1. Information we handle
We may process account identifiers, name, email, institution, discipline, academic level, assigned role, profile details, topic and consultation records, learning progress, submissions, reviews, support messages, publication metadata, payment and receipt records, pilot feedback, security events and audit records.
2. Why we use it
Information is used to authenticate users; deliver role-based features; operate consultations, learning, editorial review, repository and support workflows; process and verify payments; issue receipts; communicate service notices; protect integrity and security; meet legal obligations; and produce appropriately aggregated operational or institutional reports.
3. Confidential research information
Draft topics, manuscripts, reviewer reports, unpublished decisions and private support files are access-controlled. They are shared only with authorised users needed for the relevant workflow, such as the author, assigned lecturer, editor, accepted reviewer or support worker. Institutional administrators receive institution-level oversight but not confidential reviewer identities, private manuscripts, payments or support conversations.
4. Payments and service providers
Payment gateways may process transaction references, payer details, card or Mobile Money information under their own privacy terms. ResearchBridge Africa stores verification results and operational payment records but should not receive or store your Mobile Money PIN, full card credentials or one-time passcode. Hosting, authentication, storage and communications providers may process limited information needed to supply their services.
5. Publication and public information
When research is approved for public repository access, its title, authorship, affiliation, abstract, keywords, date, publication type, identifier and access status may become public. Open full text is public only where the applicable rights and access setting permit it. Social sharing may transmit a public page link to the selected external service.
6. Retention
We retain information for as long as needed for the service, academic record, security, audit, contractual and legal purposes. Some repository and audit records may be retained after account closure to preserve publication history, prevent fraud or document decisions. Data no longer required should be deleted or de-identified where reasonably possible.
7. Your choices and rights
Subject to applicable law and legitimate academic-record obligations, you may request access, correction or deletion of personal information; object to or restrict certain processing; update your profile and notification choices; or raise a concern about handling. A request may require identity verification. Removing public full text does not always require deletion of the permanent bibliographic record.
8. Security and international processing
We use role permissions, protected file routes, audit logging, workflow checks and managed infrastructure to reduce risk. No system can promise absolute security. Service providers may process information outside Ghana subject to their safeguards and applicable requirements.
9. Children and sensitive information
The platform is intended primarily for tertiary education and adult research communities. Do not upload unnecessary sensitive personal information. Research involving human participants remains subject to the researcher’s and institution’s ethics and data-protection responsibilities.
10. Privacy concerns
Use the Help Center and Support Services to submit a privacy request or report a suspected disclosure. Do not include passwords, PINs or unnecessary third-party personal data.