We use cookies to give you the best experience and to help improve our website

Find out more about how we use cookies

Choose whether to use cookies:

No thanks Yes, I accept

Skip to main content

Jisc

You are in:

  • Advice
  • Guides
  • Data protection and research data
  • Data protection and Freedom of Information legislation

Utilities:

  • Search the Jisc website
    Clear search results

Search the Jisc website
Clear search results

Navigation:

Guide

Data protection and Freedom of Information legislation

Part of

Archived
This content was archived in September 2017

About this guide

  • Published: 21 August 2014
  • Updated: 24 September 2015

View full guide as a single page

Contents

Data protection and research data
  • Data subjects
  • Personal data
  • Sensitive personal data
  • Anonymous data
  • Data controllers
  • Processing data
    • Processing personal data
    • Processing sensitive personal data
    • Special rules for processing personal data as research data
  • Security of research data
  • Collaboration
  • Archiving data
  • Subject access requests (SARs)
  • Data protection and Freedom of Information legislation
  • Further information

Freedom of Information (FoI) and Environmental Information (EIR) legislation provides the public with a right to access information held by a UK public authority, which includes most universities, colleges, or publicly-funded research institutions. See Charlesworth A. & Rusbridge C. (2010) and our Freedom of Information and research data: Questions and answers (via the UK web archive).

The information requested could include your research data, and must be provided unless an exemption or exception allows your institution not to disclose it. A key exemption to FoI legislation is personal data, where the requester is the subject (there is a similar exception under EIR).

If the requester is not the subject of the personal data, the exemptions become more complicated. Always discuss such cases with your FoI practitioner and/or DP practitioner.

In most cases where an FoI exemption applies, it will be an absolute exemption, so no public interest test is needed. The exceptions under EIR are differently worded but similar in effect, although a public interest test may be needed in this case.

FoI requests may also ask for details of ethical approvals for research or details of research data management oversight, including effective compliance with DP obligations.

Book Navigation

  • ‹ Subject access requests (SARs)
  • up
  • Further information ›

You are in:

  • Advice
  • Guides
  • Data protection and research data
  • Data protection and Freedom of Information legislation

Areas

  • Connectivity
  • Cyber security
  • Cloud
  • Data analytics
  • Libraries, learning resources and research
  • Student experience
  • Trust and identity
  • Advice and guidance

Explore

  • Guides
  • Training
  • Consultancy
  • Events
  • Innovation

Useful

  • About
  • Membership
  • Get involved
  • News
  • Jobs

Get in touch

  • Contact us
  • Sign up to our newsletter
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Cookies
  • Privacy
  • Modern slavery
  • Carbon reduction plan
  • Accessibility