FOI_24-294 Ethics approval and data sharing agreement for research publication
Date of response: 15 November 2024
We have now considered your Freedom of Information request of 18 October 2024 for the following information:
I am writing to make a freedom of information request about the study underpinning the following published paper by UEA authors:
1. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-022-07797-7(since retracted)
2. A working paper version is also available on the UEA website here: https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/publications/system-wide-learning-from-first-wave-covid-19-a-realist-synthesis
I would like to request the following information:
Question 1. Details of ethics approval for the study provided by UEA, e.g. a dated approval document from a university ethics committee
Our response:
On this occasion it is not possible to provide all the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any of the information requested. After undertaking a comprehensive search of our records, we confirm this data is not held.
Question 2. The paper states that “All data shared was anonymised by the research group and destroyed immediately post analysis”. How did destruction of data comply with UEA`s “Research Data Management Policy”, which suggests research data should be kept for 10 years after publication? If an exception was made at the time, can written details of this be provided?
Our response:
On this occasion it is not possible to provide all the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any of the information requested. We hold no recorded information on how the data were destroyed or of an exception being formally granted. After undertaking a comprehensive search of our records, we confirm this data is not held.
Question 3. Can details be shared on the funded study from which the paper was derived, including study title, abstract, protocol, funding amount, duration, recipients of funding, and any interim or final reports (or other written outputs) produced for the funder?
Our response:
The study for which the paper was derived was titled: ‘We Care Together: Evaluation of First Wave COVID 19’. The ImpACT research group received £5000.00 from the Norfolk and Waveney STP for undertaking the thematic evaluation of data held by the STP.
The final report produced for the funder has been provided in FOI_24-294 Appendix A.
On this occasion it is not possible to provide all the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any of the information requested for the study abstract, protocol, duration of, or any interim reports or other written outputs produced for the funder. After undertaking a comprehensive search of our records, we confirm this data is not held.
Furthermore, in relation to data which is held, the Act contains a number of exemptions that allow public authorities to withhold certain information from release. We have applied the following exemption to part of your request.
| Exemption | Reason |
|---|---|
| s.40(2), Personal information | Disclosure of some of the requested information would be contrary to the requirements of the UK General Data Protection Regulation |
In line with s.40(2) of the Act we have removed certain personal data from FOI_24-294 Appendix A.
We believe that some of the requested information, specifically the names of third parties involved in the study/publication constitutes the personal data of those individuals, as defined by Article 4(1) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
We believe that disclosure of the personal information relating to these individuals would be contrary to the requirements of Article 5(1)(a) of the GDPR; namely that information must be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner. These individuals would have no expectation that this information would be made publicly available, and we have not identified a lawful basis that would allow or require us to disclose this information.
Where information has been removed from the accompanying file we have replaced the text with a black rectangle.
Question 4. Can details be given about the data sharing agreement made with Norfolk and Waveney STP and any other relevant information concerning the setting up of the project?
Our response:
On this occasion it is not possible to provide all the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any of the information requested for the data sharing agreement made with Norfolk and Waveney STP, or any other relevant information concerning the setting up of the project. After undertaking a comprehensive search of our records, we confirm this data is not held.
Outside of the Act, we wish to state that the University’s Impact Research Group was commissioned to analyse the data which held by the Norfolk and Waveney Health and Care Partnership. The Partnership was responsible for the development of the proposal, gaining consent from participants and gathering the data, under the leadership of the former Director of Workforce and Head of Workforce Transformation. In its role as a third-party provider, the University had no involvement in any of these preparatory activities and therefore does not hold any data regarding data processing prior to undertaking the commissioned work.