privacy policy page

Last updated and effective: September 16, 2021

The American Institute of Physics (“AIP”) and its wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary AIP Publishing LLC (“AIP Publishing”) (collectively, “we,” “us,” or “our”) are committed to protecting your privacy and value your trust. This Privacy Policy describes our general privacy practices, including what information we collect, how we use it, with whom we disclose it, and how we safeguard it. It also explains the choices you have with respect to your information. How we handle information about you depends on how you interact with us and our various websites, products, services, tools, and platforms. For purposes of this Privacy Policy, any reference to “our website(s)” shall include those websites that link to or refer to this Privacy Policy. Note that certain products or services work differently and may have unique terms that supplement this Privacy Policy or refer to a different privacy policy altogether. For example, in some situations, we host websites on behalf of third parties, such as AIP’s Member or Affiliated Societies (the “Member Societies” or “Affiliated Societies”). When we receive and process information in connection with those websites, the privacy policy of the individual Member Society or Affiliated Society to whom you are submitting your information will apply. When we receive and process information for our own purposes, the processing of that information is governed by this Privacy Policy.

You can use the following links to jump to specific sections of our Privacy Policy:

Information we collect
How information is used
How information is disclosed
Cookies and other data collection technologies
Your choices and how to exercise them
How we protect your information
Links and third-party websites
Information for California residents
Information for non-U.S. residents
Changes to This Privacy Policy
Contact information

Information we collect

We collect information about you in a variety of ways depending on how you interact with us and our products and services, both online and offline. This may include:

Information you provide to us, such as when you register for an account, sign up for and/or attend an event or conference, participate in a survey, subscribe to one of our publications or newsletters, make a purchase, or contact us;
Information we collect automatically from your browser or device when you visit our websites or interact with our communications or advertisements. For more information, please see the “Cookies and other data collection technologies” section below;
Information we get from third parties, such as our service providers, your organization (if they purchase an organization-wide subscription for one of our products or services), or individuals that participate in peer reviews; and
Information from other sources, such as publicly available sources or social media and third-party platforms and networks that you use.

Some of the information we collect includes personal information that can be used to identify you. The following provides examples of the types of information that we collect and how we use that information.

Information Typically Collected by Both AIP and AIP Publishing

Context	Examples of Types of Information	Primary Purpose for Collection and Use
Account Registration	When you register for an account, we collect your name and contact information. In some cases, we collect additional information relevant to your account, such as your organization, institution, or affiliation, country, society membership details, and other similar information. We also collect information relating to the actions that you perform while logged into your account.	We use your information to set up your account and make available those products or services you have requested. We also have a legitimate interest in providing account-related services and support to our users, such as creating account efficiencies through single customer records and communicating important administrative and transactional announcements about user accounts.
Conferences and Events	If you register for a conference or event or visit one of our booths at a conference or event, we collect your name, contact information, and in some cases payment information (if applicable). We may ask for additional information, such as your job title, organization, institution, or affiliation name, and other similar information. If the conference or event is hosted by a third party, the third party’s privacy policy will also apply to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information.	We use your information to complete your registration and to process your payment of any registration fees (where applicable). We also have a legitimate interest in providing you with information and services associated with the event or conference.
Employment	If you apply for a job posting, or become an employee, we collect information necessary to process your application or to retain you as an employee. This may include, among other things, your name, contact information, resume or CV, Social Security Number, and any other required information. Providing this information is required for employment.	We use information about current employees to perform our contract of employment and information about job applicants in anticipation of a contract of employment. In some contexts, we are also required by law to collect information about our employees. We also have a legitimate interest in using your information to ensure efficient staffing and work force operations.
Inquiries/Support	If you send us an inquiry, contact us for support, provide feedback, request a price quote for a product or service, or otherwise communicate with us online or offline, we will collect your name, contact information, and any other content that you send to us in order to reply.	We have a legitimate interest in responding to your inquiries, receiving and acting upon your feedback or issues, and communicating with you about information that you have requested.
Mailing Lists	When you sign up for one of our mailing lists, such as subscribing to a newsletter, signing up for alerts, or requesting other communications related to news, product information, and other offers, we collect your name and contact information.	We share information about our products and services with individuals that consent to receive such information.
Making a Purchase	When you purchase a product or a service, we collect your name, email address, phone number, billing and/or shipping address, and payment information (e.g., credit card number, expiration date, and CVV/CVC).	We use your information to perform our contract to provide you with the products or services that you request, including to process your payments.
Member Societies/ Affiliated Societies	We may be retained to provide certain administrative and other services to AIP’s Member Societies and Affiliated Societies, including hosting a society’s website. When that happens, we collect information on behalf of, and as instructed by, the Member Society or Affiliated Society. For example, if you have registered with one of AIP’s Member Societies or Affiliated Societies, we receive your information from that society to set up your account and provide you with access.	When we receive information on behalf of AIP’s Member Societies or Affiliated Societies who engage us to provide services, we use the information in accordance with their instructions. When we act in this capacity, the Member Society or Affiliated Society determines the purposes for which information is collected and how it is used.
Public Health and Safety	In certain situations, such as when a serious public health threat has been identified, we may collect information from employees, guests, and other individuals accessing our premises. This may include medical and health information, such as body temperature, symptoms, and underlying health conditions. In some cases, we may also collect medical, health, and related information about an employee’s children, family member, or other individuals under the employee’s care.	We have a legitimate interest in protecting the health and safety of our employees and guests. In some jurisdictions we may be required by law or regulation to collect and retain information related to issues of public health and safety. We have a legitimate interest in complying with the laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate.
Social Media Platforms	Some of our websites have features made available by third-party social media platforms. If you use these features, such as associating your social media account with our websites, we receive certain information from the social media platform. Additionally, when you interact with our branded social media pages, such as, on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, we collect the information you provide on those pages.	We have a legitimate interest in interacting with you on social media and collecting information relevant to our organization.
Surveys and Giveaways	When you participate in a survey, we collect your name, contact information, and any other content that you provide through the survey. In some cases, we may give you the opportunity to enter into a drawing to win a prize. If you enter into a drawing, we collect your name and contact information. Some giveaways might have additional rules about how we use and disclose your information.	We have a legitimate interest in understanding your opinions and collecting information relevant to our organization. We also have a legitimate interest in operating our giveaways, including notifying you if you are a winner.

Information Typically Collected by AIP Only

Context	Examples of Types of Information	Primary Purpose for Collection and Use
Charitable Contributions	If you make a charitable contribution, we collect your name, email address, phone number, billing information, and payment information (e.g., credit card number, expiration date, and CVV/CVC).	We use your information to perform our contract to process your donation, including to process your payment.
Statistical Research Surveys / Oral Histories	If you participate in a survey or oral history interview, we collect demographic information, education information, and any other information that you provide through the survey and/or interview.	We have a legitimate interest in conducting research and collecting data relevant to our organization.

Information Typically Collected by AIP Publishing Only

Context	Examples of Types of Information	Primary Purpose for Collection and Use
Author Commissioning	If you are the organizer of a conference held within the physical sciences, or a leading researcher in your field with topic-specific expertise, we may reach out to you by email to invite you to publish a conference proceeding, book, or journal article with us. Through our commissioning activities, we compile information including name, email, organization, institution, affiliation, research area, previous publications, and other relevant information from a number of sources, such as publicly available sites, internal databases, and third-party contacts and networks.	We have a legitimate interest in publishing the best scientific research possible by contacting the top researchers in the field. Researchers also benefit from the recognition and prestige of publishing in AIP Publishing’s journals. In certain jurisdictions, where required by law we only contact individuals that consent to receive such communications.
Manuscript Submissions/Peer Review System	If you participate in AIP Publishing’s manuscript submission and peer review system (Peer X-Press or “PXP”), you will be asked to provide information, such as your name, ORCID number, email address, institutional affiliation, and country of residence.	We have a legitimate interest facilitating submissions and efficient transfers of manuscripts to other AIP Publishing-owned journals. We use your information to perform our contract to provide you with products or services.

In addition to the information that we collect from you directly, we also receive information about you from other sources, including third parties, business partners, our affiliates, or publicly available sources. For example, if you are provided with a subscription to one of our websites through your employer or institution, we receive your information from your employer or institution to set up your account. In addition, if an author recommends you as a reviewer for his or her paper, or invites you to register for one of our websites, we receive your contact information from the author in order to send you an email to notify you that you have been suggested as a reviewer, and/or instructions on how to register for our websites.

How information is used

In addition to the purposes and uses described elsewhere in this Privacy Policy, we use the information we collect to do the following:

Identify you when you visit our websites.
Provide you with products and services, such as processing, maintaining, and servicing your account(s), memberships, or subscriptions.
Communicate with you, such as responding to your requests or inquires, performing timely customer service, sending you information about our products, services, conferences and events, and administering our surveys and giveaways.
Improve our products, services, and websites, and provide you with a more consistent and personalized experience when interacting with us.
Operate our websites effectively, analyze and report on website usage, and improve the overall security and functionality of our websites to make your visit safer and more productive.
Provide you with editorial, marketing, and advertising information that we think is relevant to your areas of interest, including sending materials on behalf of our third-party business partners.
Enable research and promote the innovation of our products and services.
Manage our business operations and administer our business activities, such as accounting, recordkeeping, and any other business purpose that is permitted by law.
Detect security incidents, and investigate, prevent, or take action regarding possible malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, including attempts to manipulate or violate our policies, procedures, and terms and conditions.
Comply with legal obligations, establish or exercise our rights, and defend against legal claims.

Although the sections above describe our primary purpose in collecting your information, in many situations we have more than one purpose. For example, if you complete a purchase we collect your information to perform our contract with you. We also collect your information as we have a legitimate interest in maintaining your information after your transaction is complete, so that we can quickly and easily respond to any questions about your order. As a result, our collection and processing of your information is based in different contexts upon your consent, our need to perform a contract, our obligations under law, and/or our legitimate interest in conducting our business.

How information is disclosed

In addition to the specific situations discussed elsewhere in this Privacy Policy, we disclose information in the following situations:

At your direction. We will disclose your information with third parties when you instruct us to do so.
With related entities. We may disclose certain information to AIP and AIP’s Member Societies or Affiliated Societies (a list of related entities can be found at https://www.aip.org/member-societies), and subsidiaries or related companies owned by AIP Publishing.
With third-party partners. We may disclose your information with third parties with whom we have partnered to jointly create and offer a product or service. For example, if you register for an event organized or sponsored by one of our third-party partners, we will provide your registration information to them for their own use.
With your organization or institution. If you participate in Peer X-Press or “PXP,” we disclose your information with your organization, institution, or other affiliation.
With our service providers. We disclose your information with third parties that perform services to support our core business functions and internal operations. Among other things, third party service providers help us to administer our websites, customize our products or services, send marketing and communications related to our business, process payments and fulfill orders, and analyze and improve our websites.
For legal purposes. We may disclose information as needed within our reasonable judgment (a) to respond to subpoenas, warrants, court orders, requests from government or regulatory authorities, or in connection with any legal process; (b) to comply with relevant laws; and (c) to establish or exercise our rights, to defend against a legal claim, to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding possible illegal activities, suspected fraud, safety of person or property, or a violation of our terms and conditions or policies.
During corporate changes. We will transfer your information in the event of a merger, sale, acquisition, or other change of ownership or control of our company (whether in whole or in part), including at the negotiation stages.
Public forums. Some of our websites offer users the opportunity to submit, publish, or share comments, testimonials, reviews, and other content. If you decide to submit information on these pages, that information may be publicly available. User-generated comments and postings to our websites will be moderated by editorial staff who retain the right to edit and to remove inappropriate submissions. By commenting or participating in an online discussion, you consent to our use or disclosure of any content you submit.

Cookies and other data collection technologies

We use the following types of data collection technologies:

Cookies and similar technologies. We use cookies (files that are placed on your device or browser when you visit a website) and other similar technologies to collect information on our websites. Among other things, cookies make our websites work, allow visitors to move through our websites more smoothly, and enhance user experience by making it more seamless. They also allow us to record information when you revisit the Sites, retain your customized preferences, and deliver advertisements to you that are tailored to your interests. The following describes the types of cookies and similar technologies we use:
- Necessary and Functional Cookies. Some technology is needed for our website to function properly. Because our use of this technology is needed as part of the website, it is always active. Note that while you can set your browser to block this type of tracking, doing so may cause some parts of our websites to not function for you.
- Analytics Cookies. Analytics technology is primarily used to obtain insight in order to improve our websites and may be conducted by us or one of our third-party service providers. This type of technology collects information about how users interact with the Sites, such as, which pages they visit, how often they visit, and what browser they are using.
- Advertising Cookies. Advertising tracking technology, such as behavioral advertising cookies, may be set by us, or by third parties. Among other things, the technology is used to track what parts of the Sites and other websites you’ve visited in order to serve you relevant ads on our Sites and on other websites you visit as you navigate across the Internet. It is also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement, to help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, or to understand your behavior after you view an advertisement. Please understand that if you disable cookies (as discussed below) to prevent such interest-based advertising, you may still see advertisements, but they will not be tailored to your interests.
Web beacons. Web beacons, or single-pixel gifs, are a form of tracking technology that records user behavior. We use web beacons on our websites and in emails we send to you to collect information, such as, whether you opened a web page or email, your Internet Protocol (IP) address (a number that is assigned to a computer when the Internet is used), the type of browser you used, etc. This information allows us to measure the effectiveness of our campaigns, target specific content only to those who are most interested, and improve our features and your overall user experience.
Web logs. We collect information in the form of log files that record website activity and gather statistics including your browser type, operating system, IP address, domain name, click-activity, referring website, and/or a date/time stamp for visitors.

You can control what types of cookies you wish to allow, delete, or disable through the settings in your browser. If you restrict cookies, however, you will not obtain the optimum benefit of our websites’ functionality or be able to access all the content. In addition, as stated above, we participate in behavior-based advertising. You can opt out of receiving advertising based upon your browsing behavior from some of the network advertising companies that deploy cookies on some of our websites by going to the Network Advertising Initiative website at www.networkadvertising.org/choices/.

Your choices and how to exercise them

Choices. You can make the following choices regarding your information:

Access to your information. You may request access to your personal information, including a copy of such information, by following the instructions described in the “Exercising your choices” section below. If required by law, upon request, we will grant you reasonable access to the personal information that we have about you.
Changes to your personal information. We rely on you to update and correct your personal information. Most of our websites allow you to correct, update, or modify the information in your account profile. If our website does not permit you to correct, update, or modify certain information, you may contact us by following the instructions described in the “Exercising your choices” section below. Note that we may keep historical information in our backup files as permitted by law.
Deletion of your personal information. Typically, we retain your personal information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. You may, however, request information about how long we keep a specific type of information, or request that we delete your personal information by following the instructions described in the “Exercising your choices” section below. If required by law, upon receipt of your written inquiry, we will grant your request to delete your personal information. Please note that in certain situations, and to the extent permitted by law, we may keep your personal information to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, protect our assets, enforce our agreements, or for one or more of our other business purposes.
Objection to certain processing. You may object to certain uses of your personal information by following the instructions described in the “Exercising your choices” section below.
Online tracking. Some web browsers incorporate a Do Not Track (“DNT”), or a similar feature, that signals to digital services that a user does not want to have his/her online activity tracked. Not all browsers offer a DNT option and DNT signals are not yet uniform. For this reason, we currently are not set up to recognize or respond to DNT and similar signals.
Promotional emails. You may choose to provide us with your email address for the purpose of allowing us to send you free newsletters, surveys, offers, other promotional materials, and targeted offers from third parties. If you wish to opt-out of receiving advertising and marketing emails, you may unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in emails that you receive. If you unsubscribe from marketing communications, we may still send you service-related and/or transactional communications.
Revocation of consent. If you revoke your consent for the processing of personal information, then we may no longer be able to provide you with services. In some cases, we may limit or deny your request to revoke consent if the law permits or requires us to do so, or if we are unable to adequately verify your identity. You may revoke consent to processing (where such processing is based upon consent) by following the instructions described in the “Exercising your choices” section below.

Exercising your choices. You may submit a request to exercise any of the choices described above by contacting us at dataprivacy@aip.org. We will comply with those requests to the extent required by law. Please note that if you make a request in conjunction with a website that we manage on behalf of a Member Society or Affiliated Society, we may forward your request to the society to determine how to respond. When you contact us, we will take reasonable steps to confirm your identity before processing your request.

Please note that to protect your personal information, we must be able to verify your identity before we can process your request to access or delete your information. We may conduct the verification process by email or phone, and we will ask you to provide information such as your name, contact information, and any additional relevant information based on your relationship with us in order to match it to the information we maintain in our records. If you are a California resident, you may designate an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf to access or delete your personal information. We will require written and signed proof that you have given the authorized agent permission to submit the request on your behalf.

If you are submitting a request on behalf of another person, you must provide proof that you have been authorized by the individual to act on his or her behalf. In certain circumstances, we may ask the individual to verify his or her own identity directly with us. Please note, we may deny a request from an authorized agent that does not submit proof that they have been authorized to submit such request.

How we protect your information

No method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is fully secure. Although we take reasonable and appropriate steps to protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure, we cannot guarantee the security of your information.

You have a responsibility to help protect the information you provide by keeping your account information confidential and not using unsecured or unencrypted networks. Some of our websites permit you to create an account. When you do, you will be prompted to create a password. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password, and you are responsible for any access to or use of your account by someone else that has obtained your password, whether or not such access or use has been authorized by you. You should notify us of any unauthorized use of your password or account.

Links and third-party websites

Our websites may contain links to other websites, and other websites may have links to our websites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites that we do not operate or control, and this Privacy Policy does not apply to the information collected by third parties through their websites. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our website and to read the privacy statements of each website that you visit.

Information for California residents

If you are a California resident, you may request information (once per calendar year) regarding whether we disclosed your personal information to our affiliates and to third parties for those third parties’ direct marketing purposes. You may also request access to or deletion of your information (as described in the “Your choices” section above). To make such a request, please send an email to dataprivacy@aip.org or submit a written request to us using the information below. We do not discriminate against California consumers who exercise any of their rights described in this Privacy Policy.

CA Privacy Rights
AIP Publishing LLC
1305 Walt Whitman Road
Suite 300
Melville, NY 11747
1-800-344-6902

Further details about the information we collect and disclose about Californians can be found here.

Information for non-U.S. residents

If you reside outside the United States, please be aware that any information you provide to us, including personal information, will be transferred to, collected, processed, and stored in the United States. Privacy and data protection laws differ from country to country, and the laws in the United States may offer less protection than the laws of your country. By submitting your personal information to us, you agree to the transfer, storage, and processing of your information in a country other than your country of residence including, but not necessarily limited to, the United States. If you would like more information concerning our attempts to apply the privacy principles applicable in one jurisdiction to data when it goes to another jurisdiction you can contact us using the contact information below.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or other factors. When changes are made to this Privacy Policy, they will become immediately effective when published. You can check the effective date at the top of this page to see when this Privacy Policy was last revised. If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, the policy that was in place at the time you submitted personal information to us will generally govern that information.

Contact information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our practices, please contact us at:

AIP Publishing LLC
1305 Walt Whitman Road
Suite 300
Melville, NY 11747

Phone: 1-516-576-2200
Toll free Phone: 1-800-344-6902
Email: dataprivacy@aip.org

Persons with disabilities may obtain this Privacy Policy in an alternative format, upon request, by contacting us at the appropriate address above.

If you reside in the European Union (“EU”) and you have any issues or queries relating to our processing of your personal information and/or this Privacy Policy, you may address our EU representative listed below:

VeraSafe Ireland Ltd.
Unit 3D North Point House
North Point Business Park
New Mallow Road
Cork T23AT2P
Ireland
Contact form: https://www.verasafe.com/privacy-services/contact-article-27-representative

If you reside in the EU, and you have an unresolved concern regarding your information that we have not addressed satisfactorily, you may have a right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

In the event that we need to, or are required to, contact you concerning any event that involves personal information about you, we will do so by email, telephone, or mail.