Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 4, 2025

The Advanced Journal of Biomedicine & Medicine (AJBM) recognizes the importance of protecting the personal information of authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. We are committed to safeguarding personal data in accordance with international best practices, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), COPE standards, and requirements of indexing bodies such as DOAJ and Scopus.

By submitting your information to AJBM, you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you are under 18 years of age, parental or guardian consent must be obtained before submitting any personal information.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information:

  • Contact details (name, email address, institutional affiliation, ORCID iD)

  • Manuscript-related data (authorship, conflicts of interest, funding information)

  • Reviewer data (expertise areas, previous review history, recommendations)

  • Website usage data (IP address, browser type, cookies for analytics)

2. Use of Information

Your information is used for:

  • Managing manuscript submission, peer review, and editorial processes

  • Communicating with authors, reviewers, and editors

  • Ensuring compliance with ethical standards (COPE, ICMJE, DOAJ)

  • Improving journal services and website functionality

  • Providing indexing agencies (e.g., Scopus, DOAJ, Crossref) with metadata for discoverability

  • Meeting legal, regulatory, or academic requirements

3. Disclosure and Sharing of Information

AJBM does not sell or trade personal information. Information may be shared only in the following cases:

  1. Service Providers: Third parties providing editorial, production, IT, or hosting services under strict confidentiality agreements.

  2. Indexing and Archiving: Metadata may be shared with services such as Crossref, DOAJ, Scopus, PubMed, and other indexing repositories.

  3. Legal Compliance: Disclosure in response to lawful requests from public authorities, national security, or law enforcement requirements.

  4. Fraud or Misconduct: To investigate suspected research misconduct, fraud, or violations of ethical standards.

  5. Business Transfer: In case of a merger or acquisition, personal data may be transferred under equivalent safeguards.

4. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical, physical, and administrative safeguards to protect personal data, including:

  • Restricted access based on role

  • Encrypted data storage and secure servers

  • Regular audits and security updates

  • Training of staff in data confidentiality and integrity

5. Data Retention

  • Personal information will be retained only as long as necessary for editorial, legal, or academic purposes.

  • Metadata linked to published articles (e.g., author name, ORCID, affiliations) will remain part of the permanent scholarly record.

6. Data Subject Rights

Authors, reviewers, and users have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about them

  • Request corrections or updates

  • Withdraw consent (where applicable)

  • Request deletion, subject to retention obligations for scholarly record integrity

7. Cookies and Analytics

Our website may use cookies and analytics tools to improve user experience and track website traffic. Users can disable cookies via their browser settings, but this may affect functionality.

8. Changes to This Policy

AJBM reserves the right to update this Privacy Policy periodically. Any updates will be posted on the journal website, and prior versions will be archived for reference.