Information governance summary
A high-level overview of how Ref-Check approaches information governance, designed to support institutional assurance and local governance processes.
Purpose and scope
Ref-Check is designed for use in education, research, and professional contexts where clarity, transparency, and predictable system behaviour are essential. Information governance considerations have informed system design from the outset.
Nature of processing
Ref-Check processes text submitted by users for the purpose of identifying and reporting technical issues relating to citations and reference lists. Processing is deterministic and rule-based.
Data minimisation
The system is designed to minimise unnecessary data processing and reuse. Uploaded documents are stored securely to support reference checking, reporting, and review within the platform. Ref-Check does not use uploaded documents as a reusable training dataset, and uploaded content is not used to train generative AI or machine-learning models.
Use of automated technologies
Ref-Check does not employ generative AI or machine-learning models. All checks are based on fixed, explainable rules. System behaviour does not adapt or learn from uploaded content.
Data storage and hosting
Ref-Check is hosted within a controlled cloud environment. Further details regarding hosting region, infrastructure controls, and operational safeguards can be provided to institutions on request to support local governance processes.
Logging and monitoring
Limited technical logs may be generated to support system reliability, security, and performance monitoring. These logs are designed to avoid capturing document content and are retained only for operational purposes.
User roles and responsibility
Users are responsible for ensuring they have appropriate rights and authority to upload content to Ref-Check, in line with their organisation’s policies and applicable data protection requirements.
Change management
Ref-Check documents meaningful system changes through its Updates and release notes. Where changes have potential governance or assessment implications, these are explicitly identified.
Institutional engagement
Ref-Check can provide additional technical and governance information on request, including details to support GDPR, information asset registers, and local approval processes.
Contact
For governance-related queries or requests for additional documentation, please contact us.
Contact: info@ref-check.co.uk