Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

The Institute for Global Studies and Research ("IGSR", "we", "us") is an independent, international research and policy institute. This policy explains what personal data we collect through igsresearch.org and our programmes, why we collect it, and the choices you have. We handle personal data in line with internationally recognised standards, including the United Nations Personal Data Protection and Privacy Principles, the OECD Privacy Guidelines and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and with the laws that apply to us. We apply the same standards to everyone, wherever they are.

2. Information we collect

When you contact us: your name, email address and the content of your message.
When you submit work for publication: your name, email, affiliation, designation, biography, photograph, ORCID iD, the manuscript, images and any declarations you make.
When you apply for an internship or volunteer role: your CV, contact details, education and experience, and any information you include in application forms. Selected participants are also asked for a photograph, a government-issued photo ID and an institutional ID for identity verification, and sign an agreement.
When you subscribe to our newsletter: your email address.
When you verify a certificate: the document number and the holder's date of birth you enter. We use these only to check the record and do not store the search.
When you browse the site: basic technical data such as IP address, browser type and pages visited, collected through server logs and privacy-respecting analytics. We do not use advertising cookies.

3. How we use your information

To respond to enquiries.
To review, edit and publish submitted work, and to correspond with authors.
To assess applications, run internships, issue offer letters, ID cards, certificates and letters of recommendation, and keep programme records.
To allow third parties to verify certificates we have issued.
To send our newsletter, if you have subscribed.
To maintain the security and performance of the website.

We rely on your consent, which you give when you submit a form, and on legitimate uses permitted by law, such as keeping records of certificates we have issued.

4. What we publish

When your work is published, we display your name, affiliation, designation, biography, photograph and ORCID iD alongside it. Interns and team members may be listed on our website with their name, photograph and role.

We do not publish any author's, intern's or team member's email address or phone number without their express consent. Anyone wishing to contact an author may write to info@igsresearch.org, and we will forward the request to the author, who decides whether to respond.

We do not sell or rent personal data. We share it only with:

Service providers who host our website, email and forms on our behalf, under confidentiality obligations.
Peer reviewers, who see manuscripts but not authors' identities where review is anonymous.
Bodies that register publications, such as DOI and indexing services, which receive publication metadata (titles, author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs).
Authorities, where required by law.

Some service providers may store data in other countries. Where this happens, we use providers that apply internationally recognised security standards.

6. How long we keep information

Published work and author details: for as long as the work remains published, which is normally permanent.
Certificate and internship records: for as long as needed to verify documents we have issued and support letters of recommendation.
Unsuccessful applications and rejected submissions: deleted within 12 months.
Contact enquiries: up to 24 months.
Newsletter: until you unsubscribe.

7. Your rights

You may ask us to:

tell you what personal data we hold about you;
correct or update it;
delete it, where we are not required to keep it (published scholarly work is normally not removed; see our Editorial Policies);
withdraw consent at any time, for example by unsubscribing or withdrawing permission to show your email.

Write to info@igsresearch.org with the subject line "Data request". We aim to respond within 30 days.

8. Applicants under 18

Our programmes are intended for people aged 18 and over. Where we accept a participant under 18, we require verifiable consent from a parent or guardian.

9. Security

We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), restricted access to administrative systems and private storage for CVs, identity documents and manuscripts. No system is completely secure, and we will notify affected individuals and the relevant authority of any significant breach as required by law.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. The date at the top shows when it was last changed. Significant changes will be announced on this page.

11. Contact and grievances

For any question or complaint about how we handle personal data, contact our Grievance Officer: Tavraiz Sheikh, Founder & Director, Institute for Global Studies and Research, info@igsresearch.org. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the data protection authority in your country.