Internet Research Privacy Policy
Protocol Research Solutions (formerly CLT Research) conducts its research to the
highest professional standards. We take the security of data provided by our respondents
very seriously. For both our traditional and online market research, we follow the
research guidelines and codes of conduct of the Council of American Survey Research
Organizations ( CASRO ) and the European Society
for Opinion and Market Research ( ESOMAR ).
The following are the basic principles of our online research policy:
- As with all forms of marketing and opinion research, the cooperation of our respondents
is voluntary at all times. No personal information is sought from, or about, respondents
without their prior knowledge and agreement.
- We use cookies and other similar devices sparingly and only for quality control and validation
and to prevent bothersome repeat surveying. Respondents have the ability
to detect and remove cookies in most major browsers via the preference settings.
- In obtaining a respondent's cooperation, we will not mislead the person about the nature
of the research or the uses to which the findings will be put.
- Wherever possible and where it will not introduce undue bias into a survey, we try
to reward respondents for the time and attention they devote to online surveys.
- Respondents are entitled at any stage of the interviews, or subsequently, to ask
that part or all of the record of their interview be destroyed or deleted. Wherever
reasonable and practical we will conform to such a request.
- Where practical, we will provide an e-mail address and/or an 800 number for respondents
to contact us to discuss any problems with a particular survey.
- The anonymity of respondents will always be preserved unless they have given their
informed consent to the contrary. In the relatively few instances where a respondent
has given permission for data to be passed on in a form that allows them to be
personally identified, we will ensure that the information will be used only for
the purposes stated.
- In research involving children, Protocol Research Solutions will conform to the
terms of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 and seek the
verifiable permission of a parent or legal guardian before an interview commences.
Safe harbor compliance
Protocol Research Solutions conducts web-based multilanguage surveys covering both
U.S. and foreign markets, including the European Union. To comply with the European
Union Data Protection Directive, we adhere to the Safe Harbor requirements to assure
our EU survey respondents that their privacy is adequately protected. The following
describes how Protocol Research Solutions complies with the Safe Harbor principles:
Notice
We collect respondent information exclusively for research purposes. As a standard
operating procedure, we advise survey respondents in our cover letters or invitations
that the data they provide us will be used only for this purpose.
By the nature of our business, the information we collect is largely based on respondent
claims and opinions, which they provide to us voluntarily. The data is analyzed
and presented to our clients only in aggregate and not per individual.
Personal information that we collect is used only for purposes that are explicitly
cited (e.g., for awarding incentives or drawing prizes) and is never relayed to
any other party. Where personal information, such as e-mail addresses, is provided
to us by clients for the purpose of communicating (e.g., via e-mail) with these individuals
as their representative, we ascertain that such information is used only for the
purpose for which it was obtained. In addition, we provide these individuals the
opportunity to opt out from subsequent communication. Should they decide to be removed
from the list, we stop using this information and promptly relay this request to
our client. We provide all respondents with an e-mail address and/or toll-free number
for any inquiries or complaints.
Choice
All surveys we conduct are purely voluntary. We provide our respondents the opportunity
to choose (opt in) whether sensitive information they have provided is to be disclosed
to a third party or to be used for another purpose other than for which it was originally
collected and authorized by that respondent. We obtain a respondent's affirmative
or explicit (opt in) choice if personal information is to be disclosed to a third
party or used for a purpose other than its original purpose or the purpose authorized
subsequently by the individual.
Onward transfer
In almost all cases, survey data is disclosed to our clients only in aggregate and
not per individual. Otherwise, we require our clients to agree in writing that the
same level of privacy protection is accorded to those individuals. In such rare
cases, we comply with the above-mentioned principle of choice, transferring only
information to our clients that we have been authorized by our respondents to disclose
to a third party.
Security
All data is stored in a secure, firewall-protected server with restricted access
limited to only selected personnel. Most of our surveys are ad hoc in nature, and
we rarely collect data to maintain and accumulate over an extended period of time.
Therefore, all survey data, especially personal information, undergoes our regular
data maintenance and disposal procedures.
Data integrity
We do not process data that are irrelevant to the purpose for which they were created.
We ensure that the respondent's personal information is reliable, accurate, complete,
and current and is used only for the intended purpose. We do not use the information in
a way that is incompatible with the purpose for which it was collected, unless subsequently
authorized by the respondent.
Access
As discussed, the bulk of data we collect is based on respondent claims and opinions.
In the case of personal information we collect or use in conjunction with our surveys,
such information is used only for the purpose for which it was obtained, and frequently
used only once before it is disposed of. Nevertheless, respondents seeking access
to their personal information will be accommodated for a reasonable fee, unless
this data has already been disposed of or if such request incurs a disproportionate
effort or cost relative to the potential risk to the individual's privacy.
Enforcement
All contact information we provide in all of our surveys (survey@protocolmarketing.com)
and those found on our website provide our respondents the quickest route to resolving
their privacy issues. Complaints are channeled through an in-house dispute resolution
program, which is managed by a duly designated staff member trained to handle privacy
issues. Complaints not resolved are promptly elevated to the company President.
If an individual remains unsatisfied, then either party may file a request for
mediation through the American Arbitration Association at 335 Madison Avenue, 10th
Floor, New York, NY 10017-4605, USA; telephone (212) 716-5800; fax (212) 716-5905;
and e-mail Websitemail@adr.org.