Privacy Policy

1 Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

• Personal Details: Name, email address, institutional affiliation, and country when you register, submit a manuscript, or apply as a reviewer or editorial board member.
• Manuscript Data: Author and co-author details, research area, keywords, and all submitted files including manuscripts and cover letters.
• Payment Information: Billing details for Article Processing Charges (APC), processed securely via our payment gateway. We do not store full card numbers.
• Usage Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and session timestamps — collected automatically when you use our site.
• Communications: Messages submitted through our contact forms or sent to our editorial office.

2 How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process manuscript submissions and manage the peer-review and editorial workflow.
• Create and maintain your account and provide access to author and reviewer portals.
• Send submission status updates, editorial decisions, and important policy notices.
• Process Article Processing Charges and issue payment confirmations.
• Publish author names, affiliations, and article metadata to support indexing and discoverability.
• Analyse website usage to improve site functionality and user experience.
• Detect and prevent plagiarism, duplicate submissions, or publication ethics violations.
• Comply with applicable laws and institutional regulations.

3 Cookies & Tracking

Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience and gather analytics. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.

• Essential Cookies: Required for site functionality — logins, form submissions, and session management.
• Analytics Cookies: Tools such as Google Analytics help us understand site usage. Data is aggregated and anonymised.
• Preference Cookies: Store your settings such as language or display preferences.

You can disable cookies through your browser settings. Some features may not function correctly without them.

4 Sharing of Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share it only in these limited circumstances:

• Peer Reviewers: Author details may be shared with assigned reviewers as part of the review process, unless a double-blind process applies.
• Indexing Services: Published article metadata is shared with academic databases to maximise research visibility.
• Service Providers: Trusted vendors assisting with hosting, payments, email delivery, and analytics — under strict confidentiality obligations.
• Plagiarism Detection: Submitted manuscripts may be processed through plagiarism detection software.
• Legal Requirements: Where required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of Communeglobal and its users.

5 Data Retention

We retain personal data for as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law:

• Published Articles: Author metadata is retained indefinitely as part of the permanent scholarly record.
• Rejected / Withdrawn Submissions: Retained for up to 5 years for editorial records and dispute resolution.
• User Accounts: Retained while active. Inactive accounts may be deleted after 3 years following reasonable notice.
• Payment Records: Retained for the period required under applicable tax and accounting regulations.

6 Data Security

We implement appropriate safeguards to protect your personal data, including:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted through our website.
• Secure servers with access controls and regular security reviews.
• Role-based access limiting data to authorised personnel only.
• PCI-DSS-compliant payment processing for all financial transactions.

While we take every reasonable precaution, no internet transmission is 100% secure. If you suspect any misuse of your data, please contact us immediately.

7 Your Rights

You have the following rights over your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request erasure of your data, subject to legal and editorial obligations. Data linked to published articles cannot be fully removed as it forms part of the permanent scholarly record.
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Withdraw Consent: Where processing is consent-based, you may withdraw consent at any time.
• Unsubscribe: Opt out of non-essential communications via the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly.

We will respond to all data rights requests within 30 days.

8 Third-Party Links

Our website may link to external platforms including indexing databases, institutional repositories, and academic resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties and encourage you to review their respective privacy policies before sharing any personal information.

9 Children's Privacy

Communeglobal is an academic publishing platform intended for researchers and professionals aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe we hold data about a child, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

10 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. When material changes are made, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and notify registered users by email where appropriate. Continued use of our services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

11 Contact Us

For any questions, concerns, or data rights requests related to this Privacy Policy, please reach out to us: