Privacy Policy

PRIVACY AT OTTOMAN RESEARCH

1. Overview

Ottoman Research operates this website and is responsible for the personal information described in this policy. This policy applies to website visitors, people who contact us, research enquirers and clients, Heritage Shop customers, account holders and newsletter subscribers where subscription is offered.

We aim to collect only information that is relevant to the purpose for which it is provided and to handle it in a proportionate, confidential and secure manner.

2. Information We Collect

The information collected depends on how you interact with the website and may include:

Contact information: name, email address, country and correspondence details.
Research-enquiry information: research type, questions, known names, dates, places, relationships, historical context and other information you choose to provide.
Documents or images: files you choose to upload or later provide where a research workflow permits this.
Client and project records: scope, quotation, instructions, correspondence, research notes, deliverables and records needed to administer commissioned work.
Shop and account information: account details, billing and delivery information, order history, download records and customer-service correspondence.
Technical information: IP address, browser and device information, server logs, security events and essential cookie data.
Newsletter information: email address and consent preferences where you voluntarily subscribe.

Please do not provide information that is unnecessary for your enquiry, order or correspondence.

3. How We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

respond to general correspondence;
review and assess a research enquiry;
request clarification where necessary;
prepare a scope and quotation;
provide commissioned research and agreed deliverables;
administer Heritage Shop orders, accounts and downloads;

provide customer support;
maintain business and accounting records;
operate, maintain and secure the website;
prevent misuse, fraud or unauthorised access;
comply with legal obligations; and
establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Submitting a research enquiry or general contact form does not automatically subscribe you to marketing communications.

4. Lawful Bases for Processing

Depending on the activity, processing may be based on one or more of the following:

Pre-contractual stepsReviewing an enquiry and preparing a requested scope or quotation.

ContractProviding commissioned research, shop purchases, downloads or related customer service.

Legal obligationKeeping records or making disclosures where applicable law requires this.

Legitimate interestsOperating and protecting the website and business, managing correspondence, records, security and legal claims where those interests are not overridden by individual rights.

ConsentUsed where consent is the appropriate basis, including optional marketing or non-essential technologies where applicable.

Where particularly sensitive personal information is involved, we will consider any additional condition required by applicable data-protection law.

5. Historical, Genealogical and Family Information

Research enquiries may contain information about historical persons, relatives or living individuals. Depending on the material supplied, this may reveal family relationships, identity information, nationality, ethnicity, religion or other sensitive matters.

Please provide only information that is relevant to the research question. Avoid unnecessary identity documents, financial information, medical information or sensitive details about living people unless their inclusion is genuinely necessary and you have an appropriate basis for providing them.

Historical and archival information may also come from public records, archives, libraries, catalogues, published works and other legitimate research sources.

6. Heritage Shop, Accounts and Payments

If you use the Heritage Shop, we may process information required to manage products, orders, customer accounts, billing, delivery, digital downloads, refunds and customer support.

Where an external payment provider is enabled, payment information is processed through the provider displayed during checkout. Ottoman Research does not intend to store complete payment-card details on its own website systems.

Research services remain subject to their separate written enquiry, scope and quotation process and are not automatically treated as standard shop products.

7. Cookies and Technical Data

Essential cookies and similar technologies may be used where necessary for website operation, security, shopping-cart functions, account sessions, forms and preferences.

Non-essential analytics, advertising or marketing technologies should be used only where enabled and where the applicable consent or other legal requirements have been addressed. Further information is available in the Cookie Policy.

8. Sharing Information

We do not sell personal information or client research material.

Information may be shared only where reasonably necessary with categories of recipients such as:

website hosting, email, security and technical service providers;
e-commerce, payment, delivery or digital-download providers where relevant;
specialist research collaborators or service providers where required for an agreed project;
professional advisers such as accountants, insurers or legal advisers; and
public authorities or regulators where disclosure is required by law.

Recipients should receive only the information reasonably necessary for their role.

9. International Transfers

Some service providers, archives, research resources or collaborators may be located outside the United Kingdom. Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will consider the applicable data-protection requirements and use an appropriate transfer mechanism or safeguard where required.

10. How Long We Keep Information

Personal information is kept only for as long as reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. Retention decisions may take account of:

the status and nature of an enquiry, order or commissioned project;
client-service and contractual requirements;
accounting and legal obligations;
the sensitivity and research value of the information;
security, dispute and legal-claim requirements; and
whether information can be securely deleted or anonymised.

11. Security

Your Information Is Treated with Care

Ottoman Research uses proportionate technical and organisational measures intended to protect information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure. Access is limited to those who reasonably need the information for the relevant purpose.

No website, server, email system or transmission method can be guaranteed completely secure.

12. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis used, you may have rights to:

AccessRequest a copy of personal information held about you.

CorrectionAsk for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected.

ErasureRequest deletion where the applicable legal conditions are met.

RestrictionAsk for processing to be restricted in certain circumstances.

PortabilityReceive certain information in a portable format where the right applies.

ObjectionObject to certain processing, including direct marketing.

These rights are not absolute in every situation. Information may need to be retained where there is a legal obligation, an overriding lawful reason or a need to establish, exercise or defend legal claims. Where processing is based on consent, consent may be withdrawn without affecting processing already carried out lawfully.

Privacy requests can be sent to enquiries@ottomanresearch.com. Reasonable identity verification may be requested before a rights request is completed.

If you are in the United Kingdom and remain dissatisfied after raising a privacy concern with us, you may also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

13. Children

The website and research services are not designed as online services directed at children. If information about a child is provided in a legitimate family-history or historical-research context, only information reasonably necessary for that purpose should be supplied.

14. Changes to This Policy

This policy may be updated when website functions, service providers, research practices, commerce arrangements or legal requirements change. The “Last updated” date at the top of the page will be revised when a substantive update is published.

PRIVACY CONTACT

15. Questions or Privacy Requests

For privacy questions, requests or concerns, contact Ottoman Research using the published business email or the general Contact page. No personal residential address or individual researcher name is displayed on this page.

Email Ottoman Research Contact Page