Data Retention Policy

Albahit Journal of Applied Sciences is committed to preserving the scholarly record and ensuring that publication-related information is maintained securely and systematically while following principles of transparency, integrity, and data protection.

This policy defines the types of data retained, retention periods, and procedures for managing manuscript, author, reviewer, and publication records to ensure the continuity and reliability of the journal’s scientific record.

1. Types of Data Retained by the Journal

The journal retains the following data:

Manuscript Data

  • Submitted manuscript versions.
  • Revised manuscripts during peer review.
  • Final accepted and published versions.
  • Reviewer reports and comments.
  • Editorial decisions related to manuscripts.

Authors’ Data

  • Authors’ names.
  • Contact information.
  • Institutional affiliations.
  • Research identifiers such as ORCID when available.
  • Correspondence related to the publication process.

Reviewers’ Data

  • Academic and professional information of reviewers.
  • Records of peer-review participation.
  • Review reports and scientific evaluations.

Published Article Data

  • Final published articles.
  • Article metadata.
  • DOI information when available.
  • Citation and indexing information.

2. Data Retention Period

The journal retains data for appropriate periods to ensure the integrity of the scholarly record:

  • Published articles: Permanently retained in the journal’s electronic archive.
  • Accepted and rejected manuscripts: Retained according to the journal’s administrative and regulatory requirements for an appropriate period.
  • Peer-review reports and editorial correspondence: Retained as necessary to support editorial decisions and investigate potential ethical issues.

3. Digital Preservation and Archiving

The journal ensures long-term preservation of published content through:

  • The Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.
  • Regular data backups.
  • Available digital preservation services according to the journal’s technical capabilities.
  • Preservation of the final published versions of articles.

4. Data Protection

The journal protects stored data by:

  • Restricting access to authorized personnel only.
  • Protecting user accounts and editorial correspondence.
  • Implementing appropriate measures to prevent data loss or unauthorized access.
  • Preventing the use of stored data for purposes unrelated to scholarly publishing.

5. Data Deletion

Certain personal or administrative data may be deleted when:

  • There is no longer an operational or legal requirement for retention.
  • Data subjects request deletion according to applicable regulations, unless legal or regulatory reasons require retention.
  • Deletion does not compromise the integrity of the published scholarly record.

Published articles and essential publication records are not removed except through established correction or retraction procedures.

6. Access to Retained Data for Ethical or Legal Purposes

The journal may use retained data when necessary for:

  • Investigating publication ethics complaints or violations.
  • Reviewing plagiarism or research misconduct cases.
  • Cooperating with relevant academic or regulatory authorities.

7. Compliance with International Standards

Albahit Journal of Applied Sciences applies this Data Retention Policy in accordance with:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Guidelines
  • DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
  • International principles of digital preservation and scholarly record management.