Where does my data go?

On the Table (OTT) is primarily a tool to bring people together in physical space to discuss the issues that are impacting their communities. However, the survey that participants will fill out is also important - especially this year, because your responses are input for Lexington’s 2023 Comprehensive Plan, Imagine Lexington. It’s incredibly important to us that the data you provide is secure, and that you understand how it is used.

The questions below should answer most questions you may have about what we are doing with the data we receive through OTT.

  • All survey data for On the Table is gathered through a program called Qualtrics, used through a license provided by the University of Kentucky. Qualtrics is widely regarded as the most secure survey instrument on the market.

    If you fill out an online survey, your data goes right into the Qualtrics database.

    If you fill out a paper survey, that data is then transcribed using a combination of machine reading and hand transcription by members of our Data Working Group.

  • The only people with access to your direct responses are CivicLex staff and the On the Table data working group. An anonymous version of all OTT data will be published online and publicly accessible. If you prefer, you can also submit your survey anonymously from the very beginning.

  • Once the response period to our survey concludes the data will be split into two files:

    Contact Files - this will contain any submitted email address and place-based information (neighborhood, ZIP code, street, or cross street).

    Response Files - this will contain all submitted information except your email address and any other personally identifiable information. This file will make your data 100% anonymous.

    Once split, the Contact Files will immediately be transferred to CivicLex, where it will be securely stored in the cloud. No one will have access to this file except CivicLex staff.

    The Response Files will be used by our analysis team and data working group to generate our neighborhood reports. Subsequently, this data will be open-sourced and available to the general public.

  • Send our Data Working Group staff lead (Richard Young, Executive Director of CivicLex) an email.