Privacy policy
Last updated: November 2023
Accela Research Ltd is committed to taking your privacy very seriously and this policy outlines our ongoing obligations to you in respect of how we manage your Personal Information.
We have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). The APPs govern the way in which we collect, use, disclose, store, secure and dispose of your Personal Information.
A copy of the Australian Privacy Principles may be obtained from the website of The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at https://www.oaic.gov.au/.
Key terms
We, us, our:
Personal information:
Any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual. Examples of Personal Information we collect includes names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.
Sensitive information:
Accela Research Ltd is a registered non-for-profit charity ACN 664 210 495 and a company registered in Australia operating under the ABN: 42 664 210 495. Our registered address is at Level 14/333 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000.
Personal data revealing an individual's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record or health information.
Personal Information we collect about you
We may collect and use the following personal information about you:
Your name and contact information, including email address, telephone number and employer details;
Location data, if you choose to give this to us;
Your professional interests;
Your responses to surveys, eg your expected use of data downloads.
When we collect Personal Information we will, where appropriate and where possible, explain to you why we are collecting the information and how we plan to use it.
This Personal Information is obtained in many ways including interviews, correspondence, by telephone, by email, via our website, from your website, from media and publications, from other publicly available sources. We collect your Personal Information for the primary purpose of providing and marketing our services to you and our clients.
Sensitive Information
Sensitive information is defined in the Privacy Act to include information or opinion about such things as an individual's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or other professional body, criminal record or health information.
Sensitive information will be used by us only:
For the primary purpose for which it was obtained;
With your consent.
Third Parties
Where reasonable and practicable to do so, we will collect your Personal Information only from you. However, in some circumstances we may be provided with information by third parties and all information acquired will be held in accordance with this policy.
Who we share your Personal Information with:
Your Personal Information may be disclosed in a number of circumstances including the following:
Our Board of Directors
Third parties approved by you; and
Where required or authorised by law.
Where your Personal Information is held
Your Personal Information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
When your Personal Information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify your Personal Information. However, most of the Personal Information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by us for a minimum of 7 years.
How and why we use your personal data
Under the Privacy Act, we can only use your personal data if we have a proper reason, eg:
where you have given consent;
to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations; or
for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
Where we process sensitive personal information, we will also ensure we are permitted to do so under privacy laws, eg:
we have your explicit consent;
the processing is necessary to protect your (or someone else’s) vital interests where you are physically or legally incapable of giving consent; or
the processing is necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Marketing
We may use your personal data to send you updates (by email, text message, telephone or post) about our work and research.
We have a legitimate interest in using your personal information to tell you about our work and projects. This means we do not usually need your consent to send you marketing information. However, where consent is needed, we will ask for this separately and clearly.
You have the right to opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by:
contacting us at info@accelaresearch.com
using the ‘unsubscribe’ link in emails; or
updating your marketing preferences on our Newsletter via Mailchimp.
We will always treat your personal information with the utmost respect and never share it with other organisations for marketing purposes.
Access to your Personal Information
You may access the Personal Information we hold about you and to update and/or correct it, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your Personal Information, please contact us in writing.
In order to protect your Personal Information we will be required to obtain adequate identification from you before releasing the requested information.
Your rights
You have the following rights, which you can exercise free of charge:
Access: The right to be provided with a copy of your personal information
Rectification: The right to require us to correct any mistakes in your personal information
Erasure (also known as the right to be forgotten): The right to require us to delete your personal information —in certain situations, in accordance with applicable law.
Restriction of processing: The right to require us to delete your personal information —in certain situations
Data portability: The right to receive the personal information you provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and/or transmit that data to a third party—in certain situations
To object: The right to object: —at any time to your personal information being processed for direct marketing (including profiling); —in certain other situations to our continued processing of your personal information, e.g. processing carried out for the purpose of our legitimate interests.
Not to be subject to automated individual decision-making: The right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing (including profiling) that produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you
For further information on each of those rights, including the circumstances in which they apply, please contact us (see ‘How to contact us’ below).
If you would like to exercise any of those rights, please:
email, call or write to us—see below: ‘How to contact us’; and
provide enough information to identify yourself (eg your full name, address and email) and any additional identity information we may reasonably request from you;
let us know what right you want to exercise and the information to which your request relates.
Maintaining the Quality of your Personal Information
It is important to us that your Personal Information is up to date. We will take reasonable steps to make sure that your Personal Information is accurate, complete and up-to-date. If you find that the information we have is not up to date or is inaccurate, please advise us as soon as practicable so we can update our records and ensure we can continue to provide quality services to you.
Policy Updates
This privacy notice was published in November 2023.
We may change this privacy notice from time to time—when we do we will update it on our website.
How to complain
Please contact us if you have any query or concern about our use of your information (see below ‘How to contact us’). We hope we will be able to resolve any issues you may have.
How to contact us
You can contact us by post or email if you have any questions about this privacy policy or the information we hold about you, to exercise a right under the Privacy Act or to make a complaint.
Our contact details are shown below:
Accela Research
Level 14/333 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
info@accelaresearch.com