The data protection act 1998 states :
- Data may only be used for the specific purposes for which it was collected
- Data must not be disclosed to other parties without the consent of the individual whom it is about, unless there is legislation or other overriding legitimate reason to share the information
- Individuals have a right of access to the information held about them, subject to certain exceptions
- Personal information may be kept for no longer than is necessary and must be kept up to date
- Personal information may not be sent outside the European Economic Area unless the individual whom it is about has consented or adequate protection is in place
- All entities that process personal information must register with the Information Commissioner's Office
- Entities holding personal information are required to have adequate security measures in place
- Subjects have the right to have factually incorrect information corrected
Data Protection Act 1998. (2010). Retrieved on November 24, 2010 from the Wikipedia website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Act_1998
Therefore when data is collected for research the researchers must ensure that the partcipants information and personal data is kept securely, not used for any other means that what they have told the subjects they would use it for, once it is not needed anymore it is deleted, allow the participants to access their information if they want to etc etc. If this act is not followed legal action can be taken against the researchers. Every individual has human rights. The rights themselves are based on principles like dignity, equality and repect and autonomy. They protect your freedom to control your own life. They help in keeping safe and protected from harm, being treated fairly and with dignity, living the way in which you like; and taking an active part in your comminity and wider society.
Therefore it is important when carrying out research on someone that their own human rights are considered. When asking them questions, researching on them, using them for something - a researcher must treat them with respect and as a human being not just a test subject. If a partcipant of research feels that they have been violated in any way they can take their case to court.
The Human Rights Act. (n.d.). Retrieved on November 24, 2010 from the website http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/human-rights/what-are-human-rights/the-human-rights-act/
Ways in which you could make sure you are following the human rights act could be:
- When asking a participant questions speak to them with respect and do not ask them and pressurise them into asking them questions they do not feel comfortable answering
- If research is being carried out for medical reasons then make sure that the patient is treated with dignity and not embarressed in any way or told to do anything that they dont want to do
- If researching on children or anyone who may not be mentally capable as much as a healthy adult, they must be treated as equals and not any different to anyone else. It would be best to have a carer or parent there to make sure that they are happy and not uncomfortable before asking questions.
There are many more ways in which the Human Rights Act 1998 is followed correctly.
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