Defining ‘Personal Data’ in e-Social Science

Millard, Christopher; Hon, W. Kuan

doi:10.2139/ssrn.1809182

Defining ‘Personal Data’ in e-Social Science

Information, Communication and Society, 2012 Vol 15(1) p 66

16 Pages Posted: 17 Apr 2011 Last revised: 18 Aug 2014

See all articles by Christopher Millard

Christopher Millard

Queen Mary University of London, School of Law - Centre for Commercial Law Studies

W. Kuan Hon

Imperial College London

Date Written: April 13, 2011

Abstract

The concept of ‘personal data’ under UK and EU data protection law is important for e-social science researchers in the EU who handle ‘personal data’, particularly in cross-border projects. The lack of harmonisation across different EU Member States is problematic. Uncertainties and complexities associated with the definition of ‘personal data’, particularly in the UK, have given rise to practical difficulties, such as in relation to anonymisation. This article discusses those issues and their practical impact, and identifies areas in which there is a need for clarification of the law.

Keywords: social science, e-social science, research, personal data, data protection, EU

JEL Classification: K2

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Millard, Christopher and Hon, W. Kuan, Defining ‘Personal Data’ in e-Social Science (April 13, 2011). Information, Communication and Society, 2012 Vol 15(1) p 66, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1809182 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1809182