Participant Information
Research Project title
Mock juror decision-making research
You are being invited to take part in a research project. Before you decide whether or not to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully.
The data collected as part of this study will be used, in part or in whole, for the writing of a PhD, and at no time would any personally identifiable data be published without consent.
What is the purpose of the research project?
This research is part of a PhD project, and is exploring mock juror decision-making research. This element of the research will run during the 2023-24 academic year, with option to extend to the end of 2024, for primary data collection, and the PhD is due to be completed by 2027.
Why have I been invited to participate?
You have been invited to take part in the research through volunteering as a participant. The research aims to reach at least 200 participants, and has been sent to students at the University of Leicester, and shared through open platforms online. Participation is completely voluntary.
Do I have to take part?
It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part in this research project. If you do decide to take part, in addition to this information sheet, you will see the privacy notice that will explain how your data will be collected and used, and be asked to provide your consent to participate. If you decide to take part you are still free to withdraw at any time and without giving a reason, until the submission of the survey response. It will not be possible to withdraw your response after submission of the survey, as responses are anonymous and therefore these will not be identifiable to any particular individual.
If you are a student at the University of Leicester, please be assured that by choosing to either take part or not take part in the research project, this will have no impact on your marks, assessments or future studies.
What will happen to me if I take part?
This research consists of a written mock trial scenario, followed by a survey. The survey consists of questions relating to the mock trial, and your views on this. All of this can be done remotely online. The research should take around 30 to 45 minutes. Data will be collected from the survey anonymously.
What will happen to any data that I provide?
Data collected from the survey will be anonymous, and therefore kept confidential. No personal data as defined under GDPR will be collected as part of the research. Data will be securely stored and password protected, and securely destroyed after completion of the PhD and viva voce (by 2028).
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
The mock trial scenario consists of a criminal case, and as such, participants will read about a scenario involving a potential crime. This could include violent crime. There could also be references to illness, including mental illness and suicide, and some of the language may be sensitive. Efforts have been made to ensure the detail is only as much as is necessary to make a decision on the case, and is no more than could be found in everyday sources such as information in news articles. You may withdraw from the research at any time, without giving a reason, if you choose to.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
Taking part in this research study could potentially benefit others by providing more robust research on juror decision making.
What data will you collect about me?
No personal data as defined under GDPR will be collected as part of the research. The majority of data collected will be on your views on the mock trial, including making a verdict decision on the case. There are also some general opinion questions, and some demographic data questions. These will be general questions, and will not identify you as an individual.
Will what I say in this research project be kept confidential?
No personal data as defined under GDPR will be collected as part of the research. All information collected will be anonymous, and will be kept strictly confidential (subject to legal limitations). Confidentiality, privacy and anonymity will be ensured in the collection, storage and publication of research material by secure storage and password protection, anonymous data, and secure analysis. Presentation of data in any publications will be aggregated, and it will not be able to identify individuals from the data.
How will you look after the data you collect about me?
We need to ensure that you understand what will happen to data we collect about you as well as your legal rights. This information is accompanied with a Privacy Notice within this survey platform, providing further details. Please read this before moving on with the survey.
Your normal rights under the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation apply. However, we need to manage your records in specific ways for the research project to be reliable. The data being collected are anonymous, and are not personal data under GDPR. This means that we won’t be able to let you see or change the data we hold about you, as it will not be identifiable.
You can stop being part of the research project at any time up until submission of the survey, without giving a reason, but once the survey responses have been submitted, it will not be possible to identify your answers.
Research data will be kept securely at all times. No personal data are being collected as part of the research, so no individual will be identifiable. Data will only be processed by the lead researcher, with option for oversight by PhD supervisors.
Data generated by the research project will be retained in accordance with the University's Research Code of Practice. Data will be kept securely in electronic form for a period in line with Section 5 of the Research Code of Practice.
At all times this research study will comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulations (2018).
What will happen to the results of the research project?
The results of the research will be part of a PhD thesis, and will be published as part of the University repository. Research may also be published in articles in academic journals. Findings may be disseminated publicly through other forums, such as presentations or conferences. All results will be anonymous and individuals will not be identifiable, as no personal data will be collected as part of the research.
What should I do if I want to take part?
In order to take part in this research, you will be asked to complete the next section of the survey, which covers the Informed Consent information. This involves questions in yes/no format to confirm you understand how your data will be processed, protected and reviewed for research purposes. The research is part of the following survey, and so to progress to complete the research, you must tick the box to consent to take part.
Who is organising and funding the research project?
This research is being conducted as part of a PhD student thesis at the University of Leicester by Jessamy Bloom (School of Criminology, College of Social Sciences). The research is being overseen by PhD supervisors Professor Lisa Smith and Dr Emma Sleath.
What if something goes wrong?
In the very unlikely event of you being harmed by taking part in this research project, there are no special compensation arrangements. If you are harmed due to someone’s negligence, then you may have grounds for legal action but you may have to pay for it.
In case of being affected by any issues raised in the research, links to external resources for support will be provided.
Who has reviewed the research project?
This research has been approved by the University of Leicester Research Ethics Committee.
If you need any contact information, you can contact the lead researcher Jessamy Bloom at: jab116@leicester.ac.uk.
If you have any concerns or queries about the way in which the research project has been conducted, you should contact the Chair of the University Research Ethics Committee on ethics@le.ac.uk.
If you require more GDPR data protection information then you can access this via the University’s Information Assurance Services:
Information Assurance Services
University of Leicester
University Road
Leicester
LE1 7RH
T: +44 (0)116 229 7945
E: dpo@le.ac
W: https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ias’
Thank you for taking time to read this participant information.
GDPR Privacy Notice
This Privacy Notice provides information about how the University of Leicester collects and uses your personal information when you take part in this research projects.
Please also refer to the Participant Information above for further details about the research project, what information will be collected about you, and how it will be used.
The University of Leicester will usually be the Data Controller of any data that you supply for this research. This means that we are responsible for looking after your information and using it properly. This means that the University will make the decisions on how your data is used and for what reasons. The exception to this is joint research projects, if this is applicable you will be informed on the Participant Information Sheet as to the other partner institution(s) who will also have responsibilities for looking after your information. You can access more information on this via the University’s Information Assurance Services:
Information Assurance Services
University of Leicester
University Road
Leicester
LE1 7RH
T: +44 (0)116 229 7945
E: ias@le.ac.uk
W: https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ias
Why do we need your data?
The data being collected for this research is required in order to conduct research into mock juror decision-making, for a PhD research project. No personal data will be collected as part of the research, and so the project will be compliant with GDPR because no personal data as defined under GDPR will be collected.
University of Leicester’s legal basis for collecting this data is:
Processing is necessary for the performance of a task in the public interest such as research.
If the university asks you for sensitive data such as; your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, data concerning health or sexual life, genetic/biometric data or criminal records, the University of Leicester will use these data because:
Processing is necessary for scientific or research in the public interest.
What type of data will the University of Leicester use?
Survey responses. No personal data as defined under GDPR will be collected as part of the research.
Who will the University of Leicester share your data with?
Not applicable - your data will not be shared.
Will the University of Leicester transfer my data outside of the UK?
No.
What rights do I have regarding my data held by the University of Leicester?
Your normal rights under the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation apply. However, all data being collected will be anonymous, and therefore individuals will not be able to be identified. This means that we will not be able to let you see or change the data we hold about you once the survey responses have been submitted.
You can stop being part of the research project at any time until submission of the survey, without giving a reason, but once the survey responses have been submitted, your data will not be identifiable. Therefore, we will keep information about you that we already have and continue to use this for the purposes of the research project as outlined in the Participant Information Sheet.
Where did the University of Leicester source my data from?
Participant data is only being collected through this survey, and not from any other sources. No personal data will be collected as part of this research. General data will be collected directly from the individuals themselves, through participants choosing to provide it in a survey. This will not include personal data.
Are there any consequences of not providing the requested data?
There are no consequences of not providing data for this research. It is purely voluntary.
Will there be any automated decision making using my data?
There will be no use of automated decision making in scope of UK Data Protection and Privacy legislation.
How long will the University of Leicester keep my data?
In line with the law, we will only keep your data for as long as we need to so that we can fulfil our research objectives. The research is being conducted as part of a PhD, which is due to be completed by the end of 2027. The data will only be kept for as long as required to complete the PhD thesis and complete the viva voce, until graduation. This should be retained only until 2028.
There is no time limit for storing and processing truly anonymised research data, as it does not fall under the remit of the Data Protection Act or GDPR. The data collected for this research are truly anonymised, as no personal data are being collected, and individuals will not be identifiable. Therefore, although a time limit has been provided and will be complied with, the GDPR legal requirement does not apply to this research.
Who can I contact if I have concerns?
In the event of any questions about the research project, please contact the researchers in the first instance. You can contact the lead researcher Jessamy Bloom at: jab116@leicester.ac.uk.
If you have any concerns about the way in which the research project has been conducted, please contact the Chair of the University Research Ethics Committee at ethics@leicester.ac.uk.
The University of Leicester Data Protection Officer is:
Data Protection Officer
University of Leicester,
University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH
0116 229 7640
DPO@le.ac.uk
For further details about information security, please contact the Information Assurance Services team.