Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 15.06.2026

1 — Who we are

ISTAR Resources (testate-amoebae-resources.org) is an open-access scientific publication database dedicated to testate amoeba research, maintained by the International Society for Testate Amoeba Research (ISTAR). The database is operated and curated by David Singer (HES-SO Changins, Nyon, Switzerland), acting as sole administrator.

Contact: contact@testate-amoebae-resources.org

2 — What this website does

ISTAR Resources indexes scientific publications on testate amoeba research. All bibliographic metadata displayed on this website is either publicly available from scientific databases (CrossRef, OpenAlex, Unpaywall, Semantic Scholar) or submitted voluntarily by ISTAR colleagues.

3 — Publication records and open access

This database is an index, not a publisher. We display bibliographic metadata (title, authors, year, journal, abstract, keywords, classification) and, where applicable, links to publications.

Open access PDFs

Local PDF copies are stored on this server only for open-access publications or author manuscripts that contributors have confirmed they have the right to share. A notice is shown to contributors before any upload reminding them of this obligation.

Non-open-access publications

This database may contain records for publications that are not freely available online. In such cases, only bibliographic metadata is displayed — no PDF is hosted locally. A link to the publisher's page (via DOI) is provided.

Erroneous records

If a PDF has been stored in error for a non-open-access publication, or if any metadata is inaccurate, please contact us. We will remove or correct the record without delay.

4 — The Contributors page

The Contributors page publicly displays the profile of each researcher who has contributed records to this database. The following information is shown publicly when provided:

  • Name
  • Affiliation (optional)
  • Website (optional)
  • ORCID identifier (optional)
  • Profile photo (optional)
  • ISTAR membership status
  • Number of contributed publications

This information is provided voluntarily at the time of submission. If you wish to have your profile or your name removed from the Contributors page, please contact us and we will action your request promptly.

5 — Personal data collected during submission

When a colleague submits a publication record using the submission form, the following personal data is collected:

Field Purpose Visibility
Name Identifies the contributor Public displayed on the Contributors page
Email Contact for submission queries Admin only never displayed publicly
Affiliation Shown on contributor profile Public displayed on the Contributors page if provided
Website Shown on contributor profile Public displayed on the Contributors page if provided
ORCID Shown on contributor profile Public displayed on the Contributors page if provided
Profile photo Shown on contributor profile Public displayed on the Contributors page if provided
ISTAR member status Shown on contributor profile Public displayed as a tag on the Contributors page
Submission date Administrative record Admin only

This data is stored in the WordPress database on servers hosted by Infomaniak (Switzerland). It is used solely for administering the database and is never sold or shared with third parties.

6 — AI-assisted classification

Publication abstracts submitted via the form are sent to the Anthropic API (Claude) for automated thematic classification. Abstracts are used only to classify the submitted record. No personal data is sent to the API — only the scientific content of the abstract.

Note: please refer to Anthropic's Privacy Policy for information on how submitted content is handled on their end.

7 — Cookies and analytics

This website does not use tracking cookies or analytics services. WordPress may set functional cookies necessary for site operation. No advertising or profiling takes place.

8 — Data hosting

This website is hosted by Infomaniak Network SA (Geneva, Switzerland), a provider operating under Swiss and EU data protection law. All data remains on servers located in Switzerland.

9 — Your rights

Under Swiss data protection law (nDSG) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to:

  • access personal data we hold about you
  • request correction of inaccurate data
  • request deletion of your data or removal from the Contributors page
  • object to processing

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@testate-amoebae-resources.org. We will respond within 30 days.

Profile self-management. If you have a contributor profile on this website, you can update your own name, affiliation, website, ORCID, photo, and ISTAR member status at any time by returning to the submission form and searching for your existing profile. Changes take effect immediately on the Contributors page. To remove your profile entirely, contact us.

10 — Changes to this policy

This policy may be updated as the database evolves. The date at the top of this page indicates the version currently in force.