EurekAlert! is firmly committed to protecting the privacy of its users.

Please note that this policy applies only to the EurekAlert! site, and not to other Web sites to which EurekAlert! may link. Also, given that Internet technologies are rapidly evolving, we reserve the right to modify portions of this policy at any time. You will be alerted to changes in the privacy policy by a notice on the Table of Contents. Continual use of EurekAlert! following the posting of changes to these terms will affirm acceptance of any changes that were made.

Inquiries about policies governing EurekAlert! should be forwarded to webmaster@eurekalert.org.

EurekAlert! is a public service project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C., and is administered within the Office of Public Programs.

1. Information Gathered by EurekAlert!

   EurekAlert! is divided into two areas:

   1. A public area accessible to anyone with world wide web resources, and
   2. A restricted area open to registered journalists and public information officers (PIOs).

   EurekAlert! gathers two types of information:

   1. Individual data that journalists and PIOs provide when they register, and
   2. Aggregated data on overall patterns of activity within the site. Such information enables us to accomodate our content to users' needs and to help those organizations that post information to the site to better understand the demographics of those seeing their materials.

   In general, however, EurekAlert! gathers information such as the date and time of your visit; the URL of the last Web page you visited; the type of browser and operating system you're using and your computer's IP address.

   EurekAlert! does not sell, rent or trade our list of users.

   EurekAlert! will not share information about your individual movement within the site or any other personal information about you with any third party. However, as mentioned, we may look at general usage patterns by user type (public, journalists and PIOs) to help us improve the site.

   Two exceptions:

   1. Information provided on the registration form is shared with the administrators of journals to which the user has requested access via EurekAlert!. No other information is shared. Individual access to journals is contingent upon the journal administrators of which you have requested and not by the status of your registration with EurekAlert!.
   2. The second exception would be in the case of violating EurekAlert!'s embargo policy involving material allegedly obtained via someone's password-approved access -- and only then in response to a specific request by the journal or research institution that submitted the embargoed document, or by the journalist or PIO in question. However, EurekAlert! reserves the right to decline any of these requests if there is not sufficient evidence to support the charge. If we do agree to provide information related to an alleged embargo break, only three factors may potentially be revealed and only to the relevant journal, institution and/or registered user: whether or not the person viewed the document for which the embargo was broken; if so, what time of day he or she viewed it; and whether his or her request for the file, if made, was successfully fulfilled. If we do decide to fulfill such a request by a journal or an institution, the user in question will be notified.

2. Update, Opt-Out and Deactivation Policies

   You may update the information in your contact information and other personal information at any time by going to the site and clicking on the My Settings button. However, only a EurekAlert! staff member may approve your changed status (i.e., reporter, freelancer or PIO). Requests for change of status should be made to webmaster@eurekalert.org. We may also modify the way your information appears in your profile to conform to our standards of style.

   You may also remove yourself from EurekAlert!'s database at any time by contacting us via e-mail (webmaster@eurekalert.org); telephone (202-326-6716); fax (202-898-0391) or mail:
   
   EurekAlert! Webmaster
   The American Association for the Advancement of Science
   1200 New York Ave., NW
   Washington, DC 20005