Privacy Policy

Last updated: 23-06-2025

1. Purpose and Scope

This Privacy Policy outlines the principles and procedures governing the collection, processing, use, storage, and disclosure of personal data by the journal in compliance with applicable international data protection laws, including but not limited to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Indian Information Technology Act (2000), and relevant publishing ethics frameworks (e.g., COPE, ICMJE, and WAME standards).

This policy applies to all individuals interacting with the journal, including authors, reviewers, editorial board members, and institutional partners.

2. Data Collection and Legal Basis

We collect and process personal data only where legally justified and strictly necessary for:

• Manuscript submission, peer review, and editorial workflows
• Reviewer and author identification, communication, and credential verification
• Compliance with indexing, archiving, and metadata requirements
• Journal performance analytics and integrity monitoring

Types of data collected may include:

• Full name, institutional affiliation, country
• Email address and contact information
• ORCID iD, Scopus ID, and research metrics
• Manuscript metadata, peer review activity, and authorship contributions
• Consent records and publication agreements

The legal bases for such processing include: contractual necessity, legitimate academic interest, compliance with legal obligations, and explicit consent (where required).

3. Use of Data

Collected data is used exclusively for academic publishing and editorial functions, including:

• Facilitating blinded or open peer review
• Maintaining records for authorship, editorial decisions, and reviewer acknowledgments
• Generating DOIs, metadata, and indexing records for publication
• Enabling conflict of interest checks and ethical compliance verifications
• Communicating essential updates regarding editorial processes or policy changes

We do not use personal data for commercial purposes, profiling, or unrelated marketing activities.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell or license personal data under any circumstances. However, limited sharing may occur under the following conditions:

• With third-party service providers strictly for journal operations (e.g., manuscript systems, DOI registrars, indexing platforms)
• With academic databases and aggregators (e.g., Crossref, Scopus, Web of Science) for citation and indexing purposes
• In response to legal or regulatory inquiries by competent authorities
• In publication, when required (e.g., author names, affiliations, acknowledgments)

All data processors are contractually bound to uphold confidentiality and data protection standards consistent with this policy.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal and manuscript-related data for durations mandated by academic publishing norms and legal obligations. Specifically:

• Author, reviewer, and editorial data are retained indefinitely to support academic record-keeping and reproducibility
• Consent forms and authorship declarations are retained in accordance with research integrity requirements
• Backup logs and communication records are stored securely and purged per institutional data lifecycle policies

6. Data Security

We implement strict administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, alteration, or loss of data. This includes:

• Encrypted transmission protocols (SSL/TLS)
• Access control via authenticated user roles
• Regular security audits and data breach protocols
• Institutional hosting or GDPR-compliant cloud storage environments

7. Data Subject Rights

Consistent with international regulations, individuals may exercise the following rights, subject to verification and legal exceptions:

• Right to access, rectify, or erase personal data
• Right to restrict or object to processing in specific contexts
• Right to withdraw consent (where applicable)
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Requests must be submitted in writing to the journal's Data Protection Officer. Responses will be provided within the legally mandated timeframe.

8. Cookies and Tracking

The journal’s website may use minimal cookies solely for session management, analytics, and functionality enhancements. No personally identifiable information is collected without user consent. Cookie settings may be managed directly through your browser.

9. Third-Party Links

This website may contain links to external platforms or services used in the submission and review process. The journal is not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party entities. Users are advised to review the privacy policies of linked services independently.

10. Policy Updates

This Privacy Policy is reviewed periodically and may be updated to reflect changes in legal requirements or editorial practices. The effective date of each revision will be clearly indicated. Continued interaction with the journal constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact Us

ITHNAS
A. Hardhan
harshavardhanjw@gmail.com