Informing Science Institute Privacy Policy
The Informing Science Institute Privacy Policy shown below is adapted from and is guided by the Privacy Policy used by the ACM, an association for which we have much respect.
The Informing Science Institute ("ISI," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of its members and other individuals with whom it interacts.
This Privacy Policy ("Policy") explains how we use and maintain the privacy of personal information we collect online in connection with the ISI.org web site (the "Web Site"). For the purposes of any applicable data protection laws (including the EU General Data Protection Regulation), the data controller in relation to your personal information is the Informing Science Institute, with headquarters currently at 131 Brookhill Court, Santa Rosa, California 95409 USA.
This Policy will apply to personal information ISI collects or otherwise receives about third parties ("you"), including ISI members ("Members"), when you use our Web Site or otherwise engage with us. Personal information which is provided to us, or otherwise obtained by us, from which you can be identified ("Personal Information") will only be used in the manner set out in this Policy. By visiting and/or contacting us through the Web Site (or otherwise engaging with us), you need to be aware that we may collect, use and transfer your Personal Information in the manner described in this Policy.
1. How We Collect and Use Your Personal Information
ISI only collects Personal Information that is relevant to its activities and seeks to ensure the Personal Information is accurate and up-to-date. Personal Information collected by ISI may include, now or in the future, your name, address and contact details, including your email address and telephone number, age range, gender, whether you identify as a member of an underrepresented group, and if you have a disability. The Personal Information that ISI collects and that you provide to us may occasionally be used to improve our Web Site and wider offerings (on a confidential basis) or to enable us to comply with our legal obligations. Aside from this, we will only use your Personal Information for staying in touch with you (as described in more detail below) and generally for the purposes for which you provided it, including in order to:
Member Databases
ISI maintains member databases that contain mailing, billing, and Member profile information (such as your name, address and contact details), as well as a record of each Member's product and service purchases. ISI also maintains databases of Member and non-member purchases and of registrations for conferences and other ISI activities. The information in these databases is used by authorized ISI staff members to process orders; mail invoices, purchases, renewal notices, and announcements; respond to Member inquiries, and help us improve our offerings. Member records are maintained as long as an individual is an ISI member and for two years following a membership lapse. Purchases and credit card transactions are retained for as long as required to meet contractual, tax, or auditing needs.
All personally identifiable information contained in ISI membership, purchase, and registration databases is treated as confidential and will be used only for the purposes stated in this Policy, except where required by law.
ISI Emails
From time to time, ISI may send emails to Members, Colleagues, or other visitors to the Web Site, such as:
ISI does not sell, rent, or exchange email addresses of its Members and customers. If at any time you decide that you no longer wish to receive any of the emails described above, you may do so by using the "unsubscribe" instructions set out at the bottom of each email or selecting this option your ISI dashboard.
ISI Web Accounts
Some portions of the ISI Web Site require an ISI Web Account for both Members and visitors. To create an account, ISI Members and customers must provide their name and email address. Email addresses are used as a "username" (which they may change) and asked to create a password. The system emails a verification email to which the Member must respond to obtain an ISI account.
Non-members (“ISI Colleagues” and those ordering printed books and journals) are asked for their name and email address when they create their account. ISI may send information about ISI products and services which we think may be of interest to non-member ISI Web account holders via email. If at any point you decide that you do not want to receive these emails, you may do so by using the "unsubscribe" instructions set out at the bottom of each email.
Postal Mail
ISI does not send information by postal mail unless specifically requested by the Member.
2. Technical Personal Information
Other than in the restricted-access portions of the Web Site that require an ISI Web Account, ISI does not log the identity of visitors. However, we may keep access logs, for example containing a visitor's IP address and search queries. We may analyze log files periodically to help maintain and improve our Web Site and enforce our online service policies. ISI only uses analytical cookies and does not use any user-specific targeting cookies.
A cookie is a small file of letter and numbers that is placed on your device. Cookies are only set by ISI when you visit restricted portions of our Web Site and help us to provide you with an enhanced user experience. Raw log files are treated as confidential.
Information collected about ISI Web account usage (including logs of Web pages visited, searches performed, and content downloaded) will be stored in an anonymized form and used to improve the ISI Web offerings.
3. Third Parties
From time to time, we may share Personal Information about ISI Members and customers with third parties where we have your explicit consent, or it is necessary (i) for the performance or provision of the goods or services you have requested, (ii) in response to valid legal process (for example, a search warrant, subpoena, or court order), or (iii) our legitimate business interests.
Third parties with whom your Personal Information may be shared include outside contractors, auditors, consultants, and others hired by ISI to assist in carrying out financial or operational activities. ISI informs these third parties about safeguarding personal information and requires them to use it only for an authorized purpose consistent with this Policy and to return it to ISI or destroy it upon completion of the activity.
Conversely, ISI may receive Personal Information from these third parties (such as Google Analytics) that they collect from you in the course of any engagement you have with them. Where this is the case, once ISI is holding your Personal Information it will be treated in accordance with this Policy.
4. Global Transfer of Personal Information
The Personal Information you provide to ISI will be transferred to and stored on servers in the United States of America, and we take steps to protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access and against unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction, and damage.
ISI is an international organization, and in using and processing your Personal Information, it may on occasion be transferred to, stored and/or processed by our offices located outside of your country of residence. Similarly, ISI may also transfer your Personal Information from your country of residence in connection with our use and retention of your Personal Information as described in this Policy. By submitting your Personal Information, you are acknowledging this transfer, storage, and processing. As ISI recognizes the importance of data security, we require all our offices to handle your data in accordance with this Policy or equivalent data protection provisions, subject to their compliance with local law requirements.
5. Links
Our Web Site may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of third parties. If you follow a link to any of these websites, note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any Personal Information to these websites.
6. Security
The security of personal information is important to ISI. ISI maintains all personal data with technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect against loss, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, modification, and improper disclosure. No computer system or information can ever be fully protected against every possible hazard. ISI provides reasonable and appropriate security controls to protect personal information against foreseeable hazards.
7. Changes to this Policy
Any changes we may make to this Policy in the future will be posted on our Web. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of the latest version of this Policy and by continuing to use our Web Site or otherwise engage with us, you will be deemed to accept any revised terms.
8. Updating your Personal Information
You can find out what Personal Information ISI holds about you by viewing your online dashboard or contacting us at executive@informingscience.org . In the event that any of the Personal Information we hold about you is incorrect, you can correct it in your dashboard or ask us to update it.
ISI Members may access the Personal Information contained in their membership records and correct and update their member profile themselves in their dashboard or contacting us at executive@informingscience.org .
9. Contact Us
Questions, comments, and requests regarding this Policy should be sent to dashboard or contacting us at executive@informingscience.org .
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