EDC Policies
Acceptable Use of Data
Access to the Data Archive is provided free of charge. While the UKERC-EDC will continue to make every effort to ensure accuracy of data and description, it cannot be held responsible for any errors; any risks associated with the use of the data remain entirely the responsibility of those downloading it. Users are reminded that they should acknowledge the original data provider and the UKERC-EDC in all cases where the data is used.
Accessibility Statement for the Energy Data Centre
This accessibility statement applies to the Energy Data Centre service available from ukerc.rl.ac.uk. This service is run by UKRI/STFC.
We want as many people as possible to be able to use this service. For example, that means you should be able to:
- change colours, contrast levels and fonts
- zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
- understand our site as the content is as jargon-free as possible
- navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
How accessible this website is
We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible:
- PDF documents may not be fully accessible to screen reader software
- some parts of the service are difficult to use only using a keyboard
- some parts of the service are difficult to use using speech recognition software
- some parts of the service are difficult to listen to using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver
Feedback and contact information
If you need information on this website in a different format like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, Contact Us Please include details of the part of the system and the format you need.
We’ll consider your request and get back to you in five working days.
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.
Reporting accessibility problems with this website
We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, Contact Us
Enforcement procedure
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public sector bodies (websites and mobile applications) (No.2) accessibility regulations 2018.
If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).
Technical information about this website’s accessibility
UKRI/STFC is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
Compliance status
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.
Non-accessible content
The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.
Non-compliance with the accessibility regulations
- The experience for screen readers can be confusing
- The experience for keyboard navigation can be confusing
Many of the non-compliances identified above will be rectified when we launch our new EDC website in 2022.
Disproportionate burden
We have assessed that fixing every document produced by the EDC would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations.
We believe that the benefit of assigning staff to immediately fix all documents on ukerc.rl.ac.uk would not be justified, as the documents have a low level of usage.
Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations
PDFs and other documents
Some of our older PDFs and Microsoft Office documents may not meet accessibility standards. For example, they may not be marked up so they are accessible to a screen reader.
The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018. We will not replace these documents with accessible versions.
Where possible, any new PDFs or Microsoft Office documents we publish will meet accessibility standards. Where this is not possible, we will endeavour to make the information available in an accessible format.
External content
Much of the EDC content is provided to us by third party depositors for long-term preservation. As such much of our content falls outside of accessibility regulations due to the exemptions for third-party content and also for heritage collections.
What we’re doing to improve accessibility
As we continue to develop the website and its content, we will re-audit and test the website for accessibility on a regular basis.
Preparation of this accessibility statement
This statement was prepared on 17th May 2021.
This website was last tested on 6th May 2021. The test was carried out by The EDC technical team.
We looked at all the major pages in the EDC system and used the newest EDC produced PDFs to check for accessibility.
Disclaimer and terms and conditions
Terms and Conditions for data and information provided by the Science and Technology Facilities Council / UKERC
Exclusion of Liability
Your use of information provided by the Science and Technology Facilities Council is at your own risk. Please read any warnings given about the limitations of the information.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council gives no warranty as to the quality or accuracy of the information or its suitability for any use. All implied conditions relating to the quality or suitability of the information, and all liabilities arising from the supply of the information (including any liability arising in negligence) are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council gives no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of data or images in the form in which they are cached or downloaded to your computer, as they may be affected by on-line conditions over which the Science and Technology Facilities Council has no control.
Notes on Limitations
- Data has been compiled from the disparate sources of information at UKERC EDC's disposal, including material donated to UKERC EDC by third parties, and may not have been subject to any verification or other quality control process.
- Raw data may have been transcribed from analogue to digital format, or may have been acquired by means of automated techniques. Although such processes are subjected to quality control to ensure reliability where possible, some data may contain undetected errors.
- Data, information and related records which have been donated to UKERC EDC have been produced for a specific purpose, and that may affect the type and completeness of the data recorded and any interpretation.
- The nature and purpose of data collection, and the age of the resultant material may render it unsuitable for certain applications/uses. You must verify the suitability of the material for your intended usage
- The data, information and related records supplied by UKERC EDC should not be taken as a substitute for specialist interpretations, professional advice and/or detailed site investigations. You must seek professional advice before making technical interpretations on the basis of the materials provided.
Privacy
At STFC (being a Council under, and part of, United Kingdom Research and Innovation), we intend to make sure that we maintain the UK as a world-leader in science and technology research - integral to this is our commitment to protecting and safeguarding your data privacy. It is part of STFC’s public purpose to provide services such as The UKERC Energy Data Centre (EDC) Service. The UKERC Energy Data Centre (EDC) is a hub for information on all publically funded energy research happening in the UK, and is developed and maintained for UKERC by the Energy Research Unit at STFC.
We do not collect or use any personal information from the users of our site, with two exceptions:
- When accessing restricted datasets
- When submitting datasets for curation
Apart from these two exceptions, no personal data is recorded about users in any other part of the EDC.
Personal information included in publications/submitted material (e.g. Names, addresses, email addresses, Institutions) is processed in the remit of “archiving in the public interest”, and as such is not updated.
When accessing restricted data sets
Certain datasets have usage restrictions imposed by the owners of the data. They require registration for use, and agreement to abide by the terms and conditions laid down for that specific dataset. Registration is done via the CEDA service, on a web form. We require your name, institution and email address, and an indication of what you intend to do with the data, along with an indication that you accept the terms and conditions of use of that dataset.
We use the information you provide to verify your identity, and confirm that you have permission to access the data set(s) you have requested.Some data providers wish to know which institutions applicants are from, and this is passed on in an anonymized form.No Personal information is published on the UKERC EDC site when accessing restricted data sets.Your personal information is stored securely on servers located in the UK and based at STFC sites.
Please ensure that, for so long as you are accessing the restricted dataset, you notify us if your information needs to be updated, and that you notify us if you no longer need access to the data and your registration can be revoked and personal data deleted.
When submitting datasets for curation
When submitting datasets, we require your name, institution and email address. We will use this information to contact you about your data and the best way to archive it, along with any access restrictions required. Your Name and Institution will be published on the UKERC EDC site alongside the data set(s) you have submitted in order to provide the source of the data set(s) to users of the service.
Use of Personal Information
We do not use your information for any other purposes, and will not share information you have provided that is not intended to be in the public domain with anyone else.
UKRI and Data Protection
UKRI and STFC comply with the requirements of the GDPR with regard to the collection, storage, processing and disclosure of personal information and is committed to upholding the GDPR's core data protection principles. A full notice of UKRI’s position with regards to Freedom of Information and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) (EU) (2016/679) can be found at Freedom of Information Policy
EDC and your cookies
To help improve this site we may place small data files, known as cookies, onto your computer, smartphone or other internet device. Cookies are used by most websites to help provide a better web experience.
Some cookies are essential and without them, the site may not function properly. These cookies are used for security and to remember your preferences, such as navigating the results from various searches. These cookies can only be deleted via your browser settings.
We don't currently use cookies to monitor how the site is used. These analytics and marketing cookies require consent and will only be used in this site if the need arises. You can revoke your consent to these types of cookies at any time.
Essential Cookies
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- "NID": used by google for the recaptcha when submitting forms
- "SOCS": used by google for the recaptcha when submitting forms
- "cb_isCookieAccepted": used to determine if optional cookies have been accepted
Optional Cookies
- "DATA_SEARCH_QUERY": used to create a 'back to results' link when viewing a data catalogue record
