Road to Ethics · Lodyans Archive
How we hold what you share.
The ethics framework that governs the Lodyans oral history archive. Every contributor has the right to know exactly how their account is stored, displayed, and attributed before any recording takes place. Last reviewed: 2026-05-25.
Consent — before recording
No account is collected without explicit prior consent. Verbal consent is obtained and recorded before collection begins. Written consent is required before any publication. Contributors are told exactly where and how their account will appear. Consent can be partial: a contributor may allow audio preservation but restrict public display, or allow display without their name.
Verbal consent on WhatsApp
When accounts are submitted via WhatsApp voice message (coming in a later phase), the voice acknowledgment of consent at the start of the recording constitutes verbal consent for collection. A separate written consent process is required before publication.
Minors
Anyone under 18 years of age requires explicit written consent from a parent or legal guardian before any recording is collected or retained. Road to Ginen does not publish the accounts of minors without both guardian consent and (where the minor is 14 or older) the minor's own explicit agreement.
Withdrawal
Contributors can withdraw their account at any time. Withdrawal means the account is removed from public display and from any future use. Archived copies held internally will be marked withdrawn and excluded from the public record. There is no penalty or reason required for withdrawal.
Attribution
Every account in the Lodyans archive is attributed. Contributors choose their level of public identification: full name, first name only, region only, or anonymous (account preserved but not publicly attributed). Attribution decisions can be changed by the contributor at any time.
Storage and access
Media files (audio, video) are stored with Bunny.net, a CDN storage provider, in encrypted storage. Metadata (name, region, consent status, tags) is stored in Supabase (PostgreSQL, open source). Internal access is limited to RTG staff and designated archive managers. No third party has access to restricted accounts.
If Road to Ginen ceases to operate
If RTG is dissolved or ceases to be able to maintain the archive, contributors will be notified with a minimum of 180 days notice. RTG will work to transfer the archive to a named partner institution (to be designated in this document once confirmed) with terms that preserve contributor consent decisions. If no partner can be found, the archive will be returned to contributors.
Ongoing review
This framework is reviewed annually and updated when practices change. Changes are noted here with dates. Contributors whose accounts are affected by any material change will be notified directly.
Ethics questions: hello@roadtoginen.org — we read every message.
