🔒 Privacy Policy

📋 Introduction

Welcome to the Journal of Positive Sciences (JPS). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our journal platform.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site or use our services.

📊 Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us when using our journal platform:

• Account Information: Name, email address, affiliation, ORCID iD, username, password
• Submission Information: Manuscript details, co-authors, research data, figures, tables
• Review Information: Reviewer comments, evaluations, recommendations
• Usage Data: Pages visited, papers viewed, downloads, search queries
• Communication Data: Email correspondence with editorial team, support requests
• Payment Information: If applicable, billing details (JPS does not charge publication fees)

⚙️ How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various purposes:

• Process and evaluate manuscript submissions
• Assign reviewers and manage the peer review process
• Communicate about submission status and review outcomes
• Publish accepted articles with author attribution
• Improve our journal platform and services
• Comply with legal and ethical requirements
• Detect and prevent fraud or misconduct

🔄 Information Sharing

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:

• With Reviewers: Manuscript content is shared with reviewers for peer review
• With Editors: Submission details are shared with editorial board members
• Publicly: Published articles display author names, affiliations, and ORCID iDs
• With Service Providers: Third-party vendors who assist with platform operations
• Legal Compliance: When required by law or to protect rights and safety

🔒 Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
• Secure servers with access controls
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Restricted access to personal information
• Secure password storage using hashing

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

📁 Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, including:

• To comply with legal obligations (e.g., archival requirements for published research)
• To resolve disputes or address claims
• To enforce our agreements (e.g., publication agreements)
• To maintain the academic record (published articles are retained permanently)

If you wish to request deletion of your account data, please contact us. Note that published articles cannot be removed from the academic record.

📝 Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your information (subject to limitations)
• Objection: Object to certain processing activities
• Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

🍪 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, analyze site traffic, and maintain your login session. Types of cookies we use include:

• Essential Cookies: Required for platform functionality (login, form submissions)
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our platform
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. However, disabling cookies may affect platform functionality.

🔗 Third-Party Links

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., ORCID, Crossref, DOAJ). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information.

👶 Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

🌍 International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. By using our platform, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries with different data protection laws.

📅 Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

📞 Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: