HSDS Privacy policy
This Privacy Policy was last updated on 22/01/2025.
Scope
As an HSDS user your privacy is important to us and we are committed to being transparent about how we use your personal information and how we keep it safe. This Privacy Policy is intended to help you understand:
- What is personal information?
- What personal information the HSDS collects about you.
- How the HSDS uses the personal information it collects about you.
- How the HSDS shares the personal information it collects about you
- How the HSDS stores and secures your personal information.
- How to control your personal information held by the HSDS.
- Changes to the Policy.
- How to contact us.
This Privacy Policy covers the information the HSDS collects about you when you use our Services (unless a different Policy is displayed). The HSDS refers to the Heritage Science Data Service, of the University of York. The HSDS offers a range of services, including heritage science archive preservation and management, the HSDS website and a catalogue of research facilities, reference collections and expertise. We refer to these, together with our other services and websites, as “Services” in this Privacy Policy.
What is Personal Information?
Personal Information is information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
What personal information the HSDS collects about you
Information you provide to us:
The HSDS collects information about you when you input it into our Services or otherwise provide it directly to us, for example by email for heritage science archive management purposes.
Account and Profile Information:
The HSDS collects information about you when you register for an account, create or modify your profile, set preferences, or sign-up for a Service. For example, you provide your contact information when you register for HSDS services. We keep track of your preferences when you select settings within a Service.
Information we collect automatically when you use our Services:
The HSDS uses cookies to provide functionality within our services and to recognize you across different Services and devices. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy, which includes information on how to control or opt out of these cookies.
The HSDS uses a third party service, Matomo Web Analytics, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the website, where visitors have come to the website from and the pages they visited. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify individuals. We do not make, and do not allow Matomo to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website. If we do want to collect personally identifiable information through our website we will make this clear when we collect personal information and we will explain what we intend to do with it.
How the HSDS uses the personal information it collects about you
The HSDS only collects and processes information about you where we have a legal basis for doing so under applicable UK and EU laws. The legal basis depends on the Services you use and how you use them. This means we collect and use your information only where:
- The HSDS needs it to operate our Services, provide long term preservation and management of the archives deposited with us, provide customer support and to protect the safety and security of the Services;
- It satisfies a legitimate interest (which is not overridden by your data protection interests), such as for archiving purposes in the public interest and to protect our legal rights and interests;
- You give us consent to do so for a specific purpose; or
- We need to process your data to comply with a legal obligation.
How we use the information we collect depends, in part, on which Services you use, how you use them, and any preferences you have communicated to us. Below are the specific purposes for which we use the information we collect about you.
To provide the Services
The HSDS uses the personal information that you provide to the HSDS to; authenticate you when you log in to online services, process financial transactions, provide long term preservation and management of digital archives, and operate and maintain the HSDS’ Services. Personal information required to provide our Services is retained into perpetuity for the purposes of account and/or archive management, unless requested otherwise.
To communicate with you about our Services
The HSDS uses the personal information you have provided to the HSDS to communicate with you about our Services via email, including sending you automatic notifications, security alerts, and administrative messages related to our Services such as, archive negotiation correspondence. Personal information is retained into perpetuity for the purposes of account and/or archive management, unless requested otherwise.
Customer support
The HSDS uses your information to resolve technical issues you encounter, to respond to your requests for assistance, and to repair and improve the Services. Personal details provided as part of general customer support enquiries will be kept for no longer than 24 months before deletion unless requested otherwise.
To promote and drive engagement with our Services
The HSDS may communicate with you to provide updates, newsletters and other promotional communications related to our services. The HSDS will only communicate with you this way if you have provided your consent. You can opt-out of these communications at any time. Personal details provided with your consent for this purpose, will be retained for as long as the HSDS provides the Services or until you request otherwise.
To protect our legitimate business interests and legal rights
Where required by law or where we believe it is necessary to protect our legal rights, interests and the interests of others, we may use information about you in connection with legal claims, compliance, regulatory, and audit functions.
With your consent
The HSDS may use information about you where you have given us consent to do so for a specific purpose not listed above. For example, we may publish testimonials to promote our Services or publish survey responses for a specific purpose with your permission.
How the HSDS shares the personal information it collects about you
How the HSDS shares your information with certain third parties depends upon the Services you use.
Depositing an archive with the HSDS
When an archive is deposited with the HSDS using our ingest system or via another method the contact details of a primary contact is requested. This information is published with permission on our website. The HSDS does not share any other personal details about our data depositors with any third parties.
Links to Third Party Sites
The HSDS Services may include links that direct you to other websites or services whose privacy practices may differ from ours. If you submit information to any of those third party sites, your information is governed by their privacy policies, not this one. We encourage you to carefully read the Privacy Policy of any website you visit.
Third-Party Widgets
Some of the HSDS Services may contain widgets and social media features, such as the Social media “share” button. These widgets and features may collect your IP address, which page you are visiting on the Services, and may set a cookie to enable the feature to function properly. Your interactions with these features are governed by the Privacy Policy of the company providing it.
All other services
The HSDS does not share personal data with any third party organisation in any other instance than those stated above.
How the HSDS stores and secures your personal information
The HSDS is hosted by the University of York and uses its services to help maintain the security and performance of the HSDS Services. Find out more about the University of York Information Security Policy. The HSDS is supported by the ADS’s Security Overview and Repository Operations to ensure the safety of data deposited with us.
How to control your personal information held by the HSDS
You have the right to request a copy of your information, to object to our use of your information (including for marketing purposes), to request the deletion or restriction of your information, or to request your information in a structured, electronic format.
You can exercise some of the choices by logging into the Services and using settings available within the Services or your account.
Access and update your information
Some of our Services give you the ability to access and update certain information about you from within the Service by accessing your user profile information from your account. For all other services you can contact help@hsds.ac.uk to access or update your information.
Deactivate your account
If you no longer wish to use our Services please contact help@hsds.ac.uk. Please be aware that deactivating your account may not not delete your information; your information may remain visible to other Service users based on your past participation within the Service.
Delete your information
Some of our services give you the ability to access and update certain information about you from within the Service by accessing your user profile information from your account. To delete any information not deletable from an account profile page or to delete an account contact help@hsds.ac.uk. Please note, however, that we may need to retain certain information for record keeping purposes, to complete transactions or to comply with our legal obligations.
Request that we stop using your information
In some cases, you may ask us to stop accessing, storing, using and otherwise processing your information where you believe we don’t have the appropriate rights to do so. For example, if you believe an archive contains your personal data without your permission, you can request that we delete your personal information as provided in this policy. When you make such requests, we may need time to investigate and facilitate your request. If there is a delay or dispute as to whether we have the right to continue using your information, we will restrict any further use of your information until the request is honoured or the dispute is resolved. Where you gave us consent to use your information for a limited purpose, you can contact us to withdraw that consent, but this will not affect any processing that has already taken place at the time. If you object to information about you being shared with a third-party app, please disable the app.
Opt out of communications
You may opt out of receiving promotional communications from the HSDS by using the unsubscribe link within each email, by updating your email preferences within your Service account, or by contacting us at help@hsds.ac.uk. Please note, however, that you will still continue to receive transactional messages from us regarding provision of our Services, such as emails related to archive deposition, after you opt out from receiving promotional messages.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
The HSDS keeps this Privacy Policy under regular review and it may change from time to time. We will indicate any changes and clearly state the date of last update to this Privacy Policy on this page. Any significant changes will be prominently indicated on our homepages, and account login screens.
Contact us
If you have any questions you can contact the HSDS at:
Email: help@hsds.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1904 323921
Heritage Science Data Service
Department of Archaeology
University of York
The King’s Manor
Exhibition Square
York, YO1 7EP
The HSDS is part of the University of York. You can contact the University of York’s Data Protection Officer at:
Email: dataprotection@york.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1904 323869
Borthwick Institute for Archives
University of York
Heslington
York
YO10 5DD