Data Protection for Philosophy and HPSMST

Under the 1998 Data Protection Act, anyone who holds personal information (whether electronically or manually) on an individual must gain permission from that individual to hold and use it. It is our intention at the PRS Subject Centre to adhere to this Act. The following document informs you how we shall achieve this for Philosophy, History of Science, and Philosophy of Science contacts.

PRS Subject Centre Databases

We have compiled a database of HE teachers from publicly available information (such as printed directories and university websites), and from information sent to us by heads of departments and subject associations. As soon as possible, we shall replace this with three separate but linked databases, to which those included will have given their assent:

  1. a personal database (name, address, institution, etc.)
  2. a database of teaching interests derived from questionnaire responses
  3. a database of those who tell us that they do not wish their names to be kept on a database (this is a requirement of the 1998 Data Protection Act)

All three databases will remain private to the PRS Subject Centre. We shall not make them publicly available (e.g. on our website), nor shall we give or sell a copy to any third party, except to relevant subject associations (see below).

1. The Personal Database

The main purpose of the personal database is to enable us to fulfill our aim of keeping contact with all HE teachers in the disciplines covered by the PRS Subject Centre. However, we have intimate connections with other Subject Centres, and with the relevant subject associations, and we may from time to time act as their agents in distributing printed or electronic materials through our database. We shall keep such distributions to a minimum, and ensure that they are broadly in accordance with our mission as a subject centre.

In the case of teachers of philosophy, we have included a mailing from the National Committee for Philosophy (NCP). We shall remove your name from any future NCP mailings if you indicate that you do not wish to receive them.

2. The Database of Teaching Interests

The sole purpose of the teaching database is to manage discussion lists, and it will not be used for any other purpose, or revealed to any third party.

3. The Database of Recusants

The sole purpose of the database of recusants is to ensure that they will not receive unsolicited mail, and it will not be used for any other purpose, or revealed to any third party.

You may ask to be removed from, or added to, any of our databases at any time, and if you request it, we shall send you a complete print-out of your entry free of charge.

Please address any correspondence to:

Dr Simon Smith

PRS Subject Centre

School of Theology and Religious Studies

University of Leeds

Leeds, LS2 9JT

Email: enquiries@prs.heacademy.ac.uk

Tel: 0113 343 4184