Privacy Policy

Your Source understands the importance of protecting an individual’s privacy.  As a member of the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO) Your Source operates under the Market and Social Research Privacy Principles (MRSPPs), which came into effect on 1 September 2003 and replaced the National Privacy Principles in governing the handling of information about the subjects of research.

Your Source also abide by the principles of the Australia Market and Social Research Society’s Code of Professional Behaviour.

This Policy will be reviewed from time to time to take into account revised legislation, industry standards, technology, and changes to our operations and processes.

Your Source uses personal information only for research purposes. This means that we use it to investigate the behaviour, needs, attitudes, opinions, motivations or other characteristics of a whole population or particular section of a population.

Definitions used in this Policy

‘Personal Information' is information or opinions relating to an individual which can be used to identify that individual.

Some Personal Information is considered to be 'Sensitive Information'. Sensitive information includes information relating to a person's racial or ethnic origin, political opinion, membership of a political association or religious beliefs, membership of a trade union or professional or trade association, sexual preferences or practices, criminal record, or health information.

Why does Your Source collect Personal Information?

Market Research that we conduct is ultimately designed to provide accurate and timely information to government, commercial and non-profit organisations about issues relevant to their activities to support their decision making processes to help them provide better products and services to their customers, and to help public sector agencies provide better government services and policies.  What we do is designed to ultimately help create a better social and consumer environment. 

All participation in the market research is voluntary.  We respect the right of people to withhold information or not to participate in research on the basis of privacy or perceived sensitivity.

To be able to undertake market research, we need to collect Personal Information in order to provide our services and meet contractual requirements.

We collect Personal Information about individuals’ needs, opinions, feelings, preferences, usage and behaviour.  We use this information to:

• Recruit people for market research activities
• Research attitudes, needs, behaviour and other characteristics of a sample of a population or specific group
• Aggregate groups of people with similar characteristics
• Analyse similarities and differences between groups
• Contact past research participants or members of our consumer panels
• Undertake quality control procedures
• Communicate with panel members and potential research respondents
• Provide and improve our services and comply with our contractual obligations
• Market our services

While we need individual information, the value of information we collect is normally based on the aggregated data rather than individual views.  Hence, most data we use is not identified as relating to any specific individual. 

In rare instances (such as some business to business research) there is a requirement to identify specific individuals interviewed, and where this is required the individual is told of this requirement in advance and able to decline being interviewed.

Who do we collect Personal Information about?

Personal Information we collect includes information about:

• consumers generally and members of the public about whom we may have been provided information
• research respondents who have provided information to us or whom we have been provided with information about
• our clients, their employees, clients, customers, suppliers, former customers, and competitors
• our suppliers
• prospective employees, employees, and contractors; and other people who may come into contact with Your Source

What Personal Information is collected?

The type of Personal Information we collect depends greatly on the nature of the research being undertaken, or other purpose for that information.  Generally, information for research purposes includes:

· Demographics, such as name, contact details, age, gender, occupation, income

· Geographics, such as address, postcode

· Behaviour, such as what people do, what people use and why

· Needs, such as what people want, or need in terms of products and services

· Attitudes, such as how people feel about things, or opinions people have

Sensitive information will be used and disclosed only for the purpose for which it was provided or a directly related secondary purpose, unless agreed otherwise, or where certain other limited circumstances apply under the Privacy Act (eg, where required by law).  We will use our best endeavours to respect individual privacy and sensitivities when collecting Sensitive Information.

How is Personal Information collected?

We collect Personal Information from individuals who wish to participate in research we undertake, whether for focus groups or in-depth interviews, over the telephone surveys, face to face surveys, surveys on the Internet or other forms of research.  This information is provided voluntarily and sometimes individuals are paid to provide information about themselves.

We obtain Personal Information about people from publicly available sources such as the telephone book and from clients who hold information about people they would like us to conduct research with (for example customers or former customers).  In some cases we are provided with information about people by a third party (for example a person in a focus group or a reference source).

When might Personal Information be disclosed?

Personal Information may be disclosed for research purposes and as otherwise required by law, to:

• Employees of Your Source
• Companies which are part of the Your Source group
• Contractors or subcontractors engaged by Your Source for research (for example fieldwork suppliers) or other purposes relating to our business activities, such as interviewing, data processing, mailing houses, internet services
• Other companies or individuals who perform services for us in our research activities (such as interviewers, data processors, respondent recruiters, quality control consultants, internet service providers, telecommunications providers, and mailing houses)
• Organisations or persons who we are authorised to disclose it to, such as, our clients

Except in relation to the above, or as otherwise required by law, Personal Information will not be disclosed to persons not involved with our research without the consent of the individual providing that information. 

Security and Accuracy of Personal Information

We use our best efforts to ensure that Personal Information is stored securely and not misused or disclosed in any unauthorised way.  We employ industry standard methods of data storage and security for both electronic and hard copy information, including restricting physical access to offices, as well as imposing firewalls and secure databases to keep personal information secure from misuse, loss or unauthorised use or disclosure. 

Where we no longer require Personal Information and are permitted by law to dispose of it, we will take reasonable steps to destroy it.  Research respondents may ask us to destroy their Personal Information or to render it unidentifiable at an earlier date.

Your Source takes reasonable measures to make sure that the Personal Information held is accurate and up-to-date.  We encourage members of our Consumer Panel to maintain their details using secure online access where practical.

All Your Source employees are required to respect the confidentiality of Personal Information and the privacy of individuals.

Access to your Personal Information

While information remains identifiable, a respondent may request, subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act, access to, or deletion of, any personal information that is held, by contacting the Your Source's Privacy Officer at the address listed below.

If a panel member seeks deletion of their Personal Information, it may be necessary to remove them from the panel in which case all obligations to the respondent will cease.

Should a respondent require access to their Personal Information Your Source will require them to verify their identity and to specify what information is required.  A fee may be charged for providing access based on the time required for our staff to process your request.  Your Source will advise of the fee which, if charged, would be payable in advance.

Enquiries

If you have any queries or concerns about the Your Source Privacy Policy, or if you wish to make a complaint about how Your Source have handled Personal Information, please contact our nominated Privacy Officer, using the contact details below:

Kim Kreuzer

Privacy Officer

Your Source

(03) 9564 5204
kim.kreuzer@yrsource.com