How we keep your data safe
Protecting your data on the app and website versions of the study
The use of the ExpiWell app has been approved by the VUW Human Ethics Committee (#HE040233), Digital Solutions (i.e., VUW Central IT), and VUW Legal. They specifically examined the app and how data are stored and managed in terms of data privacy. The app meets or exceeds all data privacy regulations including the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which is one of the strictest data protection regulations.
ExpiWell only provides the data from any survey to the maker of that survey. In the case of the Memory & Wellbeing study, that is Associate Professor Matt Crawford (the primary investigator), Dr. Claire Marsh (Associate Investigator), and Professor Paul Jose (Associate Investigator).
The VUW Human Ethics committee also approved the website and email version of the study. In this version, data collected via VUW’s Qualtrics platform is stored in the VUW server and available only to Associate Professor Matt Crawford (the primary investigator), Dr. Claire Marsh (Associate Investigator), and Professor Paul Jose (Associate Investigator) (i.e., the research team named in the Human Ethics Approval).
What will the research team do with the data collected in this study?
The data collected from this study will be statistically analysed and the findings published in academic journals. The data may also be presented at conferences or used for academic purposes such as in theses. We will also provide a plain-language overview of the study results on the ELM website, so that people who participated can find out about the results of the study.
No data of any kind that is collected in this study will be made available for any commercial purposes at any time. No identifying information or content of provided event memories will ever be shared with, or provided to, any individual or organisation other than the research team.
What are the specific goals of the study?
The specific goals of the study are to identify what aspects of wellbeing are related to memory and vice versa, and how this is connected to age and the aging process. We don’t tend to talk about any specific predictions we might have at this stage of the research. This is because we are aware that if researchers talk about their hypotheses or predictions with participants, people do tend to change the way they respond in surveys. This is due to what we call responses biases – ways people might change their responding in a study due to a variety of different factors, usually because people want to be helpful and be seen in a positive light.
The goals beyond that will depend on what the results of the current study show, but we as a research team are always interested in exploring topics in more depth. The goal of using the findings to help foster positive aging experiences will of course depend on the results of the study. If there were clear links between certain aspects of wellbeing and memory, then there could be policy implications re. public health such as targeting ways of increasing people’s wellbeing or perhaps within primary healthcare, too.
What Should I Do If I Want More Information?
More detailed information on data storage and protection is available on the information and consent forms. The information and consent forms are the first things you will read through when you start the first session of the study. You can download the information and consent forms so you can have a copy to keep and review at any time. If you read through them and are happy to take part, you will sign the consent form, and the first part of the study will follow. If you are unsure or read them and do not wish to take part, then you can say that you do not consent and the study will close without you having to provide any further information.
Alternatively, you are welcome to contact the research team at any time with any questions you might have. You can use the contact form on this website, by clicking this link: https://elm-group.org/contact-us/
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