Verlumun and Penda Publishers LLP is committed to protecting the personal information of our users, authors, reviewers, and editors. This statement explains how we collect, use, and protect the data entrusted to us through our Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform and related services at verpenda.com.
What Information We Collect
We only collect information necessary to manage our publishing workflow, ensure academic integrity, and improve our services.
1. Information You Provide (User Profiles)
This is the data collected when you register, submit a manuscript, or agree to review for one of our journals. It includes contact information (name, email address, mailing address, and phone number), professional data (institutional affiliation, country, professional title, and ORCID iD if provided), and role data related to your status (e.g., Author, Reviewer, Editor). We also collect your credentials (username and encrypted password).
2. Submission Data (Manuscripts)
This information is collected when you make a submission. It covers the metadata (article title, abstract, keywords, and references), correspondence records related to the peer review process, and the files themselves (the submitted manuscript and any associated files).
3. Usage Data (Automatically Collected)
When you access our website, our servers and analytics services automatically record non-personal information. This includes technical data (IP address, browser type, operating system), activity data (pages visited and referring URL), and cookies (small data files used for session management and anonymous traffic analysis).
How We Use Your Information
We use the data we collect solely for purposes related to academic publishing and the operation of our platform.
Your information is primarily used for journal operation, which includes processing submissions, facilitating the peer review process, managing editorial boards, and communicating decisions to all parties. We use the data for user identification to verify your identity, provide access to your specific roles (e.g., Dashboard access), and secure your account.
Crucially, publicly displayed author information (names, affiliations, abstracts) is used for indexing and discovery in external databases (e.g., Google Scholar, DOAJ) to ensure maximum visibility of the published research. Finally, data is used for communication (to send necessary notifications regarding submission status, review invitations, and policy updates) and for security and auditing (to monitor the system for malicious activity and comply with reporting standards).
Disclosure and Sharing of Information
We do not sell or rent your personal data to any third parties for marketing purposes. We share information only in specific circumstances necessary for the publishing process:
- Peer Review: Author information (excluding names, due to double-blind review) is shared with reviewers, and review comments are shared with authors.
- Third-Party Services: We use trusted third-party service providers (e.g., hosting, plagiarism checking like Turnitin, and archiving services like PKP PN/LOCKSS) who are contractually bound to protect your data.
- Legal Obligation: We will disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid court order.
- Public Record: Once an article is published, author names, affiliations, and ORCID iDs become part of the public, permanent scholarly record and are available globally.
Data Protection and Security
We employ robust security measures to protect the integrity and confidentiality of your data stored on our OJS platform and servers:
- We use encryption for passwords and sensitive data.
- During the double-blind peer review process, we take active steps to maintain confidentiality, ensuring reviewers and authors remain anonymous to each other.
- Data Retention: We retain user profile data for as long as you maintain an active account or as needed to comply with our legal obligations. Published article metadata and author information are permanently archived as part of the scholarly record.
Your Rights
As a user of our platform, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access: You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
- Correction: You may update or correct your profile information at any time via your user profile settings.
- Deletion (Right to be Forgotten): You may request the deletion of your account and non-published data. Note: Data related to published work (metadata, authorship) must be retained as it forms part of the permanent scholarly record.
- Objection: You have the right to object to the processing of your data for specific purposes.
Contact for Privacy Concerns
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Statement or the handling of your personal information, please contact our dedicated Data Protection Officer:
- Data Protection Contact:dpo@verpenda.com
- Effective Date: October 5, 2024
Verlumun and Penda Publishers LLP reserves the right to update this statement periodically. We encourage users to review this page regularly for the latest information on our privacy practices.
