Blog - Improve your Current Awareness Strategy

Carrying out research is something we are all familiar with, but we might not necessarily be up to date on the laws which are associated with it. Everyone has heard of GDPR - but practically speaking, how has it impacted on how you should approach research? A seminar held by the University of London outlined the main concerns; although it was aimed at academics, it was useful for information professionals. We must be aware of the rules regarding the gathering, storing, re-use, and disposal of research data.

By now, you’ve probably received dozens of emails - from every company you’ve ever interacted with - either asking you to confirm that you’ve opted into receiving their emails (did you?) or just reiterating their privacy policy. I’ve personally received emails from an estate agency whose only contact with me previously was ignoring an email I sent them about a property in Chiswick two years ago.

Have you deleted your Facebook account? Be honest. Have you even reviewed your privacy settings on any other social media site, let alone Facebook?

One commentator recently noted that the fastest growing market at the moment is for personal information.¹ Everybody wants to know everything and our reliance on being technologically connected means we are increasingly comfortable with making our private lives visible. And until now, the regulatory framework has struggled to protect the individual against a wholesale requirement of providing a discoverable trail of personal data.

By Clare Brown and Remy Maisel