Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

ResearchWithMe Academic Consulting ("ResearchWithMe," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, register for the Defend With Confidence masterclass or other courses, use our participant dashboard, download resources, or otherwise engage with our services.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Full name
• Email address
• WhatsApp or phone number
• Country of residence
• Institution or university affiliation
• Programme level (Master's, MPhil, PhD, etc.)
• Discipline or field of study
• Defence stage (proposal, final defence, viva voce, etc.)
• Course package selection (Standard, Professional, VIP)
• Payment proof or payment confirmation documents
• Uploaded academic materials such as thesis title, abstract, slide draft, methodology summary, or examiner-question matrix
• Website usage information collected through cookies or analytics tools
• Communication records (emails, WhatsApp messages, support requests)

3. How We Use Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To register you for the Defend With Confidence masterclass or other courses
• To provide access to course materials, dashboards, and replay libraries
• To communicate course updates, schedules, and cohort information
• To verify payments and confirm registration status
• To issue certificates of participation
• To provide personalised feedback on submissions
• To manage mock defence bookings and related services
• To send relevant ResearchWithMe updates and offers where you have given consent
• To improve our services and website experience
• To comply with legal, regulatory, or administrative obligations

4. Academic Materials and Confidentiality

Uploaded thesis titles, abstracts, slide drafts, methodology summaries, question matrices, and other academic materials are used solely for the purpose of providing course support, feedback, mock defence preparation, and related participant services.

ResearchWithMe will not sell, publish, distribute, or share your academic materials with third parties without your explicit permission, except where required by law or institutional regulation. We treat your academic work with the confidentiality and respect it deserves.

5. Payment Information

Payments for our courses may be processed through third-party providers such as Paystack, Flutterwave, Stripe, bank transfer, or other approved payment methods. ResearchWithMe does not store full credit or debit card details on our servers. Payment information is handled securely by the authorised payment processor in accordance with their respective privacy and security policies.

6. Cookies and Tracking

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve user experience, remember your preferences, analyse website traffic, and support marketing and communication efforts. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies; however, some features of our website may not function properly without them.

7. Third-Party Services

Our website and services may integrate with or rely on third-party tools and platforms, including but not limited to: payment processors (Paystack, Flutterwave, Stripe), video hosting platforms (YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive), email services, website analytics tools, WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet, and learning management or platform technologies. Each third-party service has its own privacy policy, and we encourage you to review them.

8. Data Protection and Security

We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

9. Data Retention

Participant records may be retained for administrative, certificate verification, legal, financial, and service-improvement purposes. We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. You may request deletion of your information where there is no legitimate reason for us to retain it.

10. User Rights

Subject to applicable laws, you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your personal information where applicable
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time
• Object to certain processing activities where applicable
• Request information about how your data is used and processed

11. International Users

Our services are accessible from various countries, including across Africa and internationally. Your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries where ResearchWithMe or its service providers operate. By using our services, you consent to such transfer and processing in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

12. Children

Our services are intended for adults and postgraduate learners. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete it.

13. Contact

For privacy-related questions, concerns, or requests regarding your personal information, please contact us: