Frequently asked questions

The preparation of a Data Management Plan is part of the Open Science Policy, which SDU adopted in March 2018.  The purpose of the preparation of a Data Management Plan is to make it easier to collect, structure, store, describe and possibly share data. If you need help with the preparation of Data Management Plans as well as the general handling of research data, please contact RDM (Research Data Management) support.

 No. Open Science  is two different codes of practice with certain overlaps. Please contact RDM support if in doubt.

As a general rule, you may only use SDU-approved systems. SDU recommends that you use SharePoint, Nextcloud, Onedrive, S4 or Ucloud. If you have to use other systems for processing personal data, please contact RDM Support where SDU RIO and SDU IT will help you.

When it comes to a new project, a new notification must be made to SDU RIO. After that, you have to request a transfer of data. 

 It is important that you consider what to do with your research data when you have finished using them. What to do depends to a large extent on what you have written in your Data Management Plan, in the notification of your research project to SDU RIO and what you have promised the data subjects. You may need to move or anonymise data or transfer them to the Danish National Archives. You do not necessarily have to delete them. Always contact SDU RIO if in doubt. 

As a general rule, delete them. If you want to know more about the possibility of retaining data (e.g. at the Danish National Archives), please contact SDU RIO. Please pay attention as to whether some data are subject to an obligation to keep records. If you have any questions about record-keeping, feel free to contact ESDH.

Pictures are also personal information regardless of whether the picture is a portrait or a picture of the surroundings where a person happens to appear. You must therefore notify your project as with all other research projects in which personal information is processed. SDU RIO can also provide guidance on whether consent is needed or whether the information can be processed according to another legal basis. For more information, please see the guidance on the processing of personal information in research projects. 

 Yes, voice recordings are personal information, and the project must therefore be notified to SDU RIO.

You must always contact SDU RIO in connection with data processing agreements regardless of whether you/SDU is the data controller or the data processor. You must never sign a data processing agreement yourself.

Students who work with research data do not necessarily have to sign a data processing agreement. It depends on the circumstances. Please contact SDU RIO to hear about the possibilities.    

We recommend that you use only SDU-approved systems (Sitecore) as this will be less laborious, reduce the risk of errors, and because they are legally and technically approved. If you have to use a different system, please contact SDU IT for further guidance.

Only research projects involving personally identifiable human material such as ova, cells or tissue have to be notified to a Committee on Health Research Ethics. Projects only involving data and figures are called register research projects and do not have to be notified to a Committee on Health Research Ethics. 

In case of doubt, please contact the Committee on Health Research Ethics, VEK, (email) or at +45 76 63 82 21.

When processing personal data (pictures/audio/video), you must clarify whether you need to obtain consent before use or not. As a general rule, the following applies: 

• No personal information: You do not need any consent, but if you have not taken the picture or recorded the video/audio yourself, you must make sure before use that the owner has given you permission to use the picture/video/audio. 
• General personal information: You are allowed to use pictures/video/audio with general personal information without prior consent if there is a valid purpose for the processing – e.g. that it is part of running a university. 
• Sensitive/confidential personal information: If you want to use picture/video/audio with sensitive or confidential personal information, you must always obtain consent of the person to whom the information relates.

Always pay attention to the following: 1) Remember that pictures/video/audio may only be used in the context for which they were collected. 2) You are not allowed to use the pictures for something that violates the expectations of the person in the picture/video. 3) You must not (without asking) publish pictures/videos that people may not want to have published (e.g. people who are visibly intoxicated). 4) If someone other than yourself has taken the picture or recorded the video/audio, you should also make sure that the originator has given you permission to use the picture/video/audio. 

If you are collecting new pictures/videos, make sure that the duty to inform  is met – even if you do not have to obtain consent. Please contact your local GDPR coordinator for specific guidance. 

You can see an overview of the typical general and sensitive personal information here. You can read more about the requirements for consent in the Danish Data Protection Agency’s guidance (in Danish), and if you need a declaration of consent, please contact SDU RIO.

It is possible to stream teaching without consent to the processing of personal information from either the lecturer or those present. SDU RIO has considered the legal basis (in Danish), and HSU has also made a decision  (in Danish) in this regard.  

Although it is not necessary to obtain consent, the duty to inform must still be met before the processing can begin. Among other things, information must be provided about the purpose of the recording, whether the recording will be given to others etc. Contact your local GDPR coordinator for guidance on the duty to inform. 

As a general rule, no. When it belongs to others (e.g. an assignment written by a student), always make sure that you are allowed to use/share it. It makes no difference whether it is a picture or an assignment. As a general rule, an external examiner or a supervisor from a company can see the assignment, but be aware of any confidentiality. If you are in doubt about what to do, you can contact SDU RIO for guidance.

As a general rule, SDU is responsible for ensuring that there is no general, sensitive and confidential personal information in the assignments that are published/shared. Therefore, make sure to read an assignment thoroughly before you share/publish it. This applies to all faculties.

Examination numbers are not confidential. See also the Education Council’s decision at the meeting in January 2019, item 8 here (in Danish).

Regardless of the types of personal data included in the project, you must be aware of the legal sharing of data with external parties, NDAs (non-disclosure agreements), etc., when an external actor is involved. Therefore, please contact SDU RIO if in doubt.