Privacy Policy
Date created: January 29, 2009
Introduction
Nova Insights is committed to keeping personal information confidential and secure.
Our Privacy Policy is based on the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA - see http://www.privcom.gc.ca for more information). This policy describes how Nova Insights adheres to the ten principles of privacy set out in this Act.
Definition Of Terms Used In This Privacy Policy
"Interviewer" means an employee of Nova Insights or the employee of a sub-contractor who contacts a member of the public for the purpose of conducting Survey Research.
"Sub-contractor" means a non-affiliated service provider contracted to provide research-related activity on Nova Insights' behalf. Examples of such activity include sample development, Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) programming, and data collection activity such as telephone surveys.
"Personal Information" means information that individually or in combination could identify a specific individual. Examples include first and last name, home postal address or personal email address.
"Privacy Officer" means the person at Nova Insights who is responsible for ensuring the protection of individuals' personal information.
"Respondent" means a member of the public who is contacted by Nova Insights or a sub-contractor for the purpose of conducting Survey Research.
"Survey Research" means telephone surveys, mail surveys, Internet surveys, door to door surveys, panel, mall intercept surveys, business-to-business surveys, qualitative surveys, one-on-one interviews, and all other types of survey research.
The Ten Principles Of Privacy
1. Accountability
An organization is responsible for personal information under its control and shall designate an individual or individuals who are accountable for the organization's compliance with the following principles.
Nova Insights has designated the office of the Privacy Officer to be responsible for overall personal information protection and Nova Insights’ compliance with the PIPEDA.
2. Identifying Purposes
The purposes for which personal information is collected shall be identified by the organization at or before the time the information is collected.
When our interviewers contact respondents by telephone or in-person, they state the purpose of their contact. When Nova Insights sends written invitations and/or questionnaires to respondents, the invitation/questionnaire clearly identifies us as Nova Insights and explains the purpose of our contact, which is that Nova Insights is conducting survey research and would like the respondent to participate in a survey.
Our interviewers advise respondents that their responses are used strictly for research purposes.
Nova Insights may provide information from any survey, in aggregate form, to clients who sponsor that survey or to other third parties. Since this information is in aggregate form, clients or other third parties will be unable to identify an individual's specific personal information.
3. Consent
The knowledge and consent of the individual are required for the collection, use or disclosure of personal information, except when inappropriate.
Participation in our survey research is voluntary. Consent is obtained when a respondent agrees to participate in survey research. When this happens, and the method of data collection is by telephone or in-person, our interviewers then conduct an interview with the respondent. When the method of data collection is by mail, computer or via the Internet, the respondent completes a questionnaire himself/herself.
Survey responses may be collected, stored or processed by Nova Insights or a non-affiliated service provider, both within and outside Canada. They will keep any information they collect and disclose to us or we collect and disclose to them confidential and will protect it with security standards that are broadly equivalent to our own.
Generally, personal information collected is not disclosed to other parties. Occasionally, however, a client conducting a survey research project may want to contact respondents directly. In these cases, Nova Insights does not disclose a respondent's personal information to another party unless it has first clearly explained to the respondent the purpose of such disclosure and has obtained the respondent's express or written consent.
An individual may refuse to answer certain questions, discontinue participation in a study, or withdraw consent at any time.
4. Limiting Collection
The collection of personal information shall be limited to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by the organization. Information shall be collected by fair and lawful means .
Nova Insights limits the amount and type of personal information it collects. We collect only the amount and type of information needed for the purposes identified to the individual.
Nova Insights collects personal information about an individual primarily from that individual or a member of that individual's household. Except as permitted by law, Nova Insights will only collect personal information from external sources, such as client organizations, if individuals have consented to such collection.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention
Personal information shall not be used or disclosed for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required by the law. Personal information shall be retained only as long as necessary for fulfillment of those purposes.
Nova Insights uses or discloses personal information only for the reasons it was collected, unless an individual gives consent to use or disclose it for another reason.
Nova Insights keeps personal information only as long as necessary for the identified purposes. Personal information that is no longer needed for its identified purposes or for legal requirements is destroyed, erased or made anonymous.
6. Accuracy
Personal information shall be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.
Nova Insights makes reasonable efforts to keep personal information it uses on an on-going basis accurate, complete, current and relevant, based on the most recent information available.
Nova Insights updates personal information only if it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
7. Safeguards
Personal information shall be protected by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.
Nova Insights safeguards personal information in its possession or control from loss or theft and from unauthorized access, disclosure, duplication, use or modification.
Some information is stored electronically. Recent paper records containing individuals' personal information are stored onsite at our office. Older records containing individuals' personal information may be stored at an offsite storage facility.
Nova Insights safeguards personal information in its possession or control through security measures, such as:
Physical security - restricted access to offices and filing cabinets
Organizational security - controlled entry in offices and limited access to relevant information
Electronic security - firewalls and passwords
Nova Insights uses care when disposing of or destroying personal information in order to prevent unauthorized access to the information.
8. Openness
An organization shall make readily available to individuals specific information about its policies and practices relating to the management of personal information.
Nova Insights is open about its procedures used to manage personal information. Individuals have access to information about these procedures through this Privacy Policy or by contacting the Privacy Officer.
If we make a material change to this policy or our privacy practices, we will post a prominent notice on our website for 30 calendar days prior to the implementation of the material change. Following the implementation of the material change, we will record at the introduction of this policy when the policy was last revised.
9. Individual Access
Upon request, an individual shall be informed of the existence, use and disclosure of his or her personal information and shall be given access to that information. An individual shall be able to challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information and have it amended as appropriate.
When an individual makes a written request to the Privacy Officer, Nova Insights will advise the individual what personal information it has in its possession or control about the individual, what it is being used for, and to whom it has been disclosed.
When an individual requests it, Nova Insights will give an individual access to personal information about them which is in the possession or control of Nova Insights. In certain situations, however, Nova Insights may not be able to give individuals access to all of their personal information. This may occur when:
Providing access to personal information would be likely to reveal personal information about a third party;
Disclosing the information would reveal confidential commercial information;
The information has been collected for the purposes of a legal investigation.
If Nova Insights denies the individual's request for access to personal information, it will advise the individual of the reason for the refusal.
10. Provide Recourse
An individual shall be able to address a challenge concerning compliance with the above principles to the designated individual or individuals for the organization's compliance.
Individuals may challenge Nova Insights' compliance with this Privacy Policy. Individuals are advised to direct their complaints and questions in writing to the Privacy Officer.
Nova Insights will investigate all complaints and attempt to resolve those that it finds are justified. If necessary, Nova Insights will amend its policies and procedures.
If individuals are not satisfied with the way Nova Insights responded to their complaint, they can contact the Federal Privacy Commissioner. They can also contact The Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA), a Canadian not-for-profit association representing all aspects of the market intelligence and survey research industry.
Contacting Us
To contact our Privacy Officer, call 902-482-9688. or send an e-mail to privacyofficer@novainsights.ca.
Correspondence can be mailed to:
Privacy Officer, Nova Insights, 3987 Highway 12, Kentville, Nova Scotia, B4N 3V8