Privacy Is Taken Seriously
Nichols Research is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of the personal information entrusted to us. We conduct market and opinion research on behalf of our clients and do not engage in direct sales or commercial marketing. We do not sell, rent, license, or otherwise provide personal information to third parties for advertising, solicitation, or direct marketing purposes.
As a professional research organization, Nichols Research adheres to recognized industry standards and best practices, including the Insights Association’s Code of Standards & Ethics. We are dedicated to collecting, using, storing, and protecting personal information responsibly and transparently.
Nichols Research provides clients with access to qualified research participants to help organizations better understand the needs, preferences, and opinions of their target audiences. The information we collect is used solely for legitimate research purposes and not for commercial sales activities.
Information regarding Website Cookies & Analytics, Google Analytics, Cookie Consent and Implied Consent, and Third-Party Analytics Providers is provided in the Policies section.
For more information on any of the subjects below, simply click on the appropriate link:
- Research Survey Personal Information
- Nichols Research Participant Database & Website
- Email Addresses & Other Communication
- Disclosure of Personal Information
- Who processes Nichols Research’s Data?
- Agreement of Confidentiality
- Information Security
- Children’s Privacy
- Nichols Research Participant Database
- Removal from Nichols Research Participant Database
Research Survey Personal Information
Personal information provided to Nichols Research is confidential and combined with information gathered from other survey participants and used in aggregate unless otherwise specified.
As a research participant/respondent you may voluntarily share your personal information with us including your name, telephone number, and email address, in order to become eligible to participate in studies. You may provide your personal information by signing up on our website ‘Participate’ page, via mail form, at community database outreach events, or responding to invitations to participate in research studies.
We never mislead a participant/respondent about the nature of the research or how information will be used. If personal information is included in the research findings, we always tell you in advance, offer you the choice to opt-out, and make sure that all information is treated with the strictest of confidence.
For more information about your rights as a participant/respondent, please view the Participant Bill of Rights.
California residents have certain additional rights related to their personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Please see our Participant page for more information.
Nichols Research Participant Database & Website
To contact a Nichols Research representative regarding our Privacy Policy: Send an email directly to privacy@nicholsresearch.com or call us at 800.680.0915.
In addition to information voluntarily submitted through our website forms, Nichols Research may collect limited website usage information through cookies and analytics technologies as described in the “Website Cookies & Analytics” section of this Privacy Policy.
Nichols Research reserves the right to modify and update this policy at any time.
Material changes will be reflected by updating the “Last Updated” date shown below. Continued use of our website following the posting of changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
Last Updated: August 31, 2026
Email Addresses & Other Communication
Nichols Research may have personal email addresses in its email system or data files which are acquired through:
- Requests for information voluntarily submitted to/through our website
- Emails/phone numbers sent to Nichols Research
- Research surveys completed for Nichols Research
- Clients who have provided email addresses/phone/cell numbers for research purposes
The FTC’s CAN-Spam act applies specifically to commercial emails sent for sales or direct marketing. Nichols Research does not fall into this category, as we never sell anything. However, we observe the CAN-SPAM act requirements that can be applied to survey research. Nichols Research uses email as a means of communicating to known or believed clients and customers. When using email to invite respondents to participate in surveys, the following processes are used to make sure we do not send SPAM:
- We clearly identify ourselves and/or our end-client when sending an invitation
- We provide contact information should there be any questions or concerns
- We provide the option to be removed from future email research invitations
- We reuse email addresses as legitimate follow-up to survey research
These processes ensure that we contact only those who could reasonably have an expectation of being contacted for research purposes.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Under certain circumstances, Nichols Research might be required or permitted by law or court order to collect, use and/or disclose personal information, with or without notice.
In the event of a sale, merger, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or acquisition of Nichols Research, the acquiring party would be bound by the terms of the Nichols Research Privacy Policy before any information would be transferred.
Personal information may also be disclosed when the survey instrument clearly states that it will be, or when a participant makes a request during the survey that can only be fulfilled by disclosing information from the survey.
Who processes Nichols Research’s Data?
Only authorized Nichols Research employees, providers, contractors or partners carrying out authorized business functions are allowed access to Nichols Research’s data or database.
Agreement of Confidentiality
Service providers, contractors, or partners who have access to survey information due to providing services for Nichols Research are bound by Confidentiality Agreements.
The Confidentiality Agreement requires such parties to keep the information confidential; they are not permitted to use the information for any purpose other than to carry out the services they are performing for Nichols Research.
Nichols Research employees are also required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement whereby they agree to keep all project and respondent personal information confidential. Employees who violate the Confidentiality Agreement are subject to disciplinary actions, up to and including termination of employment.
Information Security
Nichols Research commits to keeping personal data secure and will take all reasonable precautions to protect personal information from loss, misuse or alteration. Stored on internal network servers, data is protected by firewalls and other proper security mechanisms.
Children’s Privacy
As part of our internal policies to safeguard our respondents’ personal information and in adherence to the marketing research industry’s standard practices, Nichols Research does not knowingly make direct contact with children under the age of 15 to take part in research activities.
If we need survey information from children under the age of 15, we will first contact the parent or legal guardian to arrange the survey activities. We always encourage the parent or legal guardian to accompany their child to survey activities.
If you are the parent or legal guardian of a child whose information is stored in our participant database, you may at any time ask to check, in its entirety, the information for that child in our database. To do so, please send an email directly to privacy@nicholsresearch.com specifying your exact inquiry, or phone us at 800.680.0915. (Before any information will be provided, proof of parentage or legal guardianship will be required.)
Nichols Research Participant Database
Nichols Research maintains a secured participant database for the purpose of inviting respondents to participate in research activities.
Registration into this database is available through a link on the Nichols Research website, by signing-up via mail form, or at community database outreach events.
An invitation to participate in future survey research may also be distributed through other means.
Information provided by participants in the registration questionnaire is voluntary and is used for the purpose of identifying eligibility for participation in future survey research. Follow-up questions may be necessary to qualify a respondent for specific research studies.
Removal from Nichols Research Participant Database
Participation in the Nichols Research participant database may be discontinued at any time by sending an email to remove@nicholsresearch.com or by calling 800.680.0915 and asking to be removed.