Privacy Policy

Last updated: [Current Date]

1. Data Collection

When participating in the Sarcastic Memes study, we collect:

Basic Information:

• Age range
• Social media platforms used
• Meme viewing habits
• Nationality
• Native language status

For Non-Native English Speakers:

• Native language(s)
• Country where English was primarily studied
• Study abroad experience
• English proficiency test information (if applicable)

Research Data:

• Your responses to whether memes are sarcastic or not
• Timestamp of responses

2. Data Usage

The collected data is used for:

• Research on cross-cultural sarcasm detection
• Understanding how language and cultural background affects meme interpretation
• Academic research purposes only
• Statistical analysis of sarcasm detection patterns

3. Data Storage and Security

• Data is stored securely in Firebase, a Google Cloud service
• All responses are anonymized
• Participants are identified only by automatically generated user numbers
• No personal identifying information is collected or stored

4. For Students

For students who have classes with the researcher (Oliver Cakebread-Andrews):

• This study does not affect your score for your class
• Participation is entirely voluntary
• You can withdraw at any time, even after starting
• Your decision to participate or not has no impact on your academic standing

5. For English Learners

Important note for non-native speakers:

• This is not a test of your English ability
• Results have no negative impact or reflection on you
• There is no "right" or "wrong" number of correct answers
• Trust your instincts - don't spend too long on each question
• If unsure, feel free to select "not sarcasm"

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Withdraw from the study at any time
• Request removal of your data
• Ask questions about the research
• Receive information about the research findings

7. Data Presentation

All data will be:

• Presented in aggregate form
• Used for academic research purposes only
• Anonymous in any publications or presentations

8. Contact

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like your data to be removed, please contact:

Oliver Cakebread-Andrews
Email: O.P.Cakebread-Andrews@wlv.ac.uk