Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP is committed to safeguarding the personal information and privacy of our authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and platform visitors. Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP is registered as a limited liability partnership with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria (Registration No. 9817916) under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.

This statement explains how we collect, process, manage, and protect personal data collected across our Open Journal Systems (OJS) editorial platform and associated services at verpenda.com.

1. What Information We Collect

We collect only the personal information strictly necessary to manage peer review, publish scholarly research, maintain the permanent academic record, and ensure platform security:

  • User Profile Data: When you create an account, submit a manuscript, or register as a peer reviewer, we collect your name, institutional affiliation, academic or professional rank, country of residence, contact telephone number, institutional and secondary email addresses, user credentials (username and encrypted password), and authenticated ORCID iD.

  • Submission and Metadata: For authors submitting manuscripts, we collect bibliographic metadata (article title, abstract, keywords, references, funding disclosures, and contributor statements) alongside the manuscript files and editorial correspondence exchanged during the review workflow.

  • Reviewer Data: For reviewers, we record your declared areas of subject expertise, institutional affiliations, completed review reports, recommendations, and evaluation timestamps.

  • Technical and Usage Data: When you visit our website, our servers automatically record standard non-sensitive web traffic parameters. These include your IP address, browser type, operating system version, referring URLs, access dates and times, and session cookies necessary for system authentication and anonymous readership analytics.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information exclusively to support academic publishing workflows and fulfill statutory and scholarly duties:

  • Managing and coordinating double-blind peer review, copyediting, proofreading, and production.

  • Verifying user identity, managing secure dashboard access, and authenticating system roles.

  • Assigning persistent identifiers, including Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), and depositing publication metadata with international indexing databases and discovery services (e.g. Google Scholar, Crossref, DOAJ, Scopus).

  • Distributing operational notices regarding submission milestones, editorial decisions, peer-review invitations, and governance policy revisions.

  • Maintaining platform integrity, preventing fraudulent submissions or paper mill activity, and conducting technical audits.

3. Disclosure and Sharing of Information

Gever Verlumun Publishers LLP does not sell, rent, or lease personal data to any third party for commercial or marketing purposes. Information is shared only in specific, necessary publishing contexts:

  • Peer Review Integrity: In accordance with our double-blind review policy, author identities and affiliations are masked from reviewers during evaluation, and reviewer reports are transmitted to authors anonymously.

  • Technical Service Providers: We collaborate with vetted third-party technical providers (including web hosting providers, similarity detection services such as Turnitin, and digital preservation networks such as PKP PN, LOCKSS, and CLOCKSS) under strict confidentiality agreements.

  • Permanent Scholarly Record: Upon formal publication, author names, institutional affiliations, contact emails, and ORCID iDs become an integral part of the permanent scholarly record and are distributed globally under Creative Commons licensing.

  • Statutory Compliance: We may disclose personal data where required by applicable legal processes, statutory regulations, or competent judicial orders.

4. Data Protection and Security

We implement robust administrative, technical, and physical measures to ensure data confidentiality and integrity:

  • User passwords and sensitive account transactions are protected using cryptographic hashing and secure socket layer (SSL) encryption.

  • Editorial workflows maintain isolation protocols to preserve reviewer anonymity and protect unpublished research from unauthorized disclosure.

  • Retention Protocols: Profile information is retained for as long as a user maintains an active account on the platform. Published research metadata, galley records, and authorship declarations are retained permanently to safeguard the continuity of the international scientific record.

5. Your Rights and Data Control

Subject to applicable data protection legislation (including the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and relevant international standards), users maintain the following rights regarding their personal data:

  • Access and Correction: You may review, modify, or update your personal profile, affiliation, and contact details directly within your OJS profile dashboard at any time.

  • Account Deletion: You may request the deactivation or deletion of your inactive user account and non-published personal records. Please note that data embedded within published articles, published galleys, or historical DOI registrations cannot be deleted, as they constitute the immutable historical record of science.

  • Processing Restrictions: You may object to non-essential communications or withdraw voluntary participation as an active peer reviewer by contacting the Editorial Office.

6. Contact for Privacy Inquiries

For questions, requests, or formal inquiries concerning this Privacy Statement or the handling of your personal data, please contact our Data Protection Officer:

  • Data Protection Contact: dpo@verpenda.com

  • Central Publisher Desk: publisher@verpenda.com

  • Postal Address: No. 10a, St. Bernard Catholic Church Street, Ede Oballa, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria

LAST UPDATED: 21 September 2026