Are you interested in contributing to the research project 

 ”Polyvocal Interpretations of Contested Colonial Heritage”?

This is an inquiry about participation in a research project where the main purpose is to identify how different user groups search video archives, what information needs the different groups have, and what makes their information search succeed or fail. You can contribute by filling in a short questionnaire. In this letter we will give you information about the purpose of the project and what your participation will involve.

Purpose of the project

Many archives across Europe contain holdings connected with its colonial past which for many years has been a focus of contestation from both communities of origin, ethnic minorities, and civil society at large. Challenging questions are being asked by professionals in the field as to what to do with this problematic cultural heritage, from returning items when appropriate to rewriting the historical context surrounding them in a more critical and inclusive way. This research project aims to identify key instances of colonial audio-visual heritage across the three archives involved, draw a common map of shared racialised representations connected with their respective imperial contexts, identify problematic visualisation and language and open up a dialogue between the archives and a variety of users, including archivists, researchers, filmmakers, and grassroots organisations.

The questionnaire will contain questions that aim to help us learn about how different user groups search the audio-visual archives.

Who is responsible for the research project? 

Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway, is the institution responsible for this part of the project. 

Sheffield Hallam University coordinates the project, other partners are Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Aix Marseille University, and VoiceInteraction, Portugal. The three archives involved are The Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, the French Institut national de l’audiovisuel and Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, UK.

Why are you being asked to participate? 

You were asked to participate because you entered the archive’s web site. All users using the site are asked to take part in the study,

What does participation involve for you?

If you chose to take part in the project, this will involve that you answer a questionnaire. It will take approx. 5 minutes. The questionnaire includes questions about your background, the purpose of your searching the archive, your search strategies, and interest in the content of the archives. You will also be asked if you wish to take part in an interview at a later time, in that case, you will be asked to provide your email address in a separate form independent of the questionnaire. Your answers will be recorded electronically.

Participation is voluntary

Participation in the project is voluntary. If you chose to participate, you can withdraw your consent at any time without giving a reason. All information about you will then be made anonymous. There will be no negative consequences for you if you chose not to participate or later decide to withdraw. 

Your personal privacy – how we will store and use your personal data 

We will only use your personal data for the purpose(s) specified in this information letter. We will process your personal data confidentially and in accordance with data protection legislation (the General Data Protection Regulation and Personal Data Act). 

The recorded data will only be available to the project partners, and only in anonymized form. The software used for collecting the data, Nettskjema, is developed and maintained by the University of Oslo. The data will be stored in the protected form at Oslo Metropolitan University. Your contact details will be replaced with a code and the list of names, contact details and respective codes will be stored separately from the rest of the collected data. 

Anonymized data from the questionnaire will be stored for potential reuse by the project partners and other interested parties.

You will not be recognizable in publications that are the results of the project. 

What will happen to your personal data at the end of the research project? 

The project is scheduled to end in mid-2023. Anonymized data from the questionnaire will be stored for potential reuse by the project partners and other interested parties.

Your rights 

So long as you can be identified in the collected data, you have the right to:

• access the personal data that is being processed about you 
• request that your personal data is deleted
• request that incorrect personal data about you is corrected/rectified
• receive a copy of your personal data (data portability), and
• send a complaint to the Data Protection Officer or The Norwegian Data Protection Authority regarding the processing of your personal data

What gives us the right to process your personal data? 

We will process your personal data based on your consent. 

Based on an agreement with Oslo Metropolitan University, NSD – The Norwegian Centre for Research Data AS has assessed that the processing of personal data in this project is in accordance with data protection legislation. 

Where can I find out more?

If you have questions about the project, or want to exercise your rights, contact: 

• Oslo Metropolitan University via Professor Pia Borlund (email: piabor@oslomet.no) 
• Our Data Protection Officer: Ingrid S. Jacobsen, by email: personvernombud@oslomet.no
• NSD – The Norwegian Centre for Research Data AS, by email: (personverntjenester@nsd.no) or by telephone: +47 55 58 21 17.

Yours sincerely,

Pia Borlund

Project Leader

By clicking on the link to an online survey below, I have received and understood information about the project ”Polyvocal Interpretations of Contested Colonial Heritage” and have been given the opportunity to ask questions.

I give consent to participate in an online survey

I give consent for my personal data to be processed until the end date of the project, approx. July 2023 

• Category: Ukategorisert