Privacy Information for Research Participants
GUINAN conducts qualitative market and social research studies on behalf of companies, research organisations and other clients.
Protecting the personal data of research participants is an integral part of our research practice. This page provides general information about how GUINAN processes personal data in connection with research projects.
Project-specific information, particularly regarding sensitive data, recordings or client observation, is provided additionally as part of the respective research study.
1. Controller
ubegri UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
operating under the trading name GUINAN
Venloer Str. 33
50672 Cologne
Germany
Email: info@guinan.de
2. Recruitment of Research Participants
Research participants are generally not recruited directly by GUINAN.
Recruitment, participant contact and scheduling are usually managed by specialised and independent research recruitment or fieldwork providers. These providers recruit participants according to the criteria defined for the respective research project and provide the information required for participation.
GUINAN generally receives only the personal data necessary to conduct and analyse the respective study.
Private contact details such as telephone numbers or email addresses are normally not provided to GUINAN. For certain research methods, such as online communities or in-home interviews, such information may nevertheless be technically or operationally required.
3. What Personal Data May Be Processed?
Depending on the respective research project, GUINAN may process information such as:
first name, participant number or another participant identifier
age or age group
profession, education or other relevant profile information
household or family circumstances
product, brand or category usage
purchasing and usage behaviour
statements made during interviews, group discussions, online communities or other research activities
audio or video recordings of research sessions
where relevant to the particular study, information relating to health, nutrition or other sensitive aspects of a participant's life
GUINAN collects and processes only information that is relevant to the respective research purpose.
4. Purposes of Processing
Personal data relating to research participants is processed solely in connection with the commissioned research study.
This may include:
organising and conducting the research
moderating interviews, focus groups or online communities
documenting and transcribing research sessions
qualitative analysis
quality assurance
preparing research reports and presentations
agreed project-related follow-up activities
GUINAN does not sell research participant personal data and does not use participant data for advertising or to create proprietary consumer or participant databases.
5. Audio and Video Recordings and Client Observation
For certain research projects, interviews or group discussions may be recorded.
The respective client or other research partners involved in the project may also be permitted to observe a research session live or subsequently, or to access a recording.
Where this is part of the project, participants are informed accordingly. Where consent is required, it is obtained before the relevant processing takes place.
6. Who May Receive or Access Personal Data?
Where necessary for the respective research project and permitted by applicable law, personal data or research material may be made available to:
the respective client
other research organisations involved in the project
authorised GUINAN personnel
external researchers or moderators specifically engaged for the project
technical service providers used by GUINAN to conduct research and securely process research data
Access is generally limited to the information necessary for the respective person's role in the project.
Private participant contact details are not normally shared with clients unless this is specifically required for the project, appropriately disclosed and legally permissible.
7. Legal Basis and Consent
The legal basis for processing depends on the nature and content of the respective research project.
Depending on the project, processing may in particular be based on consent, a contractual basis or legitimate interests associated with conducting the research.
Where special categories of personal data are processed, such as health data, this is done only where an appropriate legal basis exists.
Where consent is required, it is obtained as part of the respective research project before the relevant processing takes place. Consent may be withdrawn with effect for the future in accordance with applicable law.
8. Retention and Deletion
Personal data is retained only for as long as required to conduct, analyse and complete the respective research project, or where further retention is required by applicable legal or contractual obligations.
Participant lists, recruitment information and audio/video recordings are deleted once they are no longer required for the relevant research purpose.
Transcripts or research materials retained for longer-term analytical purposes are de-identified or pseudonymised where practicable. Research reports do not normally contain direct identifiers of research participants.
9. Your Rights
Subject to the requirements of applicable data protection law, research participants may have rights including:
access to their personal data
correction of inaccurate data
deletion of personal data
restriction of processing
objection to processing
data portability, where applicable
withdrawal of consent with effect for the future
As recruitment is frequently conducted by an independent recruitment or fieldwork provider, certain personal data may be held exclusively by that provider.
Requests may therefore be addressed either to the respective recruitment provider or to GUINAN. Where GUINAN is responsible for the relevant data, we will process the request accordingly. Where another organisation is responsible, we will assist in identifying the appropriate contact where possible.
Contact: info@guinan.de
10. Right to Lodge a Complaint
Individuals have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent data protection supervisory authority.
The supervisory authority responsible for GUINAN includes:
State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information North Rhine-Westphalia
(Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen)
11. Further Information
This page provides general privacy information for research participants.
Individual research projects may involve additional or different processing activities. Where this is the case, participants will receive additional project-specific information during recruitment or before the relevant research activity begins.
Last updated: September 2026