Privacy Policy
Editarians’ privacy policy outlines our commitment to safeguarding the personal information our clients entrust to us and the principles and practices we follow in protecting that information. We manage personal information in accordance with Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act and other applicable laws.
This privacy policy applies to Editarians staff and to any person providing services on our behalf. A copy is provided to any client on request.
What Is Personal Information?
Personal information means information about an identifiable individual. This includes an individual’s name, home address, phone number, email address, business contact information, educational history, etc. Manuscripts, websites, or other documentation submitted for our review are considered to be confidential and privileged documents.
What Personal Information Do We Collect?
We collect only the personal information that we need for the purposes of providing services to our clients. This information enables us to
- open and manage an account
- deliver requested services on time
- contact clients about their work
- administer our referral program
- grant credit
- follow up with clients to determine satisfaction
- notify clients of upcoming events of interest
We normally collect client information directly from our clients. We may collect information from other persons with client consent or as authorized by law.
We inform our clients, before or at the time of collecting personal information, of the purposes for which we are collecting the information. The only time we don’t provide this notification is when a client volunteers information for an obvious purpose (for example, when sending us a writing sample using our web form).
Consent
We ask for consent to collect, use, or disclose client personal information, except in specific circumstances where collection, use, or disclosure without consent is authorized or required by law. We may assume consent in cases where information is volunteered for an obvious purpose. We may not be able to provide certain services if clients are unwilling to provide consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of certain personal information.
In cases where we collected personal information before January 1, 2004, we assume consent to our use and, where applicable, disclosure for the purpose for which the information was collected.
A client may withdraw consent to the use and disclosure of personal information at any time, unless the personal information is necessary for us to fulfil our legal obligations. We will respect a client’s decision, but we may not be able to provide certain services if we do not have the necessary personal information.
How Do We Use and Disclose Personal Information?
We use and disclose client personal information only for the purposes for which the information was collected, except as authorized by law. For example, we may use client contact information to communicate with clients about their written work, enter deadlines into our workflow calendar, and ensure that we are using the correct style guide. The law also allows us to use that contact information for the purpose of collecting a debt owed to our organization, should that be necessary.
If we wish to use or disclose client personal information for any new business purpose, we will ask for consent. We will not, without a client’s express permission, quote from a manuscript under our review or circulate copies of it except as required for editorial review. In addition, we will not use client material to advance our own or others’ work without client consent.
How Do We Safeguard Personal Information?
We make every reasonable effort to ensure that client information is accurate and complete. We rely on our clients to notify us if there is a change in their personal information that may affect their relationship with our organization. If you are aware of an error in our information, please let us know and we will correct it wherever possible. In some cases we may ask for a written request for correction.
We protect client personal information in a manner appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. We make every reasonable effort to prevent any loss, misuse, disclosure, or modification of personal information, as well as any unauthorized access to personal information.
We use appropriate security measures when destroying client personal information, including shredding paper records and permanently deleting electronic records. We retain client personal information only as long as is reasonable to fulfill the purposes for which the information was collected or for legal or business purposes.
Access to Records Containing Personal Information
Editarians’ clients have a right to access their personal information in a record that is in our custody or under our control, subject to some exceptions. For example, organizations are required under the Personal Information Protection Act to refuse to provide access to information that would reveal personal information about another individual. Organizations are authorized under the Act to refuse access to personal information if disclosure would reveal confidential business information. Access may also be refused if the information is privileged or contained in mediation records.
If we refuse a request in whole or in part, we will provide the reasons for the refusal. In some cases where exceptions to access apply, we may withhold that information and provide the client with the remainder of the record. Clients may make a verbal or written request for access to their personal information. They must provide sufficient detail in the request to allow us to identify the information being sought.
Clients may also request information about our use of personal information and any disclosure of that information to persons outside our organization. For personal information collected before January 2004, if we do not have a record of disclosures, we will provide information about any disclosure that is likely to have occurred. Clients may also request a correction of an error or omission in their personal information.
By law, we must respond to a request within 45 calendar days, unless an extension is granted; however, we will endeavour to reply much more promptly than this. We may charge a reasonable fee to provide information but not to make a correction. We will advise clients of any fees that may apply before beginning to process a request.
Questions and Complaints
If clients have questions or concerns about any collection, use, or disclosure of personal information by Editarians, or about a request for access to personal information, they are asked to please contact our PIPA compliance officer, Karen Crosby:
Phone: (403) 680-0424
Email: PIPA.compliance@editarians.com
If clients are not satisfied with the response received, they should contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta:
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
Suite 2460, 801-6 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3W2
Phone: (403) 297-2728 Toll Free: 1 (888) 878-4044
Email: generalinfo@oipc.ab.ca
Website: www.oipc.ab.ca