What the website records
Basic analytics record the page viewed, general device category and referring website. An anonymous random identifier lasts only for the current browser tab session so repeat page views can be grouped into one visit; the raw identifier is hashed before storage. It is there to show what people find useful, not to build an advertising profile. A booking needs your name, email, mobile number, chosen service, preferred time and any message you decide to add. A professional follow-up stores your chosen contact details, the summary you approve and the recent conversation needed to give our team context.
Research Metrics AI assistant
The site assistant has to process your question to answer it, but the request is configured not to be stored by the model provider. Ordinary chat is not saved in the website database. A transcript is stored only when you deliberately create a professional enquiry and consent to share that context. Please never type passwords, PINs, OTPs, card details, government identifiers or private medical records into the chat.
Payments
Mobile-money, card, bank-transfer and Apple Pay payments are processed by Paystack. This website does not ask for or store a mobile-money PIN, card PIN, CVV or OTP. A booking or study-material unlock is confirmed only after Paystack independently verifies the merchant reference, currency, amount and successful payment status.
Study Library accounts and protected documents
The Study Library uses a Research Metrics Africa student account to keep paid access with the correct person. Passwords are stored only as strong one-way hashes; the site records verified study orders, access expiry and a limited download audit used to prevent abuse. Complete PDFs remain in private storage. An unlocked copy is prepared with the account email as a visible licence watermark. Do not upload or send private participant data, restricted lecturer material, scanned textbooks or any document you do not own or have permission to publish.
Public research tools
The public data-quality checker reads CSV, TSV and XLSX files inside your browser. It does not send the selected file to Research Metrics Africa. Use only anonymised data: remove names, phone numbers, email addresses, national identifiers, patient numbers and any other direct identifiers before selecting a file. The sample-size calculator and analysis planner process the inputs you enter on the device and may create a printable record; they do not replace a secure project workspace or analyst review.
Client projects, quality scores and Evidence Passports
Approved client workspaces can store project metadata, authorised files, version history, quality findings, issue decisions, analysis-review states, reports and audit events. The Data Integrity Score is a prioritisation summary supported by visible findings; it is not a certificate or proof of misconduct. An Evidence Passport records dataset version, quality status, analysis review, report version and named QA ownership without publishing confidential source data. A second-opinion review is recorded only for authorised project members and enforces a reviewer distinct from the requester and primary analyst.
How the platform is protected
The platform uses encrypted HTTPS, owner-only administration, same-origin checks for sensitive actions, restricted uploads, request-size limits, abuse rate limits, verified payment webhooks, security headers and private caching rules for administrative and API responses. API credentials live in protected runtime secrets, not in public source code. These controls reduce risk; they do not justify asking you for information the service does not need.
Service providers and international processing
Cloudflare provides hosting, storage and security. OpenAI processes AI requests. Paystack processes checkout payments and may present eligible card, mobile money, bank transfer or Apple Pay options. These providers process only the information necessary for their function and operate under their own privacy and security terms.
Retention and your choices
Raw analytics events are automatically removed after 13 months. A professional-enquiry transcript is erased when its owner workflow is marked closed. Bookings, payment records and remaining enquiry details are retained only as long as reasonably needed to deliver the service, handle disputes, maintain business records and meet legal obligations. You may ask to access, correct or delete eligible personal information by emailing info@researchmetricsafrica.com. Some financial records may need to be retained where the law requires it.
The honest limitation
No online system can promise perfect security. If a privacy or security incident is suspected, access will be restricted, evidence preserved, and affected people or providers contacted where appropriate.