GeoVISTA | codex

INFORMED CONSENT STATEMENT AND TERMS OF USE
HERO COLLABORATORY

The HERO Collaboratory is a web service of the Human-Environment Regional Observatory (HERO) project at the Pennsylvania State University.  The following statement describes the Collaboratory terms of use and privacy policy for the following Collaboratory components accessible through the HERO web site.  Hereafter, the terms "Collaboratory," "system," or "service" refer to any and all of the following components: e-Delphi, Codex, and web conferencing.  Please read the entire document and indicate your acceptance by clicking "I accept" below.

By accepting these terms, you agree to use the Collaboratory system pursuant to the conditions below and to allow HERO to analyze secondary data about your use of the system.  If you do not accept these terms and click "I do not accept", you may not use the Collaboratory system.

The secondary data analyzed may be used as part of HERO's research program to explore the usability of Collaboratory tools.  For example, we may analyze usage patterns of Collaboratory tools to better understand how users interact with the system and with each other.  Some of our research may require us to present you with an additional Informed Consent Document (for example, when we ask you to respond to surveys about your use of the Collaboratory); if this is the case, you will be asked to read and indicate your acceptance of the document prior to participating in the research activity.

HERO may modify these terms at any time.  Any future modifications to the Collaboratory system will be subject to these terms, unless otherwise stated.

Some Collaboratory activities, such as e-Delphi exercises and web conferences, may be sponsored by other organizations.  The HERO Collaboratory merely provides the infrastructure for these activities and is not responsible for the content, style, purpose, or use of these activities or any information that results from them.

This consent document applies to all Collaboratory activities that you participate in, whether sponsored by HERO or another organization.  Some organizations that sponsor activities on this system may require you to accept additional terms of consent prior to participation in an individual activity.  You will be presented with those terms the first time you access such an activity.

If you have any questions about our privacy policy or terms of use, please contact us.  Questions about the consent policies of a particular e-Delphi exercise should be directed to the moderator of that activity.

SECONDARY DATA COLLECTION

HERO may collect data about your participation in any Collaboratory activity.  These data include, but are not limited to: the time and duration of your sessions, the frequency of your contributions, the number of activities that you participate in, and your actions while interacting with a web page.  We may also use cookies to recognize your browser when you access our site and provide you with personalized information.  In addition to information that you provide us, we may collect some information automatically, such as your browser type, IP address, and operating system, to help us improve our service.  You may choose not to provide certain identifying information, but you may not be able to participate in Collaboratory activities or use certain functionality as a result.

The data we collect will not be shared with any other organization unless we ask for, and you grant us, permission to do so.  While these data can be associated with your identity, we will remove all identifying information before sharing data or analyses with any other party.

We will NOT collect information about the content of your interactions with the Collaboratory system, such as the content of the messages you write.  However, the organization sponsoring an individual Collaboratory activity in which you participate may collect this information as part of its research program.  If such information will be collected and analyzed, and the sponsoring organization requires informed consent, you will be asked to read and indicate your acceptance of a separate consent form.

Any secondary data on system usage that we collect may be used for the HERO Collaboratory's own research program, and as such may be made public in aggregate form.  No information that could identify users of the system will be included in these reports.

We may also ask you to provide feedback on the Collaboratory tools through additional surveys and questionnaires.  Your participation in these surveys is optional, and your responses will not be associated with your identity.

Your use of the HERO Collaboratory system is pursuant to the following terms:

Your interaction with the Collaboratory system is not encrypted.  Therefore, any information you submit over the Internet may be viewed by a third party without your knowledge.

All information about your interaction with the Collaboratory system (including primary and secondary data) is stored with your account information and can therefore be associated with your identity.  However, personally identifying information will not be made public unless we ask for, and you grant us, permission to do so.

HERO may suspend any Collaboratory activity or user at its discretion, for any reason and at any time.

Your anonymity may or may not be preserved during a particular collaborative activity, depending on the decisions of the sponsoring organization.

HERO makes no guarantees about the availability of Collaboratory services at any time or about the suitability of the services for a particular purpose.

You may not use any of the Collaboratory services for any unlawful purpose.  You may not interfere with the operation of any component of the Collaboratory system or with other members' use of it.  You may not attempt to gain access to another user's account or to access the Collaboratory system or any information associated with it through any means other than those intentionally provided to you.

You may not modify, copy, distribute, publish, sell, or otherwise reproduce any of the content or design of the Collaboratory system.

You may not use the Collaboratory system to distribute or store files or information that are protected by copyright, that infringe upon the rights of other users, or that cause harm to other users or their hardware or software.

Some Collaboratory activities may allow you to connect to other web sites not operated by HERO.  HERO is not responsible for these web sites, which may have privacy policies and terms of use that differ from those of the HERO Collaboratory.

HERO, its members, or its affiliates may have patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering the content, design, and interface of any Collaboratory web pages.


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