Privacy Policy for Authors and Reviewers

Albahit Journal of Applied Sciences is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information of all participants involved in the scholarly publishing process, including authors, reviewers, and editorial board members, in accordance with principles of transparency and integrity in academic publishing.

This policy explains how personal data and manuscript-related information are collected, used, and protected during submission, peer review, and publication processes.

1. Collection of Personal Information

The journal collects necessary information required to manage the publishing process, including:

Authors’ Information:

  • Full name.
  • Email address.
  • Institutional affiliation.
  • Country.
  • Researcher identifier (ORCID), when available.
  • Information related to submitted manuscripts.

Reviewers’ Information:

  • Name and institutional affiliation.
  • Area of expertise and scientific experience.
  • Email address.
  • Academic or professional records related to peer-review activities.

2. Use of Information

The journal uses personal information for the following purposes:

  • Managing manuscript submission and peer-review processes.
  • Communicating with authors and reviewers regarding publication procedures.
  • Selecting suitable reviewers based on their expertise.
  • Improving journal services and editorial management.
  • Maintaining the scholarly record of published articles.

Authors’ and reviewers’ information is not used for commercial purposes or purposes unrelated to scholarly publishing.

3. Confidentiality of Peer Review

The journal maintains confidentiality of the review process according to the Double-Blind Peer Review system.

This includes:

  • Authors’ identities are not disclosed to reviewers.
  • Reviewers’ identities are not disclosed to authors.
  • Manuscripts and review reports are not shared with unauthorized individuals.
  • Unpublished information obtained during review is not used for personal or research purposes outside the review process.

4. Data Protection

The journal takes appropriate measures to protect user data, including:

  • Storing information through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.
  • Restricting access to authorized personnel only.
  • Protecting account information and publication-related correspondence.
  • Preventing unauthorized access to stored data.

5. Information Sharing

The journal does not sell, rent, or share authors’ or reviewers’ personal data with external parties, except in the following cases:

  • When required by legal obligations.
  • When investigating publication ethics issues or research misconduct.
  • When necessary for technical publishing and digital preservation services under appropriate data protection measures.

6. Users’ Rights

Authors and reviewers have the right to:

  • Request updates to their personal information.
  • Request correction of inaccurate data.
  • Ask about how their information is used.
  • Request deletion of personal data when there is no legal or operational requirement for retention.

7. Cookies

The journal website may use cookies to improve user experience, manage login sessions, and analyze website usage in accordance with the applicable privacy policy.

8. Compliance with International Standards

Albahit Journal of Applied Sciences applies this privacy policy in accordance with:

  • Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Guidelines
  • DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
  • International principles of data protection and privacy in electronic systems.