The Oral History Society's Privacy and Data Storage Policy

This privacy statement applies to all activities of the Oral History Society (OHS) and is intended to inform you about what personal data we retain, the lawful basis and legitimate interest for why we hold it, how we process the data and store it, and how you can access and update your data.

There are many ways people interact with the OHS, including:

  • Browsing our website
  • Membership of the Society (renewed annually)
  • Submission of an article or other contribution to the Oral History journal – which can lead to publication of the piece in the print journal or on our website as part of the ‘OHJ Online’ section
  • Submission of a blog to the OHS blog – which can lead to the publication of the blog online
  • Contacting a member of the Society’s Regional Network of Advisers
  • Attending an Oral History Society event, seminar or conference
  • Attending a training course run by the Oral History Society and National Life Stories at the British Library
  • Signing up to receive the Oral History Society e-newsletter
  • Joining the members’ online discussion group (and its subgroups, such as Special Interest Groups and Discussion Groups) hosted by groups.io
  • Applying for a paid or unpaid role with the Society.

When you interact with the OHS in a manner which requires personal data to be stored you will be asked to consent to the processing and retention of data as outlined in this privacy and data storage policy document, using the following wording:

‘I hereby consent that the Oral History Society can store, process and retain my personal data in order to pursue its aims, objectives and activities and provide services to Members and other users. I understand that full details of how the Oral History Society stores and processes my data are stated in the ‘Privacy and Data Storage Policy’ at https://ohs.org.uk/privacy-policy-2/.

‘I understand that I may ask to see my personal data at any time, and request that it is amended or updated. To make such an enquiry I will contact the Secretary of the Oral History Society: Rob Perks, email [email protected]’

Where is my data published or used?

We use your personal data only in connection with the aims, objectives and activities of the OHS as detailed in its constitution.

We do not publish or otherwise share membership data outside our organisation. We do not publish contact details unless strictly agreed with you. We do not use your contact details to sell on or swap with outside agencies.

When you join the Society, you consent for us to use your contact details to send newsletters and the Oral History journal. You will be invited to join the OHS members’ online discussion group and we may send you other information about our activities.  You can opt out of each of these on a case-by-case basis, should you wish.

We do publish correspondence and other data (such as FAQs, project and network reports) on our website, but it is clearly outlined at the point of submission that the data will be published. Data published on our website is in the public domain which means that any member of the public can view your published data. Everything published on our website is also subject to our Notice and Takedown Policy.

We do not transfer personal data internationally. If we decide to do so in the future we will contact affected individuals directly. Any server for OHS secure data storage will be based in the UK/European Economic Area. If this is not possible, the Trustees will ensure that this storage is covered by robust data security provisions with a similar level of security to that held in the UK/European Economic Area (GDPR ‘data adequacy’).

How data is stored by the OHS

The OHS never passes any personal data to third parties for any reason, other than to fulfil the services we provide to members and those using OHS services.

Where the OHS contracts a third party to fulfil a specific function (such as our printer who mails out print journals), this relationship is managed by Trustees via a Supplier Data Processing Agreement. Assurance of the security of the data held by the third party is an essential part of the contract agreed between the two parties.

The OHS (and any agents employed on the OHS’s behalf) take appropriate security measures to ensure that we keep your information accurate and up to date, and we only keep it as long as is necessary. We will make every effort to protect your personal information, but please be aware that no database or data is entirely secure, nor is the transmission of personal data via the internet.

All OHS Trustees, employed consultants, trainers, regional advisers, editors, Special Interest Group officers, volunteers and those undertaking a role for the OHS are aware of the importance of data security and mindful of this when undertaking their roles for the OHS. They have all agreed to comply with this policy.

The OHS has established a secure cloud-based storage system with password access to store any personal data. All of those carrying out duties for the Society will be given access, if necessary, to selected areas of this storage system with appropriate password access. Two nominated OHS Trustees and the OHS Administrator have administrative access to all the records held on the cloud-based storage system in order to manage it effectively. The Secretary of the Oral History Society acts as the Society’s Data Controller as far as the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) (2018) and the Data (Use and Access) Act (2025) are concerned, ensuring the Society meets its GDPR obligations, handles any complaints or breaches, and periodically updates this policy and document as required.

The archives of the Oral History Society itself are held by the British Library in its contemporary manuscripts department. Data submitted to the OHS by members and contributors which has been retained in line with our data retention policy will be transferred to the British Library as part of the transfer of archival records. The British Library will archive this data for purposes which have public value beyond the immediate interests of the organisation itself, and the British Library is therefore archiving this data in the public interest. For more details on the British Library Privacy Policy relating to its collection materials see: https://www.bl.uk/privacy.  Once the British Library has possession of this data, it can only be released in line with British Library data protection procedures for archival records.

These records are deposited with the British Library periodically, covering materials which are no longer current business records for the OHS. The next tranche of records is scheduled to be deposited at the British Library in 2028, covering the material generated in the period 2010-2020.

What if there is a data breach?

In the event of a data breach the Society’s Data Controller (or in his/her absence another OHS Officer) will immediately report this occurrence to the Officers of the OHS.  If this is a deemed a serious breach, the OHS Data Controller, or other Officer of the OHS, will inform the Information Commissioner’s Office within 72 hours and take steps to contact the affected parties.

How can I find out about any of my personal data held by the OHS

The General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) states that individuals can access and request a copy of their personal data in order to check its accuracy and verify the lawfulness of the processing. Individuals can apply for such information using a Subject Access Request. More information regarding the procedure for making a Subject Access Request (SAR) can be found here.

If you wish to make a SAR enquiry please contact the Secretary of the Society: Rob Perks, email:[email protected]

Note that, as detailed above, the OHS has an archive agreement with the British Library (BL) and selected OHS materials are permanently archived at the BL periodically. SARs relating to this data need to be directed to [email protected]

What types of data do we collect and store?

The type and amount of information the OHS and our agents receive and store depends on how you interact with the OHS, use our website and engage in our various activities. We address each type of interaction below:

1. Browsing our website

We do not store information about you if you simply visit our website. Our web server collects anonymous data on use of the website and its different sections. This provides us with valuable information for future changes to the website to make it a better experience for users.

Cookies

The OHS’s website uses cookies chiefly for analytical purposes and to help improve website performance. Cookies are small, unique text files that are collected by your browser from websites you visit, which are then stored on your device. Accepting cookies does not give us access to your device or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

We use Performance Cookies to allow us to offer you enhanced functionality when using our website. This may include automatically identifying you when you provide us with your personal details via our membership login.

We use Analytical Cookies to understand how visitors interact with our website. We use Google Analytics to help provide information on the number of visitors to our website, bounce rates and traffic sources, as well as calculating visitor sessions and gathering data on which pages you visit and how long you spend on each webpage. This data helps us to better understand what our visitors find useful on our website and how we can make improvements.

While our website does not display targeted online advertisements, it does feature a third-party advertising cookie – DoubleClick Campaign Manager – which sets cookies that are used for serving targeted advertisements relevant to you across the web. Targeted advertisements may be displayed to you based on your previous visits to this website. For example, advertisements about a topic you have expressed an interest in while browsing our site may be displayed to you across the web.

We also feature cookies that help certain non-essential functionalities on our website. These functionalities include embedding external content on the website like YouTube videos.

You have the right to accept, manage or decline the cookies used on the OHS’s website. When you first visit our website or when you revisit after clearing your cache, a cookie consent banner will appear on your screen. Please note that declining cookies may prevent you from taking full advantage of our website. For further information, please visit: https://aboutcookies.org/.

2. Membership of the Society (renewed annually)

Oral History Society membership is managed through our own website and an external supplier Stripe. The OHS holds the following details for each member in order to register your membership, supply you with a journal by post twice a year and ensure you receive all the various member services such as discounts for training courses, events and conferences, and access to our Special Interest Groups:

  • Your name
  • Your contact address (potentially including any institutional affiliation)
  • Your email address
  • Your phone number (if you have supplied it)

We take online security extremely seriously and have taken steps to ensure that your payment information is processed confidentially and accurately.

All credit and debit card payments are processed through Stripe, one of the world’s leading online secure payment companies. Card details are handled solely by Stripe and are not stored or known to the Oral History Society website, nor available to OHS personnel. Stripe achieved the highest level of compliance under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Stripe has PCI Service Provider Level 1 compliance, which is the highest level of certification for service providers under the PCI DSS and adheres to the most stringent levels of fraud screening, ensuring that customer’s details remain secure throughout the transaction process.

Direct Debit information is collected in accordance with the Service User Guidelines laid out by BACS.

Our website makes use of secure servers where information is protected by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL works with Google Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and other browsers. Encryption creates billions of code combinations to protect each transaction made on our site, so your card details cannot be viewed by anyone else using the Internet.

Members’ electronic access to Oral History Journal via JSTOR

JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources which holds and provides copies of all back issues of the Oral History journal. Access to the journal without charge via JSTOR is a benefit of OHS Membership. JSTOR does not hold any personal details, as all contact with JSTOR is made through the OHS username and password, which cannot be traced back to you.

Member data for Gift Aid claims

The OHS also uses membership data to claim Gift Aid. We only do this if you have consented to us making a claim on your behalf. Data for Gift Aid payments is stored in our secure cloud-based server with password access. Gift Aid data – including declarations, donation records, and, if applicable, cancellation notices – are retained for six years after the end of the accounting period to which they relate.  This is a requirement of the Charity Commission and HMRC.

Oral History Society Regional Network use of member data

The OHS Regional Network of Advisers occasionally wish to contact OHS members to inform them of events or news in their local area. This type of contact is coordinated by the Regional Network Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator. All emails are sent via a method which does not disclose the personal details of any of the recipients.

3. Submission of an article, news or review item to the Oral History journal – which can lead to publication in the print journal or online in the ‘OHJ Online’ section of the OHS website

What personal data do we hold for contributors?

  • Your name
  • Your email
  • Your postal address, including institutional affiliation if relevant
  • Your phone number (if supplied)
  • Your draft article or news item or review
  • For published articles there is a signed author agreement.

This data is managed by the OHS Journal Editorial Assistant, who is overseen by the Editorial Board. Members of the Editorial Board may hold contributor personal data on their personal devices, but only for as long as they require it in order to correspond with the contributor as outlined below. All Editorial Board members have agreed to abide by this Privacy and Data Storage Policy for the secure storage and use of personal data.

All articles, reviews and news items and personal details are stored securely centrally by the Journal Editorial Assistant. This data is stored using the secure cloud-based server with password access.

  • Authors whose article is published will fill in an Author Agreement form prior to publication, clarifying the copyright(s) and terms of publication. Personal details recorded in the Author Agreement form are kept in perpetuity as this form is a legal document.
  • For authors whose articles have been reviewed but not accepted for publication by the Editorial Board, the draft article and personal data will be deleted after a period (up to 2 years), with the agreement of the Editorial Board.
  • Some authors are asked by the Editorial Board to rewrite and resubmit their article. If the article is resubmitted, the draft article and personal data about the author will be dealt with in line with the procedure for publication or rejection outlined above.  The draft article and data will be kept for a period of five years after the decision by the Editorial Board to ask for revision and resubmission. After a period of five years the Editorial Board will review and decide if the author is not likely to re-submit and if the draft article and data can therefore be deleted.
  • For those contributing reviews and news items, the contributor’s personal data will be kept securely for a period and will then be deleted after a period (up to 2 years after publication), with the agreement of the Editorial Board.

4. Submission of a blog post to the Oral History Society Blog – which can lead to publication on the OHS website

What personal data do we hold?

  • Your name
  • Your email
  • Your postal address, including institutional affiliation if relevant
  • Your phone number (if supplied)
  • Your draft text
  • For published articles there is signed author agreement (see 3 above)

This data is managed by the OHS Blog Editors. All articles and personal details are stored securely. This data is stored using the secure cloud-based server with password access.

  • Authors whose blog is published will fill in an Author Agreement form prior to publication, clarifying the copyright(s) and terms of publication. Personal details recorded in the Author Agreement form are kept in perpetuity as this form is a legal document.
  • For authors whose blogs have been reviewed but not accepted for publication, the draft blog and personal data will be deleted after a period (likely 2 years) with the agreement of the Blog Editors.
  • Some authors are asked to rewrite and resubmit their blog. If the blog is resubmitted, the draft article and personal data about the author will be dealt with in line with the procedure for publication or rejection outlined above. The draft blog and data will be kept for a period of five years after the decision to ask for revision and resubmission.  After a period of five years the Blog Editors will review and decide if the author is not likely to re-submit and if the draft blog and data can therefore be deleted.

5. Contacting a representative from the Regional Network of Advisers

Representatives of the OHS Regional Network of Advisers (‘regional advisers’) are often contacted by both OHS members and non-members seeking advice and information. If you contact a regional adviser with a query, they will only retain your personal data for as long as it is necessary for the purposes of helping with your enquiry and producing occasional reports on regional adviser activities. Individual regional advisers, as volunteers acting on behalf of the Oral History Society, have agreed to abide by this Privacy and Data Storage Policy for the secure storage and use of personal data.

6. Attending an Oral History Society event, seminar or conference

What personal data do we hold?

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • Your OHS membership number (if applicable)
  • Your contact address, including institutional affiliation if relevant (if supplied)
  • Your phone number (if supplied).

Data is used purely for the purposes of conference or event administration. Subject to your consent, your email is circulated to all conference attendees after the conference to facilitate networking. Personal data is held on the secure OHS storage system and your data is retained in order to inform you about future OHS events.

Electronic payments for events and conferences are made through Stripe and PayPal and no identifiable financial details (such as a bank account number or credit card number) are retained by the OHS. Payments by cheque or BACS transfer are processed by the OHS Finance Manager, overseen by the OHS Treasurer. The OHS stores cheques in a secure place until they are paid into our bank. The OHS Treasurer and Finance Manager store any financial data securely on the secure cloud-based server with password access. This data is retained for seven years after the end of the financial year in which the conference or event took place, which is a requirement of the Charity Commission and HMRC.

7. Attending a training day run by the Oral History Society and National Life Stories at the British Library

What personal data the Oral History Society and National Life Stories hold?

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • Your OHS membership number (if applicable)
  • Your contact address
  • Your phone number
  • Stated reasons for attending a course
  • Stated access-related requests
  • Invoice details: name of organisation, purchase order, email address, address (if applicable).

This data is collated by the OHS (usually via its website) and National Life Stories and is held by the British Library in accordance with the British Library’s Privacy Policy (https://www.bl.uk/privacy). The Oral History Society/British Library Training Liaison Group will occasionally contact previous trainees to inform them of upcoming courses and relevant events.

Payment for training courses is made to National Life Stories at the British Library:

  • Payments made through PayPal are made via a PayPal account, credit or debit card. No identifiable financial details (such as a bank account number or credit card number) are retained by National Life Stories at the British Library.
  • Those requesting invoices can pay via cheque or BACS transfer. If paying by cheque National Life Stories stores the cheques in a secure place until paid into our bank.

Any identifiable financial details (such as a bank account number and sort code) are retained by National Life Stories for 7 years which is a requirement of the Charity Commission, Companies House and HMRC.

8. Signing up to receive the Oral History Society e-newsletter

What personal data do we hold?

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • If you are a member of the OHS
  • The region in which you live – if provided
  • Areas of oral history that interest you (if provided).

This data is stored in Mailchimp and administered and stored securely by the OHS Communications Officer (Trustee). All emails are sent securely via Mailchimp. Mailchimp is UK GDPR compliant: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/.

You can unsubscribe from the e-newsletter at any time by clicking on the ‘unsubscribe’ link in any email.Mailchimp will then automatically update your status to ‘unsubscribed’ and you will not receive future e-newsletters from the Society. The OHS Communications Officer permanently deletes unsubscribed personal data from Mailchimp every 30 days.

9. Joining the members’ online discussion group (and its subgroups – special interest groups, working groups, discussion groups) hosted by groups.io

What personal data do we hold?

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • Any biographical or other information you choose to share as part of your public profile in the directory of members which is available to other members.

All members are invited to join the OHS online discussion group hosted by groups.io. All emails are sent securely via Groups.io. Groups.io creates an account for each member, with their email address and password stored securely. Groups.io is UK GDPR compliant: https://groups.io/static/privacy. Any posts on the OHS Groups.io discussion lists will list the OHS member’s email address. Once an OHS member joins a group or subgroup in Groups.io, the OHS member can access the group’s message archive which includes historic discussions.

All posts and discussion threads will periodically be archived at the British Library as part of the OHS institutional archive. Before it is archived at the British Library, this data is stored in a database stored securely in the cloud-based server and administered by nominated Trustees and the OHS Administrator who are moderators of the Groups.io discussion network. Upon transfer to the cloud-based server, the Groups.io archive is ‘masked’, which means that the archived versions of emails may contain the sender’s name, but will not include the sender’s email address.

An individual can request that they be removed from the discussion group by clicking on the ‘unsubscribe’ button shown on each mail out. Once clicked, the individual can then complete the steps to remove their data from the active discussion list held by Groups.io, but this will not remove any previous activity or posts within Groups.io. If the person also ceases to be a member of the OHS, see Section 2 of this policy: ‘Membership of the Society’.

10. Applying for a paid or unpaid role with the Oral History Society

We retain your personal data only as long as is necessary for the purposes of processing your application for a role, including sharing that data with members of the role recruitment and selection panel. If you are successful, we will continue to hold that data securely in line with the policies outlined elsewhere in this document for the duration of your relationship with the Society. This includes personal data relating to paid consultants, employed staff, freelancers, and volunteers where they are contracted to the Society. If you are unsuccessful, we will delete your data after a period of no more than one calendar year.

OHS Privacy and Data Storage Policy v.3 (February 2026)

v.1 was authored by Mary Stewart and Robert Wilkinson and agreed by the Oral History Society Officers Nick Chalmers, John Gabriel, Rob Perks and Beth Thomas. It was published online on 23 May 2018.

v.2 was reviewed and updated by Mary Stewart with Sarah Ellis, and agreed by the Trustees of the Oral History Society, April 2021.

v.3 has been reviewed and updated by Rob Perks and Camille Johnston (with assistance from Joanna Bornat, Craig Fees, Liz Ison, Polly Owen, Cai Parry Jones, Sam Smith and Mary Stewart) and agreed by the Trustees of the Oral History Society, February 2026.

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