Our use of cookies
When we provide web services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. This sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on your device, for example, computer or mobile phone. These include small files known as cookies. They cannot be used to identify you personally.
These pieces of information are used to improve services for you through, for example, enabling a service to recognise your device so you don't have to give the same information several times during one task; recognising that you may already have given a username and password so you don't need to do it for every web page requested; measuring how many people are using services, so they can be made easier to use and there's enough capacity to ensure they are fast.
Information collected is not shared with other organisations.
Cookies for improving service
Google Analytics
UKCEH uses the Google Analytics service. Google Analytics sets cookies to help us accurately estimate the number of visitors to the website and volumes of usage. This allows us to ensure that the service is available when you want it and fast.
Name: _utma
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 2 years
Name: _utmb
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 30 minutes
Name: _utmc
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Name: _utmz
Typical content: randomly generated number and info on how the site was reached (e.g. directly or via a link, organic search or paid search)
Expires: 6 months
For further details on the cookies set by Google Analytics, please refer to their information.
Third party services
The UKCEH website also includes embedded 'share' buttons to enable users of the site to easily share articles with their friends and colleagues through a number of popular social networks, for example, Facebook or Twitter. These sites may set a cookie if you click through. UKCEH does not control the dissemination of these cookies and you should check the relevant third party website for more information about these.
Further information
You can manage these small files yourself and learn more about them through advice on AboutCookies.org.