This policy explains what personal data the CASSM Lab collects when you join our participant pool, how we use it, and what your rights are. It is written to meet the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who is responsible for your data

The CASSM Lab is part of the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford. The University of Oxford is the data controller, which means it decides how your personal data is used and is responsible for looking after it.

What we collect

When you register, we ask for:

• Identity and contact details: first name, last name, email address and date of birth.
• Eligibility details: confirmation that you live in the United Kingdom, and whether you live in Oxfordshire.
• Preferences: whether you want to be invited to laboratory studies, online studies or both.
• Background details: gender, UK citizenship, highest level of education, employment status and how you heard about us.
• Political party preference. This question is optional, and you can answer “don’t know” or “prefer not to say”. You can still be invited to studies if you do not answer it.

Once you are a member, we also keep a record of the studies you are invited to, sign up for, attend and miss. The website gives each participant a unique ID number.

Why we use it

• To check that you are eligible to take part.
• To invite you by email to studies you are eligible for.
• To make sure the group of people invited to a study has the mix of characteristics the research needs.
• To keep track of your participation, so that we can pay you and avoid inviting you to a study similar to one you have already done.

We do not use your data for marketing, and we do not make automated decisions about you. Everyone who is eligible for a study has the same chance of being invited.

Our lawful basis

We process your personal data on the basis of your consent, which you give when you register. For your political party preference, which the law treats as special category data, we rely on your explicit consent.

Joining the participant pool only gives us permission to contact you about studies. It does not commit you to taking part in any study. You can withdraw your consent at any time by deleting your account (see “Your rights” below).

Who can see your data

• Your personal data can be accessed only by the CASSM Lab team and by members of the University of Oxford who are responsible for overseeing our work.
• We do not share your personal data with third parties without your permission, except where this is needed to pay you or where the law requires it.
• Researchers who run studies through the CASSM Lab do not receive your name or contact details.

Where we keep it

The participant database is stored on a secure server at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. The server is kept in a locked room, and access to the database is password protected.

How long we keep it

• We keep your details for as long as you remain an active member of the participant pool.
• Once a year we ask you to confirm that you still want to be a member and to check that your details are up to date.
• If your account has been inactive for at least a year, we close it and remove your personal details from our database.
• When an account is closed or deleted, we keep only your gender, your participant ID number and the record of studies you took part in. This remaining record does not contain your name or contact details.

Your rights

Under data protection law you have the right to:

• see the personal data we hold about you;
• have inaccurate data corrected;
• have your data deleted;
• restrict or object to how we use your data;
• receive a copy of your data in a portable format;
• withdraw your consent at any time.

You can do much of this yourself:

• See or correct your details: log in and choose “Edit my data”.
• Delete your account: log in, choose “Edit my data”, then “Unsubscribe”.

For anything else, or if you cannot log in, email us at cassm-lab@politics.ox.ac.uk.

Data from the studies you take part in

• This policy covers the participant pool. Each study has its own information sheet, which explains what data that study collects and how it will be used. You are asked for your consent before you take part.
• The decisions you make in a study are recorded against your participant ID number, not your name.
• The ID number is removed before the data is passed to researchers, so the data they receive is anonymous, unless the consent form for that study clearly says otherwise.

Cookies

This website uses one essential cookie, which keeps you logged in while you use the site. It is deleted when you close your browser. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make a significant change, we will tell registered participants by email.

Last updated: October 2026.