Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 10, 2026

Introduction

Human Factors Research ("we," "us," "our," or "Company") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and interact with our services.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By accessing and using our website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our site.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly to us and information collected automatically when you interact with our website.

Information You Provide Directly

When you submit our contact form or request a discussion, we collect the following information:

• Full name
• Company or organization name
• Email address
• Phone number (optional)
• Project description or inquiry details
• Any other information you choose to provide

This information is collected only when you voluntarily submit it through our contact form or other communication channels.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and how you interact with our site, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website
• Device identifiers
• General geographic location (country/region level)

This information is collected through analytics tools and tracking technologies described in the Cookies and Tracking section below.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To Respond to Your Inquiries: We use your contact information to respond to your questions, provide information about our services, and schedule consultations.
• To Improve Our Website: We analyze usage patterns and user behavior to improve the design, content, and functionality of our website.
• To Send Communications: With your consent, we may send you information about our services, updates, and resources relevant to human factors research and medical device consulting.
• For Analytics: We use aggregated, anonymized data to understand how visitors use our site and to identify trends and patterns.
• For Legal Compliance: We may use your information to comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or governmental requests.
• To Maintain Security: We may use your information to detect, prevent, and address fraud, security issues, and other harmful activities.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and collect analytics data.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

We use Google Analytics 4 to track how visitors use our website. GA4 uses cookies to collect information such as pages visited, time on site, bounce rate, and user interactions. This data is aggregated and anonymized. Google may use this data for its own purposes, subject to Google's Privacy Policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

WebAbility Accessibility Widget

Our website uses the WebAbility widget to enhance accessibility features. The WebAbility script may collect information about your interactions with the accessibility features to help improve the tool. Please refer to WebAbility's Privacy Policy for more details on how they handle your data.

Managing Cookies

Most web browsers allow you to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. You can adjust your browser settings to disable cookies, though some website features may not function properly without them. Please refer to your browser's help section for instructions on managing cookies.

4. Third-Party Services

We use third-party service providers to help us operate our website and conduct our business. These services include:

• Google Analytics: For web analytics and usage data collection
• WebAbility: For accessibility enhancements and widget functionality
• Google Fonts: For typography and design elements
• Content Delivery Networks (CDN): For efficient delivery of website content

These third-party service providers may collect information about your use of our website in accordance with their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these service providers. We do not control how third parties use information collected through their services and are not responsible for their privacy practices.

5. Data Retention

We retain the information we collect for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

• Contact Form Data: Contact form submissions are retained for three (3) years to maintain a record of client inquiries and consultations, unless you request deletion.
• Analytics Data: Google Analytics data is aggregated and retained according to Google's standard retention policies. GA4 retains event-level data for 14 months by default.
• Email Communications: If you opt in to receive emails from us, we retain your email address until you unsubscribe or request removal.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

General Rights

• Access: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Deletion: You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Opt-Out of Marketing: You can opt out of receiving promotional emails from us at any time by following the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly.

California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including:

• The right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it
• The right to delete personal information we have collected from you (subject to certain exceptions)
• The right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of your personal information (we do not sell or share your information for third-party marketing)
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights
• The right to request information about our data handling practices for the preceding 12 months

To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@humanfactorsresearch.com or by mail at the address below. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days.

European Union Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Union, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to request access, correction, deletion, and data portability. Our legal basis for processing your information is typically your consent or our legitimate business interests. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us.

7. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for individuals under 13 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information as promptly as possible. If you have concerns about information we may have collected from a child, please contact us immediately at info@humanfactorsresearch.com.

8. Security

We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, and destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information using reasonable security measures, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You use our website at your own risk.

We encourage you to use strong passwords, change them regularly, and be cautious about the information you share online. If you have any concerns about the security of your information, please contact us.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, and other factors. The effective date at the top of this page will indicate when the policy was last updated. Your continued use of our website following the posting of revised Privacy Policy means you accept and agree to the changes. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we may notify you by email or prominent notice on our website before such changes become effective.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Human Factors Research
San Diego, CA
Phone: 1-760-994-6314
Email: info@humanfactorsresearch.com

Founded by Dr. Joely Gardner, Human Factors Research is a PhD-led medical device human factors consulting firm dedicated to advancing patient safety and usability through rigorous human factors research and testing.

We will make every effort to respond to your inquiry within 30 days of receipt. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.