Guidelines for accessing potentially security-sensitive research material

University staff and students should be aware that websites associated with radicalisation or terrorist/extremist groups may be subject to surveillance by the police or other law-enforcement agencies and that visiting such sites or otherwise accessing online content that could be interpreted as promoting and/or endorsing radicalisation, terrorism or extremism can put them at risk of enquiries by the authorities.

Should researchers need to visit such sites when undertaking legitimate research, they are recommended to do so from the University network (including the wireless network and VPN) and from computers which are University-owned and used primarily for University business. Accessing these materials from a University network will help to demonstrate that these activities are part of legitimate research. The University recognises that it may not always be practical to use the University network or University computers when undertaking certain internet-based research.

Researchers who access potentially security-sensitive research material should not share or disseminate such material, even where material is already publically accessible elsewhere, and should ensure that appropriate systems are in place for the storage and handling of such material.

Any Staff or Students who access such material are encouraged to inform their Head of Department/Faculty that they intend to use such material. Inadvertent access should also be reported to the Head of Department for the avoidance of doubt. The Head of Department should keep a confidential note of such disclosures/inadvertent accesses and should pass any such notes onto their successor.