Diversity Data for Research & Knowledge Exchange
Across research and knowledge exchange (RKE) we increasingly work with diversity data: data about individual identity characteristics like age, disability, gender, race or religion. Such diversity data can relate to anyone involved in RKE – applicants, reviewers, decision-makers.
Requesting diversity data for RKE
Colleagues who lead on RKE, either generally or in specific initiatives, can now request diversity data about cohorts of UofG staff. Our request process has been designed to:
- provide data that supports change and improvement;
- provide data that is specific and meaningful for the respective D&I questions and RKE activity;
- establish a uniform, cross-UofG process for requesting diversity data;
- balance the benefits and risks associated with collecting, managing and reporting diversity data.
Our guidance web page explains how the request process works and what to consider when requesting diversity data.
Our three principles for working with diversity data
Diversity data has positive potential. It can support our efforts to make research and knowledge exchange more inclusive, and to communicate our efforts internally and externally.
Diversity data is also highly sensitive information. When we provide diversity data about ourselves, or when we handle other people’s diversity data, we become vulnerable. To mitigate these vulnerabilities, our collection, processing, management and reporting of diversity data for RKE is guided by three principles:
Protection: Disclosing and working with information about individual characteristics creates vulnerabilities. Through, for instance, observing stringent data management procedures, GDPR regulations and reporting using HESA rounding methods, we reduce the potential for these vulnerabilities to result in harm.
Purpose: We are committed to using data for action. Our data collection is driven by purpose, by the improvements we seek to affect through working with the data we request from individuals.
Proportionality: We recognise that a request for diversity data is an ask for people’s time, attention and trust. We seek to make this ask proportionate to our institutional efforts and achievements at improving diversity and inclusion.
