The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on 25 May 2018, and was designed to protect the online rights of individuals in relation to their personal data. In the United Kingdom, the GDPR was enacted through the Data Protection Act 2018 (UKDPA). While the UK is within the transition period of its withdrawal from the EU, the GDPR still applies; the government has explained its intention to incorporate a “UK GDPR” alongside UK data protection law from 2021.
Data protection laws apply to anyone who collects information about a living individual, whether for employment, study, or on a freelance, voluntary or personal basis. So what do researchers in arts, humanities and social sciences need to know?
[…]