Data and Samples

How will my information be kept safe?

We have taken steps to make sure we keep your information safe and secure. We follow General Data Protection Regulations, often referred to as GDPR.

Information and samples collected will be stored securely. We use a password-protected code to hide your personal details. Only approved Generation Scotland team members will be able to identify you. This is only so that we can contact you in the future.

How will my samples and information be stored?

Your personal details will never be kept in the same place as your samples or data.

The Generation Scotland team will always ensure that your samples are well looked after. They’ll be stored in a secure place at The University of Edinburgh. The exact location may change. In the future, other researchers may ask to use your samples to answer important research questions.

Who will be able to use my information and samples?

Only approved researchers can use your information and samples. This could include researchers from commercial companies or other countries. They must apply to the Generation Scotland team to use your information and samples.

Researchers can only apply to use our data for health-related research, which benefits the public. Any data shared will not identify you and will be anonymous.

We will not share your information or samples with anyone we have not mentioned, for example we will not share your information with:

Current or future places of work
Relatives
Insurance companies

We will let your GP know you are taking part in Generation Scotland. This is because we will be requesting your health records. Only the Generation Scotland team will be able to access your personal data. This study is for research purposes only and is not a pathway to clinical treatment. We provide useful resources and contact details of organisations who support people and families on some of the topics covered in the study at the link below:

Resources | Generation Scotland

What will happen with Results?

Researchers will publish their results. Researchers will not identify you in any published research.

We will keep you regularly updated about what we find. We will do this through our website, social media and e-newsletters.