Privacy Policy
Last updated: March 2026 (added analytics and subscription processing)
Overview
Research Think is a writing progress tool for PhD students and dissertation writers. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, what we send to third-party AI services, and how you can have your data deleted.
We do not sell your data. We do not use your thesis content for advertising or marketing. We do not share your writing with other users.
What we store
Account information
When you create an account we store your username and email address. You may optionally provide your institution name and degree program — these are used only to personalise your experience.
Thesis chapter text
When you connect a cloud storage folder, Research Think reads your .docx chapter files and stores the extracted text on our servers. This text is used to count words, track progress over time, and run AI scoring. We store previous versions of scored content so you can view score history.
Cloud storage tokens
To sync your files automatically, we store an OAuth access token and refresh token for the cloud provider you connect (Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox). We also store the email address associated with that cloud account. These tokens are used only to read files from the folder you specify — we do not modify, move, or delete any files in your cloud storage.
AI scores and feedback
After each scoring run we store the numeric scores, written feedback, and the text of the chapter that was scored. This lets you view your score history and compare revisions.
Notification tokens
If you enable push notifications, we store a Firebase Cloud Messaging token tied to your device. This is used only to send you notifications about your own thesis (e.g. scoring completed, word count milestone reached).
Usage logs
We keep internal logs of sync events, scoring jobs, and errors. These are used for debugging and service reliability and are not shared externally.
What we send to AI services
Research Think uses the OpenAI API to score your thesis chapters. When you run a scoring job, the full text of the selected chapter is sent to OpenAI's servers for evaluation. The AI returns a score and written feedback, which we store as described above.
OpenAI data retention
OpenAI does not use API-submitted content to train its models. Under OpenAI's API data usage policy, content sent via the API is retained for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring purposes only, then deleted. Your thesis text is not used to improve OpenAI's products. You can review OpenAI's policy at openai.com/policies/api-data-usage-policies.
No other third-party AI services receive your thesis content.
How your data is used
- To sync and display your chapter files and word counts
- To run AI scoring when you request it
- To show your scoring history and writing progress over time
- To send push notifications you have opted into
- To operate, maintain, and improve the Research Think service
We do not use your thesis content for any purpose beyond providing the service to you.
Data sharing
We share data with the following third parties only to the extent required to operate the service:
- OpenAI — receives chapter text when you run a scoring job
- Google, Microsoft, Dropbox — we authenticate with these services using OAuth on your behalf to read your chapter files
- Firebase (Google) — used to deliver push notifications to your device
- Google Analytics — receives anonymous usage data (pages viewed, events) to help us improve the service
- RevenueCat — manages subscription status and entitlements
- Stripe — processes payments for web subscriptions; your thesis content is never shared
We do not sell, rent, or disclose your data to any other parties.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymous data about how visitors use Research Think — pages viewed, features used, and general navigation patterns. This helps us understand what is working and where to improve.
Google Analytics uses cookies (_ga, _ga_*) to distinguish users. The data collected is aggregated and anonymous — we cannot identify you personally through it. Google may process this data in accordance with their own privacy policy. You can opt out by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Subscriptions and payments
Paid subscriptions are processed through RevenueCat and Stripe. When you subscribe, your payment details are handled entirely by Stripe — Research Think never sees or stores your card number. RevenueCat manages subscription status and entitlements across platforms.
Stripe and RevenueCat may collect billing information, payment history, and device identifiers in accordance with their own privacy policies. Your thesis content is never shared with either service.
Data security
Research Think is served over HTTPS. Access to your data is restricted to your own account. Our database is hosted on private infrastructure not accessible from the public internet.
Deleting your data
To delete your account and all associated data — including chapter text, scores, and cloud storage tokens — email us at [email protected] with the subject line "Delete my account". We will process your request within 14 days and confirm by email when deletion is complete.
Deleting your account removes all data held by Research Think. It does not affect files in your cloud storage provider — your original documents remain untouched.
Contact
Questions about this policy? Email [email protected].