Privacy Policy

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Welcome to academicprotips.com (“we,” “us,” or “our”). Our mission is to provide trusted “Academic Career Guidance” and practical “pro-tips” to help graduate students and PhDs succeed in academia and in careers beyond it.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website (the “Site”), subscribe to our newsletter, or purchase our products or services. We are committed to transparency and to protecting your privacy.

By using our Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in a few different ways, both directly from you and automatically as you use our Site.

A. Information You Provide to Us:

Email Newsletter: When you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your name and email address. This is managed through our email service providers (e.g., Kit, Mailchimp).
Purchases: When you purchase a digital product (like an e-book) or a service (like a coaching session), we collect information necessary to complete the transaction, such as your name, email address, and billing information.
Contact Forms: When you contact us through our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and any information you provide in your message.

B. Information We Collect Automatically:

Log Data and Cookies: Like most websites, we automatically collect certain information when you visit. This may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, the pages you visited, and the dates/times of your visit. We use cookies (small data files stored on your device) to help operate and improve the Site.
Analytics: We use third-party analytics services, most notably Google Analytics, to understand how our visitors use the Site. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect data on user behavior, such as traffic sources, pages viewed, and time spent on site.
Affiliate Tracking: Our Site uses affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. These affiliate partners (such as Amazon Associates or software companies) use cookies to track these referrals.
Advertising: We may use third-party advertising partners, like Google AdSense, to display ads on our Site. These partners may use cookies to show you ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for several specific purposes:

To Provide and Maintain Our Service: To operate the Site, deliver content, and ensure its security.
To Fulfill Your Requests: To process your purchases of products and services.
To Communicate With You: To send you our email newsletter (with your consent) and to respond to your inquiries.
To Improve Our Site: To analyze how our audience uses the Site so we can improve our content and user experience.
To Monetize Our Site: To earn commissions through our affiliate partnerships and to display relevant advertising.

4. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We do not sell your personal information in the traditional sense. However, we do share information with trusted third parties who act as our service providers (“processors”) or as partners in providing our services.

Service Providers: We share information with third-party companies that help us operate our business, such as our website host, email marketing providers (e.g., Kit, Mailchimp), and security partners. These providers are contractually bound to only use the data on our instructions.
Payment Processors: We use third-party payment processors like Stripe and PayPal to handle transactions. We do not collect or store your full credit card information. That data is provided directly to our PCI-compliant processors.
- Note on PayPal: As of late 2024, PayPal’s policies may allow them to share your data (like product preferences) with merchants for “personalized shopping experiences.” You can opt-out of this specific sharing within your own PayPal account settings.
Analytics and Advertising Partners: As described above, we use services like Google Analytics and Google AdSense. Our data sharing settings with Google may allow them to use data to improve their own services. This use of cookies for cross-context behavioral advertising may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of data under California law.
Affiliate Partners: We participate in affiliate programs like Amazon Associates and affiliate networks (e.g., ShareASale/Awin). When you click an affiliate link, these partners may place a cookie on your device to track the sale.
Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid request from a public authority.

5. Your Data Rights and Choices

You have specific rights regarding your personal data, which vary based on your location.

A. For Residents of the European Economic Area (EEA) & UK (GDPR):

If you are a resident of the EEA or UK, you have the following rights under the GDPR:

The Right to Access: You can request copies of your personal data.
The Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate.
The Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You can request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions.
The Right to Restrict Processing: You can request that we restrict the processing of your data.
The Right to Object to Processing: You can object to our processing of your data.
The Right to Data Portability: You can request that we transfer the data we have collected to another organization, or directly to you.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@academicprotips.com.

B. For Residents of California (CCPA/CPRA):

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the CCPA/CPRA:

The Right to Know: You can request that we disclose what personal information we collect, use, disclose, “sell,” or “share.”
The Right to Delete: You can request the deletion of your personal information.
The Right to Correct: You can request that we correct inaccurate personal information.
The Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: You have the right to direct us not to “sell” or “share” your personal information. As noted above, our use of third-party advertising and analytics cookies may constitute a “sale” or “sharing”.
The Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: You can direct us to limit the use of any sensitive personal information we collect.
The Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

How to Exercise Your Opt-Out Rights:

You may exercise your right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information by clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link, which is located in the footer of our Site.

For other requests (Know, Delete, Correct), please email us at privacy@academicprotips.com.

6. Data Security

We take the security of your data seriously and use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect it. This includes using SSL encryption for data in transit and limiting access to personal data to only those who need it. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, or as required to comply with our legal obligations (e.g., for tax purposes), resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements.

8. Children’s Privacy (COPPA)

Our Site is not intended for or directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information immediately.⁸⁴

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last Updated” date at the top. We encourage you to review this page periodically.