Oracle of Place: Can Oracle Cards Mediate Community Connection to Place

This website supports a PhD research project exploring how residents of Kington experience, remember, and make meaning from local places.

This privacy notice explains what personal information is collected through this website, how it is used, how it is stored, and your rights under UK data protection law.

Who is responsible for your data?

The research is led by Rebecca Burns, PhD researcher.

The Data Controller for this research is the University of Worcester, which is responsible for ensuring that personal data is handled in line with UK data protection law.

If you have questions about this privacy notice or how your data is used, you can contact:

Rebecca Burns Email: burr1_25@uni.worc.ac.uk

The University's Data Protection Officer can be contacted at: Email: infoassurance@worc.ac.uk

For more information about data protection at the University, visit: https://informationassurance.wp.worc.ac.uk/

What information is collected through this website?

Depending on how you use the website, the following information may be collected:

Your name and email address, if you choose to submit an expression of interest in taking part in the research

Any emails or messages you send to the researcher

Basic technical data including IP addresses and browser information may be collected automatically by the website platform from all visitors, regardless of whether they submit anything.

You do not have to provide personal details to browse the website. You only provide personal information if you choose to make contact or submit an expression of interest.

This website is not used to collect research data. Research participation begins only when you have been provided with the Participant Information Sheet and Consent Form and have agreed to take part in an interview.

Why is this information collected?

Your information is collected in order to:

respond to your expression of interest in taking part in the research
provide you with the Participant Information Sheet and Consent Form
arrange an interview, if you decide you would like to take part
meet legal and ethical obligations under UK research governance

Your data will not be used for marketing purposes.

What is the legal basis for using your data?

Under UK GDPR, the legal basis for processing personal data for this project is:

Task carried out in the public interest, as part of academic research conducted by a UK university.

How is your information stored?

The website is hosted on the Wix platform (Wix.com Ltd), which processes data on behalf of the researcher in accordance with a data processing agreement. Any personal data submitted through the website is promptly transferred to University-approved secure systems and is not retained on the Wix platform.

Specifically:

Personal data (including contact details submitted via the expression of interest form) is stored on University-approved secure systems (University OneDrive and SharePoint), protected by password access and two-factor authentication
Access is restricted to the researcher and, where necessary, the supervisory team
No data is stored on unencrypted personal devices or shared via insecure platforms

How long is your information kept?

Contact details submitted through this website will be retained only for as long as they are needed — for example, to respond to your expression of interest, arrange an interview, or handle any follow-up you have agreed to. They will be securely deleted once they are no longer required.

Pseudonymised research data generated through interviews will be retained in line with University of Worcester records retention and research data management requirements.

Will your information be shared?

Your personal information will not be shared outside the research team, except:

where required by law, or
where there is a serious concern about safety, in which case this would be discussed with you wherever possible

Any public use of selected written extracts from interviews will only take place with your explicit separate approval, obtained after you have had the opportunity to review the specific material. This is explained in full in the Participant Information Sheet PDF

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

ask what personal information is held about you
request a copy of your personal data
ask for incorrect information to be corrected
request deletion of your data, within the limits explained in the Participant Information Sheet
raise concerns about how your data is handled

No automated decision-making or profiling is used in this research.

Please note that once material has been published or publicly shared with your consent, complete deletion may not always be possible. This is explained clearly before any such use takes place.

If you are not satisfied with how your personal data is being handled, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House, Water Lane Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF Tel: 0303 123 1113 Website: www.ico.org.uk

Cookies and analytics

This website does not use cookies for marketing or profiling. Basic technical information (such as page visits) may be collected automatically for website functionality, but this data is not used to identify individuals or analyse behaviour for research purposes.

Changes to this notice

This privacy notice may be updated if the research project develops or if legal requirements change. The most recent version will always be available on this website.

Contact and concerns

If you have questions or concerns about how your data is handled, please contact:

Rebecca Burns PhD Researcher Email: burr1_25@uni.worc.ac.uk or use this site's contact form.