This Privacy Policy applies to tlir.org.za and all services operated by the Laubscher Institute for Research (TLIR). We are committed to protecting your privacy in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA).
1. Overview
The Laubscher Institute for Research ("the Institute", "we", "us", or "our") is an independent research organisation based in Kimberley, South Africa. We operate tlir.org.za to publish research, share announcements, and facilitate communication with researchers, collaborators, and the public.
We collect only the personal information necessary to operate our services. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
- Contact form submissions: Your name, email address, organisation, enquiry type, and message.
- Researcher accounts: Your name, email address, professional role, department, and biographical information.
- Research submissions: Author details, institutional affiliations, and any personal information included in submitted manuscripts.
Information collected automatically
- Usage data: Pages visited, time on page, referring URLs, and browser type via standard server logs.
- Cookies: Small files stored on your device to maintain sessions. See our Cookie Policy for full details.
Information we do not collect
We do not collect sensitive personal information such as race, health data, biometric data, or financial information. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without verifiable parental consent.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To respond to enquiries submitted via our contact form.
- To manage researcher accounts and facilitate paper submissions and reviews.
- To publish research under named authorship, with your consent as part of the submission process.
- To send administrative communications related to your account or submissions.
- To improve the functionality and content of our website.
- To comply with legal obligations under South African law.
We process your personal information on the lawful bases of consent, contractual necessity, and legitimate interests.
4. Sharing of Information
We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share it only in these limited circumstances:
- Service providers: We use Supabase for database and authentication infrastructure. These providers are bound by data processing agreements.
- Published research: Author names and affiliations are published publicly as part of the academic record, with the author's explicit consent.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose personal information where required by law or court order in the Republic of South Africa.
5. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:
- HTTPS encryption for all data in transit.
- Row-level security policies on our database infrastructure.
- Access controls limiting staff access to personal data.
- Regular review of our security practices.
No electronic system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach affecting your rights, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by POPIA.
6. Data Retention
- Contact form submissions: Retained for 24 months, then deleted unless an ongoing relationship exists.
- Researcher accounts: Retained for the duration of the account and 3 years after closure.
- Published research author data: Retained indefinitely as part of the permanent academic record.
You may request deletion of your personal information at any time, subject to our legal retention obligations.
7. Your Rights (POPIA)
Under POPIA, you have the following rights:
- Right of access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Right to correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Right to deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to retention requirements.
- Right to object: Object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Right to complain: Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.
To exercise these rights, contact us at info@tliresearch.org.za. We will respond within 30 days as required by POPIA.
8. Cookies
Our website uses cookies to maintain your login session and provide a functional experience. We do not use advertising or behavioural tracking cookies. See our Cookie Policy for full details.
9. Third-Party Services
Third-party services we use include:
- Supabase: Database, authentication, and storage. Supabase Privacy Policy
- Google Fonts: Font delivery. Google Privacy Policy
- Google Maps: Embedded map on our contact page. Google Privacy Policy
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date above. Your continued use of our website after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact Us
- Email: info@tliresearch.org.za
- Phone: +27 83 243 3602
- Website: tlir.org.za
- Location: Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa
You may also use the contact form on our website.