Who we are

Science-i, a global research metaverse, empowers ordinary people to do extraordinary research. Our website address is: https://science-i.org.

Research Data

Science-i seeks to compile and consolidate remote-observation data (RO data) and field-based inventory data (earth-observation or EO data), including large-scale forest inventory data from around the world, in support of biodiversity, ecological, socio-economic, and policy-driven research in biodiversity and forest ecosystem research and beyond.

Data Policy

The Science-i consists of registered data contributors (Sci-DC) and data users (Sci-DU).

1. Sci-DC: Data contributors are those who have deposited data with Science-i. After Science-i confirms the acceptance of their data, one has acquired the official Science-i Data Contributor title.
2. Sci-DU: Data users are scientists, researchers, and policy makers who utilize the data to inform research and policy-making. Sci-DU can request for data by proposing a new research project in Science-i. Sci-DU must acquire permission from Sci-DC to utilize data for each of their specific project, and agree to keep all the data from Sci-DC confidential and only for use in the approved project.
3. Science-i will store the data in a high-capacity, fast, reliable and secure data storage located in Purdue University, USA.
4. Science-i will not release any data to anyone without the approval of Sci-DC. Science-i will connect SCi-DC to Sci-DU, so that the two parties (i.e. GFB-C and GFB-U) can negotiate data use, coauthorship terms, and other benefits and responsibilities.

Data-share agreement

1. Sci-DC are responsible to ensure their data deposited at Science-i are valid and up-to-date;
2. Sci-DC are responsible to ensure that they are authorized to share the data, and the data-sharing fully complies with the policy of the data owners, prior to sharing the data;
3. Sci-DC are free to participate in other collaborative organizations or initiatives, but in such case would agree to avoid contributing the same data to a simultaneous and competing study or project for another organization or individual;
4. Sci-DU agree to comply with this data policy, and the policy outlined by the data owners and Sci-DC;
5. Science-i requires that Sci-DU offer Sci-DC authorship and/or due acknowledgment in all the research projects where the data is used.

Non-Research Data

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with copyright restrictions, and images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Who we share your data with

We do not share your data with any third party. If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

Your research data are stored in a secure data repository managed by Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP). ITaP is the Purdue University’s central information technology organization responsible for Purdue’s major operational systems, the campus wired network and one of the world’s largest wireless networks. See https://www.itap.purdue.edu/about/security.html for detailed security and policy information.

What rights you have over your data

If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

If you have deposited your research data with Science-i, we will keep your data secure and confidential and will not share it with any third party without your approval.

Where we send your data

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.