During any research or gameplay testing, I may collect data using manual or automatic methods to learn more and improve my work. This page tells you what data I am collecting in each project in order to remain transparent and allow you to consent to data collection before taking part in any research.
This has been written to help you decide if you would like to take part. It is up to you and you alone whether you wish to take part. If you do decide to take part you will be free to withdraw at any time without providing a reason and without penalty.
The module DES308 of my degree is about data-driven design principles and analytics in game design. As part of this research, I will be required to collect user data via a variety of methods about a game I am working on.
You are under no obligation to partake in this research however your support will be greatly appreciated and will help to improve the quality of my module work and assessment if you do.
As a participant in my research, you will be required to download and play a game made in the Unity engine that I am working to improve using data-driven gameplay design. This will not take much time at all and is all self-contained in a single executable file allowing you to easily remove the game afterward.
Specifically, as part of this research task, your data may also be shared with Google as their systems are used to aid in data collection. All data transmitted using these services and APIs is fully abstract and anonymous. You cannot be identified personally by these third parties.
Your data will be stored in an anonymised form and will only be accessible to Nicola Luigi Dau and DES308 module lecturers. This means that nobody including the researchers could reasonably identify you within the data/a key stored separately will link your research data to your real identity. Your abstract and anonymous data will be stored securely where appropriate as well as being stored in private git repositories when necessary, with data fully anonymised at the earliest opportunity (i.e. when data that could identify you is no longer necessary for the purposes of the research). Your responses are treated in the strictest confidence – it will be impossible to identify individuals within a dataset when any of the research is disseminated (e.g. in publications/presentations). Abertay University acts as Data Controller ([email protected]).
You can contact Nicola Luigi Dau with questions relating to your data at any time ([email protected]).
Researchers are obliged to retain research data for up to 10 years post-publication, however, your anonymised research data may be retained indefinitely (e.g., so that researchers engage in open practice and other researchers can access their data to confirm the conclusions of published work). Consistent with our data retention policy, researchers retain consent forms for as long as we continue to hold information about a data subject and for 10 years for published research (including Research Degree thesis).
Abertay University attaches high priority to the ethical conduct of research. Please consider the following before indicating your consent on this form. Indicating your consent confirms that you are willing to participate in the research, however, indicating consent does not commit you to anything you do not wish to do and you are free to withdraw your participation at any time. You are indicating consent under the following assumptions:
I understand the contents of the participant information sheet and consent form. I have been given the opportunity to ask questions about the research and have had them answered satisfactorily. I understand that my participation is entirely voluntary and that I can withdraw from the research (parts of the project or the entire project) at any time without penalty and without having to provide an explanation. I understand who has access to my data and how it will be handled at all stages of the research project.
Abertay University (the “University”/”we”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 (or any successor legislation) and (EU) 2016/679 the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (and any other directly applicable EU regulation relating to privacy) (together “Data Protection Law”). The research team adhere to the Ethical guidelines and the principles of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). The Abertay University Privacy Notice for Research Participants is available at https://www.abertay.ac.uk/legal/.General information on Data Protection law is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office.
For research involving living humans, the Data Controller adheres to, and collects, processes and handles/archives data in compliance with:
Article 6 (1) e: processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.