Congress Self-Identification Data Policy

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I. Overview 

Purpose 

This policy outlines how the effective and responsible use of self-identification data is foundational to making informed decisions in the planning, delivery, and processes for the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Federation’s Congress funding programs. The collection of self-identification data is part of a broader set of actions to enhance Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID) across Federation programs and activities. 

This policy has been developed to align with the federal granting agencies and the Self-Identification Data Collection in Support of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.  

The purpose of the Congress Self-Identification Data Policy is to describe the information needs, data collection method, data collection process, data uses, data analysis, and the reporting and access to Congress self-identification data. This policy is in line with the principles outlined in the Federation’s Privacy code (Appendix II of this document illustrates how this policy aligns with the Privacy code).  

Scope 

This policy applies only to self-identification data collected from Congress registrants and Congress funding recipients using the Congress Voluntary Self-Identification Survey (Appendix I).  

II. Data collection 

The information from the self-identification data will prove helpful to understanding the profile of Congress registrants and recipients of Congress funding, and to guiding evidence-based discussions about enhancing equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization across Federation activities. 

Information needs 

Collecting self-identification data will help establish a picture of equity-deserving groups’ participation in Congress and the Federation's Congress funding programs. It will enable the Federation to monitor the diversity of participants, to identify systemic barriers to access and inclusion, and to develop measures to address these barriers in line with the Federation’s commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization. 

Data collection method 

The data will be collected through an anonymous online survey. Congress registrants will receive a separate link to the Congress Voluntary Self-Identification Survey in the post-Congress attendee survey. The survey link will be shared directly with Congress funding recipients, following disbursement of funding post-Congress. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary.  

Informed consent 

The first question will include information about the contents and purpose of the survey and a link to this policy. It will then ask for their informed consent. The first question will also make clear that their responses are anonymous and voluntary and will have no effect on current, ongoing, or future support from the Federation. 

Data collection categories 

The questions will probe into each of the eight established data dimensions in line with the federal granting agencies’ self-identification questionnaire: age, gender identity, sexual orientation, Indigenous identity, visible minority, population group, disability, and language (Appendix I). 

Additionally, the survey will ask respondents to indicate their Congress registration category, and whether they received Congress funding to participate. This will serve to disaggregate the data by registration category, and between funding recipients and Congress registrants.  

Personally identifiable information  

Importantly, the survey will minimize the collection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). The survey will not ask for respondents’ names or contact information. Every question in the survey will include the option “I prefer not to answer”. Moreover, none of the questions are mandatory and respondents can submit the survey while leaving any number of questions unanswered. 

Data analysis 

Respondents’ answers will constitute the raw data. The data will be cleaned and compiled into a spreadsheet by the Federation's Lead, Policy – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization. The data will then be analyzed using a simple count of the answer results and organized into summary tables. The summary tables will compare the answers of respondents by registration category, and between Congress registrants and recipients of each Congress funding program.  

III. Reporting 

Data use 

The self-identification data collected will inform decision-making about Congress and the Federation’s Congress funding programs. The data analysis includes comparison by year and registration category, as well as between Congress registrants and Congress funding recipients with the goal of probing into the equitable distribution of Federation funding amongst equity deserving groups. 

The self-identification data in the form of summary tables will be used in annual reporting to SSHRC within the scope of the Connections Grant. 

Access to the data 

The access to the raw data from this survey will be limited to the Director, Policy and Programs and Lead, Policy – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization at the Federation. This information will be kept in a password protected spreadsheet.  

The summary tables produced using the raw data will be shared with staff working on Congress and Congress funding programs, the Senior Leadership Team, the Federation’s Board, and SSHRC. 

IV. Review 

The Federation will review this policy on an annual basis to ensure alignment with best practices.  

Appendices

Introduction to the questionnaire 

This is a voluntary and anonymous survey, your participation and answers will have no effect on current, ongoing, or future support from the Federation. This is a self-identification survey and the questions will be about the eight following data dimensions: age, gender identity, sexual orientation, indigenous identity, visible minority identity, population group, disability, and language. None of the questions are mandatory and you are able to submit the survey while leaving any number of questions unanswered. Additionally, each question has an “I prefer not to answer” option. 

The data collected will help guide the Federation’s discussions and decisions about the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences. It will also be used to report to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), who provides funding support to Congress activities through the Federation’s Connections Grant. The data from this survey will be analyzed using a simple count of the answer results and organized into summary tables; data will be reported on in the aggregate, to preserve anonymity. The summary tables will be shared with the Federation staff working on Congress, the Federation’s Senior Leadership Team and the Federation Board of Directors, and used in the Federation’s annual reporting to SSHRC. 

For more detailed information about this survey and how the information will be used, please refer to the Congress self-identification data policy.  

A.  Do you understand why we are collecting this information and how we will use it?

Type of question: Select one option – Answering this question is mandatory due to the need for informed consent. If respondent selects ‘No’ they will not be able to proceed with the survey.

  • Yes
  • No

B. Do you consent to participate in this survey?

Type of question: Select one option – Answering this question is mandatory due to the need for informed consent. If respondent selects ‘No’ they will not be able to proceed with the survey.

  • Yes
  • No

Respondent status

i. Please select the Congress registration category you selected when registering for this year’s Congress.  

[Your registration category can be found on your Congress Registration Confirmation email under the heading “Your registration includes”].

Type of question: Select one option

  • Regular attendee
  • Reduced Congress fee
  • Special Reduced Congress Fee
  • Black or Indigenous student
  • Community member 
  • Black or Indigenous attendee
  • I prefer not to answer 

ii. Did you receive a Congress Graduate Merit Award to participate in this year’s Congress? 

Type of question: Select one option 

  • Yes 
  • No 

iii. Did you receive a Congress Child and Dependent Care Subsidy to participate in this year’s Congress? 

Type of question: Select one option 

  • Yes 
  • No 

Age

  1. Please select the option that corresponds to your age range: 

Type of question: Select one option 

  • 18-25 
  • 26-35 
  • 36-45 
  • 46-55 
  • 56-65 
  • 66+ 
  • I prefer not to answer 

2.    Please select or write the option that best describes your current gender identity: 

Note: The Ontario Human Rights Commission defines gender identity as follows: "Gender identity is each person’s [...] experience of gender. It is a person’s sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither, or anywhere along the gender spectrum. A person’s gender identity may be the same as or different from their birth-assigned sex." Please note the options “Man” and “Woman” refer to a person who internally identifies and/or publicly expresses as the listed gender identity. This may include cisgender and transgender individuals.  

Type of question: Respondents can select one option + Respondents can write their answer in the option “I identify as” 

  • Gender-fluid 
  • Man 
  • Nonbinary 
  • Trans man 
  • Trans woman 
  • Two-spirit 
  • Woman 
  • I identify as:
  • I prefer not to answer 

Sexual Orientation 

3.    Please select or write the sexual orientation that best describes how you currently think of yourself: 

Note: The Ontario Human Rights Commission defines sexual orientation as follows: "“Sexual orientation” is a personal characteristic that forms part of who you are. It covers the range of human sexuality from lesbian and gay, to bisexual and heterosexual. Sexual orientation is different from gender identity, which is protected under the ground of “sex.”"   

Type of question: Respondents can select one option + Respondents can write their answer in the option “I identify as” 

  •  Asexual 
  • Bisexual 
  • Gay 
  • Heterosexual 
  • Lesbian 
  • Pansexual 
  • Queer 
  • Two-spirit 
  • I identify as:
  • I prefer not to answer

Indigenous People

4.A. Do you identify as Indigenous?

Note: Statistics Canada defines Indigenous identity as follows: "Indigenous identity refers to whether the person identifies with the Indigenous peoples of Canada. This includes those who identify as First Nations (North American Indian), Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), and/or those who report being Registered or Treaty Indians (that is, registered under the Indian Act of Canada), and/or those who have membership in a First Nation or Indian band." 

Type of question: Respondents can select one option + Respondents can write their answer in the option “Yes”

  •  Yes
  •  No
  •  I prefer not to answer

4.B. Please select all that apply

Type of question: Respondents can select either several options or the last option

  •  First Nations

If yes: What community do you belong to? 

  •  Métis

If yes: With which organization are you registered?

  • Inuk (Inuit)

If yes: Of which land claim are you a beneficiary? 

  •  I prefer not to answer

Visible Minority

5. Do you identify as a member of a visible minority in Canada?

Note: Statistics Canada defines visible minority as follows: "Visible minority refers to whether a person is a visible minority or not, as defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour"." As part of its ongoing review of the Congress self-identification policy to ensure alignment with best practices, the Federation is currently monitoring the response of Statistics Canada to the review of the visible minority concept.

Type of question: Respondents can select one option 

  •  Yes
  •  No
  •  I prefer not to answer

Population Groups

6. Please write in the population group(s) you identify with. 

Note: Some examples of population groups include but are not limited to: White, South Asian (e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, etc.),Chinese, Black (e.g., Congolese, Nigerian, Haitian, etc.), Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian (e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai, etc.), West Asian (e.g., Iranian, Afghan, etc.), Korean, Japanese, etc.

Type of question: Respondents can select one option + Respondents can write their answer in the option “I identify with”

  •  I identify with the following population group(s): 
  •  I prefer not to answer

Disability

7. Do you identify as a person with disability?

Note: The Ontario Human Rights Commission defines disability as follows: 

  1. any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
  2. a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
  3. a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
  4. a mental disorder, or
  5. an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. 

Type of question: Respondents can select one option 

  •  Yes
  •  No
  •  I prefer not to answer

Language

8.A. Which of the official languages of Canada can you speak?

Type of question: Respondents can select one option 

  •  English
  •  French
  •  Bilingual (English and French)
  •  I prefer not to answer

8.B. What other languages can you speak?

Type of question: Respondents can select one option + Respondents can write their answer in the option “I can also speak”

  •  I can also speak 
  •  I prefer not to answer

Feedback

iv. You can provide your anonymous input or feedback about this questionnaire here:

Respondents can write their answer 

End

Thank you for your time.

The table below outlines how this policy aligns with the Federation’s Privacy code: 

Principle 1 ‐ Accountability The Access to the data section in this policy elaborates the parties that the self-identification data will be shared with. 
Principle 2 ‐ Identifying the purpose of personal information collection The Congress Voluntary Self-Identification Survey will not collect respondents’ names or contact information. The introduction to the survey will reiterate the information in Data use and Access to the data sections under Reporting and include a link to this policy. This policy document will be available as a link in the survey and on the Federation’s website. 
Principle 3 - Obtaining consent The first question in the Congress Voluntary Self-Identification Survey will enquire about respondents’ informed consent. 
Principle 4 ‐ Limiting collection of personal information The survey will minimize the collection of personally identifiable information. 
Principle 5 ‐ Limiting use, disclosure and retention of personal information The Congress Voluntary Self-Identification Survey will not collect respondents’ names or contact information. Access to respondents’ answers is limited to two (2) Federation staff members. Other parties will only have access to the summary tables as per the Data use and Access to the data sections under  Reporting.
Principle 6 – Keeping personal information accurate The survey collects self-identification information directly from Congress registrants and recipients of Congress funding. Given that the survey is anonymous, the information will capture their answers at the time of their response. The importance of anonymity outweighs this limitation. 
Principle 7 ‐ Safeguarding personal information The Federation will follow the established protocols under this principle. 
Principle 8 ‐ Being open about policies and procedures This policy will be posted on the Federation’s website and the survey will include a link to that webpage. Moreover, the survey concludes with instructions on how to provide feedback and where to direct questions or concerns. 
Principle 9 ‐ Providing access to personal information The Congress Voluntary Self-Identification Survey will not collect respondents’ names or contact information. 
Principle 10 ‐ Challenging compliance The Federation will follow the established protocols under this principle.