Privacy and Security Statement

This document describes the information gathering and dissemination practices for the Web sites hrs.isr.umich.edu, hrsonline.umich.edu, hrsdata.isr.umich.edu, and ssl.isr.umich.edu/hrs. These Internet sites are provided as a public service by the Health and Retirement Study. Information presented on these pages (except for downloaded datasets and files) is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate keyword/link/byline credits is requested.

Information Automatically Logged

We use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server, to administer our Web site, and for statistical purposes. We do not link IP addresses to anything personally identifiable. This means that a user's session will be tracked, but the user will be anonymous. When we do save personal information about a user (e.g., when registering for access to public data files) we do not save any information about which IP address they used. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used for no other purposes and are scheduled for regular destruction.

Cookies

Our site uses cookies for authentication purposes during the login process and while you are accessing data files.

Registration Forms

Our site's registration forms requires users to give us contact information (such as their name, e-mail address, and telephone number) and demographic information (such as their state/province and institutional affiliation). Users are also requested to provide information on research interests and environment as well as educational background).

Users are expected to provide us with information on published materials that they have authored which reference Health and Retirement Study data files. These materials will be included in an on-line public database containing bibliographic records.

Information from the user registration page may be used in summary form to provide usage data to sponsoring agencies. Unique identifiers (such as e-mail address) are collected from public data users to verify the user's identity, and for use as identifiers in our record system. Although the data user list will not be shared with third parties, the Health and Retirement Study may use the list for electronic mail user surveys, announcements of new data products, data alerts, and other purposes.

When registering for access to HRS data files, users may opt out of receiving data product and data alert announcements via electronic mail.

Security

This site has security measures in place to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. To ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government-supported computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage.

Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

Choice/Opt Out

Our site provides users the opportunity to opt out of receiving communications from us at the point where we request information from potential users of HRS public datasets and files.

This site gives users the option for removing their information from our active database or to not receive future communications, by sending electronic mail to hrsquestions@umich.edu.

Once a user's record has been removed from the active database, the user will no longer be able to download public datasets and files.

Correct/Update

This site gives users the following options for changing and modifying information previously provided:

Send electronic mail to hrsquestions@umich.edu

Send mail to the following postal address:

Health and Retirement Study
Room 3050 ISR
Box 1248
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248