At Data Decisions Group, we hold ourselves accountable to all those who participate in research, invest in our business or utilize our offerings. We take privacy seriously, and we handle any information that clients and respondents submit to us with absolute care and attention to detail. The following Privacy Policy describes our protocol with regards to client and panelist confidentiality.
The Privacy Policy is subject to periodic alteration, without notice, as our business evolves. Clients and panelists are responsible for checking this Policy on occasion to remain knowledgeable of revisions and additions.
We may request that those who ask to learn more about Data Decisions Group and its offerings volunteer contact information that includes but is not limited to: first and last name, title, email address, phone number, industry, organization name, and types of information desired. We may also collect voluntarily-submitted information about individual clients’ and prospects’ companies and research objectives through electronic and telephone communications. Finally, we may collect and track user data (not actively submitted) as visitors browse our corporate website, including but not limited to: length and frequency of page visits, browser type and capabilities, network properties, and mobile applications utilized.
Data Decisions Group will never sell contact information to third parties for marketing or any other commercial purposes. We may store voluntarily-submitted contact information in internal databases for sales and marketing purposes; however, contacts have the option of opting out of receiving any materials that we send, including newsletters, webinar invitations, and email blasts. In all communication with individual clients and prospects, we maintain strict confidentiality. We may use stored website analytics and browsing data to support internal research and optimize our business operations, but we will never disclose any of this data –or any related identifying information –outside of these functions, without express user permission. If we use information for any other reason than those described above, we will contact the user in question beforehand to secure permission.
Some parts of our website, namely the Data Decisions Group SmartPortal, are password-protected. Only clients who create an account and supply a password are granted access to these sections of the site. Data Decisions Group will not disclose clients’ passwords or account information to any third parties under any circumstances, unless with express client authorization. Clients are otherwise responsible for maintaining the security of their password and account. Do not share your SmartPortal password with another party. If you suspect that your password or your account has been compromised, notify your Data Decisions Group contact immediately.
Privacy Policy information for survey and study respondents is also available on the Data Decisions Group SmartPanel™ Gateway, as well as on the CASRO website (CASRO Code of Ethics and Standards for Survey Research).
As part of recruiting research respondents, whether to SmartPanel, our online communities, to a client study, or to any custom research platform, FGI Research may solicit personal identifying information that includes but is not limited to: name, location, email, and demographics (age, race, ethnic origin, income, gender, etc.). We request that you supply this information to help us build more balanced and representative sample, to accomplish more detailed data analysis and modeling, and to help us target studies more effectively. However, we recognize that panelists and study respondents may perceive this information as sensitive and may not want to share it. Respondents retain the right to withhold any personal identifying information; however, in some cases, this may exclude respondents from participation if said information is vital to the success of the research project. Any information that respondents submit to Data Decisions Group, including study responses, is completely voluntary.
The purpose of market research is to collect opinions from consumers in the service of illuminating marketing and market trends and helping businesses develop better products and services in response to customer needs. As such, Data Decisions Group will collect responses from panelists and study recruits in a variety of formats, including but not limited to: qualitative focus-group- and community-based research and quantitative surveys via the phone, web, and mail. All information actively submitted to Data Decisions Group is considered voluntary.
Data Decisions Group may also collect information from social media sites and networks, which is not actively submitted, but which is open to the public. FGI will not use its social media monitoring or mining capabilities to access restricted or password-protected content. We may, however, collect unprotected personal identifying information, including usernames, location, and other profile data, where applicable, as part of generating a balanced and representative sample from social media.
As panelists and respondents browse our corporate website and/or visit the SmartPanel login portal, we may collect data that is not actively submitted, including but not limited to: length and frequency of page visits, browser type and capabilities, network properties, and mobile applications used.
Data Decisions Group uses demographic data like age, gender, ethnic origin, race and income to generate a more balanced and representative sample for optimal research results. We may also use such data for analytical and modeling applications, and to help our clients achieve more detailed research insights. We will never sell demographic data to third parties or utilize it to market to panelists or study respondents.
Panelist Profile and Contact Information
Data Decisions Group uses panelist profile data such as username, name, and email to support study response verification, help clients connect with customers, and occasionally announce sweepstakes and prize pool winners. We may recontact respondents as part of continuing research or as a follow-up to studies
Data Decisions Group combines all responses to quantitative surveys, qualitative online focus groups, and community studies—respectively—to support internal as well as client-sponsored market research and analysis. We will never intentionally report individual survey responses, whether attached to personal identifying information or not, except in certain circumstances as described below. We will never sell research participants’ responses to third parties. While responses are visible to clients who sponsor the studies in which respondents participate, we partner with clients whose security and privacy standards align with our own.
Any data submitted voluntarily to Data Decisions Group is the property of Data Decisions Group and clients with whom we contract. Data which pertains to a specific study is the property of Data Decisions Group and the client who sponsored the study. Data Decisions Group will not share client-sponsored study data with any clients other than the client who sponsored the study in question. Data collected during DDG-sponsored studies, including TrendTruth™ studies, is the sole property of Data Decisions Group. Data Decisions Group reserves the right to include this data in company publications including but not limited to blogs, email blasts and printed marketing materials. We will not attach personal identifying information to any of the data or responses that we publish. We may use unattributed community responses as part of qualitative reporting and marketing our community capabilities.
We may use stored browsing data to support internal research and optimize our business operations, but we will never disclose any of this data—or any related identifying information—outside of these functions without express user permission. If we use information for any other reason than those described above, we will contact the user in question beforehand to secure permission.
Certain sections of our website, namely the Data Decisions Group SmartPanel login portal, are restricted-access only. Panelists must create an account and submit a password in order to access these sections of the site. FGI Research will never sell or disclose your account information or password to third parties. Panelists are otherwise responsible for the security of their password and account information. Do not share your SmartPanel password with another party. If you feel your password or account security has been compromised, contact Data Decisions Group panel support specialists immediately at panelsupport@datadecisionsgroup.com.
Data Decisions Group is a full member, in good standing, of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO). We adhere to all precepts in the CASRO Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research, whether or not they are outlined expressly in this Privacy Policy. Read more information about CASRO’s Code of Standards and Ethics.
Data Decision Group adheres to statutes outlined in the federal CAN-SPAM legislation. While online survey invitations do not qualify as spam, as they are absent of commercial intent, Data Decision Group adheres to these policies as an extra measure of protection and pledge of good faith to panelists and clients, to make sure that all study responses are completely voluntary. For more information about the CAN-SPAM legislation, see the FTC website.
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Chapel Hill, NC 27516
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