This web site ("Site") is owned and operated by Elsevier Limited, whose registered office is at The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1GB, United Kingdom, registered in England and Wales, Reg. Co. No. 1982084, VAT No. 494627212 ("Elsevier", "we", "us", "our").
Elsevier is committed to maintaining your confidence and trust with respect to the information we collect from you. This privacy policy sets forth what information we collect about you, how we use your information and the choices you have about how we use your information.
This Site automatically collects information on our server logs from your web browser regarding your use of the Site. Examples of information we collect automatically from all users include the Internet Protocol ("IP") address used to connect your computer to the Internet; computer and connection information such as browser type and version, operating system, and platform; and full Uniform Resource Locator ("URL") click stream data, including date and time, and content you viewed or searched for on the Site.
This Site also collects information through the use of "cookies." Cookies are anonymous, unique alphanumeric identifiers sent to your browser from a web site's computers and stored on your computer's hard drive. The type of information we collect as a result of a cookie being stored on your computer is specific to your computer. We use "session" cookies to collect information about your use of the Site (e.g., whether you are logged in) and so that you may view articles, abstracts or other records and browse from page to page. These cookies are temporary and are deleted when you close your browser. We use "persistent" cookies to give you a more personalized browsing experience and help you navigate the Site more efficiently.
We collect and use, and may from time to time supply third parties with, this information only as anonymous, aggregated user data for the purposes of usage analysis, quality control and administrating and improving the Site.
This Site also uses Nielsen//NetRating's SiteCensus service to collect statistical site usage information from your web browser and through the use of cookies and its Market Intelligence service to administer random "pop-up" surveys while visiting the Site. For more information on the information that NetRatings collects and processes through these services, please read the Nielsen/NetRatings' SiteCensus, Market Intelligence and AdIntelligence Cookie and Privacy Policy.
You can prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or disable cookies altogether by accessing your browser's preferences menu. If you choose to disable cookies altogether, you will not be able to use the Site.
This Site also uses DoubleClick's DART cookie to manage, serve and report on advertisements visited on the Site. For more information about this ad-serving technology or to opt-out of the DART cookie, please read the DoubleClick DART Ad-Serving and Search Cookie Opt-Out.
We sometimes request users of the Site to provide personal information. The information collected from a user is strictly voluntary and may include contact information such as the user's name, e-mail address, and postal address.
In order to access certain content and to make use of the full functionality and advanced personalization features of the Site such as alerts, access to full text articles, to change your password or update your profile, we may ask you to register and obtain a personal User Name and Password. You may be prompted to register when you:
The information collected from the registration form that is presented to users when they choose register may include contact information, such as the user's name, e-mail address, postal address, job title, country, telephone number, profession, principal professional field, subject area of interest, medical specialty and work setting ("Registration Information"). The Registration Information is linked directly to a personal User Name and Password chosen by the user and can only be retrieved by supplying the correct User Name and Password that is linked to that profile.
We use the personal information that you provide for such purposes as:
Access to your personal information is restricted to our employees, agents, representatives and service providers, such as our data processing, printing and fulfilment operations, and entities for whom we are acting as an agent, licensee or publisher, such as our affiliated group companies, for the purposes set forth above. Your personal information may be used by all of our trading names and transferred to countries outside of the European Economic Area ("EEA"), including to the United States, for processing. These countries may not have similar data protection laws to the EEA. If we transfer your information outside of the EEA in this way, we will take steps to ensure that your privacy rights continue to be protected. In addition, if you access the Site while you are outside of the EEA, your information may be transferred outside of the EEA in order to provide you with such access.
With your consent, we also may share your personal information with affiliated Elsevier group companies located both inside and outside of the EEA in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United States and/or with non-affiliated third parties located inside and outside of the EEA that wish to send you information about their products and services that may be of interest to you, and users who have consented to receive such information may receive communications from these third parties. If you wish us to pass your personal information to such third parties, please tick the appropriate check box when you register or access or amend your preferences by logging in and clicking on the "My Profile" link at any time.
We will not otherwise disclose any personal information without your consent except under the following circumstances:
Registered Users may access their identified contact information and other Registration Information and correct any discrepancies or update information by contacting our Customer Service Department at the address or telephone number detailed below and/or clicking on the relevant "My Profile" link at any time.
If you wish to receive alerts, newsletters, special offers or promotions from us, please tick the appropriate check box when you register for personalized services or access or amend your preferences by logging in and clicking on the relevant "My Profile" link at any time. If you wish to cease receiving any of this information, amend your preferences either by contacting our Customer Service Department at the address or telephone number detailed below, and/or clicking on the relevant "My Profile" link, or by using the "opt-out" or unsubscribe option or other means provided within the communications you receive.
We contract with third-party advertisers that post on the Site banner ads, which may link to other websites not under our control. These third-party advertisers may use cookie technology to measure the effectiveness of their ads or may otherwise collect personally identifiable information from you when you leave this site. We are not responsible or liable for any content, advertising, products or other materials offered from such advertisers. Transactions that occur between you and the third party are strictly between you and the third party and are not our responsibility. You should review the privacy policy of any third-party advertiser, as their policies may differ from ours.
We retain the personal information we collect from you for as long as the information is relevant to our business purposes or until you request that we remove the data by contacting our Customer Service Department at the address or telephone number detailed below.
We recognize that your privacy is important to you, and therefore we endeavour to keep your personal information confidential. The personal and demographic information about each user is stored on servers that are behind a firewall and physically housed within a secured data centre. Furthermore, our internal practices help protect your privacy by limiting employee access to and use of personal information. However, we do not represent, warrant, or guarantee that your personal information will be protected against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alterations, and do not accept any liability for the security of the personal information submitted to us nor for your or third parties' use or misuse of personal information.
If at any time this Site offers any chat rooms, blogs, newsgroups, notice boards, online forums, directories, etc. we may collect the information that you disclose. Such information will be used in accordance with this privacy policy. Please note that we cannot be responsible for other parties' use of the information that you make available to such third parties through any chat room, blogs, notice board, newsgroup, online forum, directories, etc. on this Site. Please be careful about what information you disclose in this way.
The foregoing is the current privacy policy of the Site. We reserve the right to change this policy at any time without notice. Any changes to this policy will be posted on this web page. Our policy does not create a contract or any legal rights.
This privacy policy applies solely to the information you provide while visiting this Site. The terms of this privacy policy do not govern personal information furnished through any means other than this Site (such as via telephone or postal mail).
This Site may contain links to other web sites that are beyond our control. Other web sites to which you link may contain privacy policies that are different from this privacy policy. We encourage you to check the privacy policy of each web site you visit before submitting any information to them.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this privacy policy, please contact our Customer Service Department at:
The Lancet Customer Services
Elsevier Ltd.
The Boulevard
Langford Lane
Kidlington
Oxford
OX5 1GB
Tel +44 (0) 1865 843077
Fax + 44 (0) 1865 843970
E-mail: custserv@lancet.com
If at any time you believe that we have not adhered to this privacy policy or you have a complaint regarding the way your personal information is being handled, please contact our Customer Service Department. Disputes under this privacy policy will be resolved by our Customer Service Department, which will use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly investigate and, if necessary, to correct any problem.
Last revised: 30 September 2008