Privacy Notice for the Species Relations Survey
1. Name of the Register
Species Relations Research Register
2. Data Controller
Åbo Akademi University
Domkyrkotorget 3, 20500 Åbo, Finland
Tel: +358 (0)2 215 31
Email: dataskydd@abo.fi
Contact person for the research:
Jolanda Linsén
Doctoral Researcher, Environmental and Marine Biology
Email: jolanda.linsen@abo.fi
3. Data Protection Officer at Åbo Akademi University:
Tel: +358 2 215 31 (switchboard)
Email: dataskydd@abo.fi
Address: Förvaltningsämbetet, Domkyrkotorget 3, 20500 Åbo
4. Purpose and Legal Basis for Processing
The purpose of this research is to study human perceptions and relationships with marine organisms in the Baltic Sea region. Data is collected via an electronic survey and, where applicable, follow-up workshops or interviews.
- Processing is based on Article 6(1)(e) GDPR (task carried out in the public interest for scientific research) and Sections 4 and 6 of the Finnish Data Protection Act (Tietosuojalaki).
- If you provide your email address for raffle participation or future contact, this is based on your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR).
- If any special categories of data (e.g., attitudes or opinions potentially revealing beliefs) are processed, processing is justified under Article 9(2)(j) GDPR for scientific research with appropriate safeguards.
Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time without negative consequences.
5. Processed Personal Data
We process the following categories of personal data:
- Survey responses:
Perceptions, attitudes, and opinions related to marine organisms and the Baltic Sea, including responses to videos, rating scales, and open-ended questions.
- Demographic information:
Year of birth, gender, municipality of residence, household composition, spoken language, education, and relation of work/education to nature.
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Metadata and Survey Progress: For research purposes, the survey records the time and date when each response is submitted and the amount of time spent on each question or page. This metadata is used solely for analyzing survey engagement and response patterns and is not linked to your personal identity. If you pause the survey before completing it, your progress may be temporarily saved on your device/browser to allow you to resume later. This saved progress is only used for the purpose of resuming the survey and is not associated with your personal information or email address.
- Optional contact details:
Email address, only if you:
- Request further contact about participation in the research project.
- Enter the raffle for gift cards.
- Important on data separation and anonymity:
- Email addresses are stored separately from survey responses and cannot be linked back to your answers.
- If you provide your email address for future contact or the raffle, this is not connected to your survey responses, except for your expressed interest in being contacted at the end of the survey.
- Participation in the raffle or leaving your email is voluntary and does not affect the anonymity of your main survey responses.
6. Recipients of Personal Data
Your personal data will only be processed by the research team at Åbo Akademi University and, if necessary, IT support staff maintaining the LimeSurvey platform. No data will be disclosed to external parties.
7. Transfers Outside the EU/EEA
Personal data will not be transferred outside the EU/EEA. The LimeSurvey server used for the survey is located in Finland.
8. Retention Period
Survey responses will be pseudonymized during the research process and stored securely on Åbo Akademi University servers and backed up on password protected hard-drive. Upon completion of the study and publication of the research results and doctoral thesis, the anonymized dataset (with all direct and indirect identifiers removed) will be archived in a trusted open research data repository, such as Zenodo, in accordance with Åbo Akademi University’s research data management policy and the principles of open science.
This archived dataset will contain only information that cannot be linked to any individual participant, ensuring that no personal data remains. Before archiving, all email addresses, any potential identifiers, and free-text responses containing personal details will be removed or aggregated.
The repository version will be openly available for scientific reuse under a suitable open license, following ethical and legal guidelines.
- Email addresses collected for raffle participation will be deleted after the raffle is conducted in December 2025 and winners have received their prizes.
- Email addresses for future contact will be deleted once the research project ends or upon your withdrawal of consent.
9. Rights of the Data Subject
Under GDPR, you have the following rights:
- Access: to know what personal data we hold about you.
- Rectification: to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erasure: in certain cases, you may request deletion of your data (does not apply where processing is necessary for scientific research under Article 17(3)(d) GDPR if deletion would seriously impair the research).
- Restriction of processing: in certain situations.
- Withdrawal of consent: if processing is based on your consent (e.g., raffle or further contact).
- Right to lodge a complaint: with the Finnish Data Protection Ombudsman:
Contact details of the Data Protection Authority:
Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman
P.O. Box 800
00531 Helsinki
+358 29 566 6700 (switchboard)
tietosuoja@om.fi
tietosuoja.fi
To exercise your rights, contact jolanda.linsen@abo.fi or dataskydd@abo.fi.
10. Voluntariness and Consequences of Non-Provision
Providing your data is voluntary. If you do not provide demographic information, you can still complete the survey. If you do not provide your email, you cannot participate in the raffle or be contacted for further research.
11. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling
Your data will not be used for automated decision-making or profiling.
12. Data Security and Safeguards
- Data is pseudonymized and stored on secure servers at Åbo Akademi University and password protected external hard drive.
- Identifiers (email addresses) are stored separately from survey data.
- Access is restricted to the research team.
- Technical and organizational measures comply with GDPR and Finnish research ethics guidelines.
