Privacy Policy

1. What We Collect

EmpiricQuest collects only the information necessary to provide the service:

• Account information: email address and display name, provided when you register or sign in via Google.
• Correspondent data: your field of study, career stage, and preferences you enter into the Correspondent intake — stored to personalise your experience.
• Usage data: pages visited and features used, collected anonymously via server logs to improve the platform.

2. What We Do Not Collect

We do not collect or store:

• Payment information (handled entirely by third-party processors).
• Research content, manuscripts, or unpublished work.
• Third-party cookies for advertising or tracking.

3. How We Use Your Data

Your data is used solely to:

• Authenticate you and maintain your account.
• Personalise journal, funding, and job recommendations via the Correspondent.
• Send transactional emails (deadline reminders, account notifications).
• Improve the platform based on aggregate usage patterns.

4. Data Storage

All data is stored on secure servers. Correspondent preferences are stored both in your browser's localStorage and, if you are logged in, in your WordPress user meta. You may delete your Correspondent data at any time via the Dossier panel.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• Google Sign-In — for authentication. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
• Google Fonts — for typography. No personal data is collected.
• Paystack — for payment processing. Payment details are handled entirely by Paystack. EmpiricQuest does not store card information.

6. Cookies

EmpiricQuest uses only essential cookies for authentication and session management. No tracking or advertising cookies are deployed.

7. Google user data

This section explains how EmpiricQuest accesses, uses, shares, stores, and retains Google user data. It is provided to comply with the Google API Services User Data Policy and to support Google OAuth verification.

Data accessed

When a reader signs in with Google, EmpiricQuest accesses only the Google user data provided through Google Identity Services (Sign In With Google). This consists of the reader's basic Google account profile information: name and email address. This data is contained in the JWT credential token returned by Google after the reader consents on the Google sign-in prompt.

EmpiricQuest does not access Google Calendar events, Gmail messages, Google Drive files, or any other Google user data. The only Google data accessed is the name and email address returned during Google Sign-In authentication.

EmpiricQuest does not access Google user data unless the reader has granted permission through Google's OAuth consent process.

Data usage

EmpiricQuest uses Google user data only to provide the authentication feature the reader requested. The email address is used to create or match the reader's WordPress account. The name is used to personalise the display name on the account.

EmpiricQuest does not use Google user data for advertising, profiling, or unrelated analytics. EmpiricQuest does not use Google user data to train artificial intelligence models.

Data sharing

EmpiricQuest does not sell Google user data. EmpiricQuest does not share Google user data with advertisers, data brokers, or unrelated third parties. Google user data is shared only when necessary to provide the requested service, comply with law, protect the site from abuse, or operate secure service infrastructure.

If a reader chooses a Deeper Pass or outside-reader feature that sends text to an outside model provider, EmpiricQuest will clearly indicate when text is being sent to an outside provider before it leaves the browser or server. Google user data is not transferred to outside model providers.

EmpiricQuest's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Data storage and protection

EmpiricQuest protects Google user data using reasonable administrative, technical, and organisational safeguards. Data is transmitted over HTTPS. Access to stored user data is limited to authorised systems and personnel needed to operate the service. Google Sign-In JWT tokens are processed server-side for verification and are not exposed in public JavaScript. EmpiricQuest does not publish Google user data or expose it in public pages.

EmpiricQuest minimises stored Google user data and uses it only for authentication. The Google Sign-In credential token is verified server-side and is not retained beyond the session required to complete the sign-in action. Only the name and email address extracted from the token are stored in the reader's WordPress user profile.

Data retention and deletion

EmpiricQuest retains Google user data (name and email) only for as long as necessary to maintain the reader's account, provide the requested service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or protect the service from abuse.

A reader may request deletion of their account data, connected Google data, uploaded documents, saved readings, and Ledger entries by contacting support@empiricquest.com. After a verified deletion request, EmpiricQuest will delete or de-identify applicable data unless retention is required by law or legitimate security obligations.

A reader may also revoke EmpiricQuest's access to Google data at any time from their Google Account permissions page.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access, correct, or delete your personal data.
• Export your Correspondent data and saved items.
• Delete your account and all associated data.

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@empiricquest.com or through the Contact page.

9. Contact

For privacy-related inquiries, reach us through the Contact page or email support@empiricquest.com.