FAQs

POPIA stands for the Protection of Personal Information Act, Act No. 4 of 2013 or POPI Act.

It is South Africa's data protection law. It establishes a number of minimum requirements that organisations must comply with when dealing with personal information; how they gather it, use it and protect it.

Personal information is any information that can be used to identify a person or a business.

This includes:

  • Identifiers - A name, identity number, staff number, etc. - anything that can be used to identify a person.
  • Access control - User names and passwords
  • Demographic information - race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, or national, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, etc.
  • Contact details
  • Financial information
  • Background information
  • Biometric information
  • Personal opinions
  • Correspondence

Research activities that involve personally identifiable information of individuals or organisations have to take the POPI Act into consideration.

Considering the impact that research activites have on participants' right to privacy is not just a POPIA obligation, it is also an integral part of research ethics.

  • De-identify when you can
  • Collect as little as possible
  • Be transparent
  • Keep information safe

 

On the REC-H website under the Reference Documentation section.
Informed consent is paramount because it respects an individual’s right to self-determination. It ensures participants choose whether to engage in research, based on a complete understanding of the study’s purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits. This process allows individuals to exercise control over their involvement, free from coercion or undue influence.
Because........
The PRP of the study should store the data.