HUMAN Privacy Policy

At HUMAN Focus Group and Research Center we want you to be aware of how we use information that we have collected about you. By participating in a research study conducted by HUMAN, you are agreeing and accepting this Privacy Policy that governs our services.

HUMAN is a focus group facility and qualitative research center, founded in 2003, that recruits individuals to participate in qualitative research studies. These studies may include focus groups, ethnographies, or in-home research. Because each client has a different business and diverse needs, we must recruit individuals specific to their target audience. As such, we must collect personal data from prospective participants to make sure that they fit our clients’ screening criteria.

Market research is an essential component to the success of many companies. It allows managers to explore and understand the viability of product/service concepts and ideas, creative strategies, advertising concepts, and consumer opinion/culture. By participating in legitimate market research, you play an integral and important role in the success of many brand, companies, and services.

Your participation and opinion is very important to us. We realize that we are asking you to provide us with a share of your time. We respect that you lead busy lives, at both work and home. We have developed recruiting practices and a business acumen that respects you, the consumer, your time, and your opinion. We want to make clear that our company adheres to the following practices endorsed by the Market Research Association and the Council for Marketing and Opinion Research.

Personal information is collected by a HUMAN representative over the phone or in person. We do not collect personal information via our web site or e-mail.

• Your name, address, phone number, personal information, or individual responses will never be disclosed to anyone outside of our company without your written permission.
• It is your right to opt not to provide information that you deem sensitive.
• Your responses/opinion in any research study will remain confidential.
• You will never be asked to buy anything or contribute to an organization.
• We will always give you the name of the person contacting you, the research company's name, tell you the nature of the survey, and in no way misrepresent ourselves or what we are doing.
• Oftentimes, we require a face-to-face meeting with potential participants to develop a more personal relationship between you and our company. On such occasions, you will meet with a HUMAN representative at our office or a place of your choosing. A HUMAN representative will provide you with a business card and contact information upon request.
• It is our practice not to cold call potential participants.
• Your decision regarding participating in a study, answering specific questions, or discontinuing your participation will be respected without question.
• You will be informed in advanced if an interview is to be audio and/or video recorded and of the intended use of the recording.
• Verbal and written parental permission will be required of any research participant under the age of 18.
• We will maintain the highest standards of professional conduct in the collection and reporting of the information you provide.

To find out more about your rights as a participant in a research study, please visit www.mra-net.org

It is in the best interest of HUMAN, our clients, and you the consumer to maintain the strictest controls on the privacy and confidentiality of all data that we collect. All HUMAN employees, full-time and contract, are required to sign a confidentiality agreement. Access to our database of information is secured and granted only to HUMAN management. Each client is made aware of our Privacy Policy and high standards of confidentiality and are not permitted to request any additional information from research participants during a research study.

We gather information in the following ways:

1. Internet: Oftentimes, HUMAN will post a request for study participants online. The requests will contain information about the specific project, our needs, and consumer requirements. We do not request any information other than a name and method of contact so that a representative may get back to you.
2. Telephone: We do not cold call individuals from a purchased list. We will only contact you at a phone number that you have provided during an initial contact. At this time, we will inform you about a research study and gather information from you required for that study. Telephone is the primary way in which we collect personal information.
3. Mail: HUMAN sends mailings out to educated individuals and families about market research and our company practices. We do not request any personal information at this time.
4. On-the-street: A HUMAN representative may approach individuals in public areas. We will abide by the rules and laws governing solicitation in such places. During this time you may opt to not provide any personal information.

The information that you provide during the initial screening process will be used only to determine your fit for a particular research project. We will store your personal information in our database for future projects.

During qualitative research studies, you are required to provide your opinion on various subjects. Oftentimes, your opinions are video and/or audio-taped for research purposes. You are made aware of this practice prior to each project.

HUMAN will not sell, trade, or otherwise disclose personally identifiable information to any third party. HUMAN may disclose certain personal information to its clients as may be necessary to execute certain projects. You will be advised of the information that will be shared with clients and will have the opportunity to opt out of a research project.

If HUMAN is sold in whole or in part, various forms of the personal information discussed in this Policy may be included in the assets transferred to a third party.

Children are to obtain their parents’ permission prior to providing HUMAN with any personal information over the phone, on-the-street, on the Internet, or via mail. HUMAN does not knowingly or intentionally collect information under the age of 18. If we discover that a child under the age of 18 has supplied personal information without their parents’ consent, that information will be deleted from our system. We require verbal and written permission from parents of children under the age of 18 to attend a research session.

Cookies are not used when individuals visit the Web site or request information from our Web site. Cookies are small pieces of information transferred to your computer’s hard drive through your web browser to enable systems to recognize your preferences and settings. Additional information on cookies can be obtained from the Federal Trade Commission website at www.ftc.gov.

HUMAN may change and update this Privacy Policy, including materially changing the use made of personal information described herein. Any change our update to our privacy policy will be posted on our web site under “Privacy Policy” at least 30 days prior to their implementation. Your continued use of the web site after the effective date of any changes will constitute your acceptance of all of the changes.

Additionally, when you are recruited for a research study, you will be provided with a copy of our privacy policy upon your arrival at our office.

We welcome comments and questions regarding HUMAN’s Privacy Policy. Please send questions about our policy or the information we have collected from you to info@theHUMANgroup.org. If you believe your personal information has been misused or handled in such a manner contrary to the policy stated above, please contact us at info@theHUMANgroup.org. Or you may call Tameka Linnell at 954-768-9441.