Google Analytics and cookie use
Research Design Service North West (RDS NW) hosted websites may use Google Analytics to allow the RDS NW to understand how visitors interact with the website in order to improve and tailor the website to its audience.
Google Analytics uses traffic log cookies (more information on cookies here) to gain information about the use of pages on our website. We use the information from cookies to generate reports on the usage of our website, which are used for evaluation and analysis. The purpose is to improve our website by tailoring it to the needs of users. While your IP address is passed to Google, no data specific to any identifiable user is retained. For more details on the information collected by Google Analytics, including its use of cookies, please visit the Safeguarding your Data page. More information about cookies used by Google Analytics can be found on the Google Analytics Website.
To provide website visitors with more choice on how their data is collected by Google Analytics, Google have developed the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. Installing the add-on allows users to stop the browser sending information about their visit to Google Analytics. Further detail here.
On first visiting this website, you are asked if you accept the usage of cookies by this website. To record your response so that you will not be asked again, further cookies beginning ‘cookielawinfo’ and also a cookie called ‘viewed_cookie_policy’ are stored on your computer.
The video player we provide on our website is customisable. For your settings to be remembered, they are stored in a cookie called ‘Able-Player’. This cookie is not used to identify you.
If a log in is provided on an RDS NW hosted websites and you log in, cookies will be used to allow the log in to function. Such cookies will be deleted when you log out. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. You should be aware that this might prevent you from taking full advantage of this website. If you are unsure how to do this, use your favourite search engine to look this up using the term ‘declining cookies’ with your browser name, or contact your local IT support for advice.
Log information
When you visit any of our web pages/sites, we will collect log information that includes your IP address, browser type and device type as well as details of the pages you visit and the pages that you were referred from.
If you have a log in account on an RDS NW hosted website and you log in, the log information will be associated with your account.
This is collected for the purpose of both the prevention and detection of fraudulent access and misuse.
This information is not passed to any third party (any organisation or person outside the RDS NW) by RDS NW staff, except where individual consent has been sought and granted or there is an overriding statutory obligation to do so.
Third party content used on RDS NW websites
RDS NW websites may use some third party content to display relevant information. Third parties include for example Twitter and Google (Maps and YouTube). When visiting RDS NW websites these third-party websites may collect information such as your IP address, device type, browser type and the page you have been referred from.
They may also use cookies. For full details, you will need to visit the third party’s privacy policies. In the case of Twitter, this can be found here. For Google this can be found on their Maps terms of service page here or on their YouTube Policies and Safety page here.
Version 1.2
Date: 25 October 2021.
