PRIVACY POLICY / DATA PROTECTION & CONSENT POLICY

PRIVACY POLICY / DATA PROTECTION & CONSENT POLICY

Privacy Policy & Data Protection Statement

The Link Medical Journal of Health and Community Research (LMJHCR) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of authors, reviewers, editors, and readers.

This policy outlines how personal information is collected, stored, used, and protected using internationally recognized data protection principles and ethical standards.

Information We Collect

LMJHCR collects only the information required for scholarly publishing activities.

1.1 Author Information

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Institutional affiliation
  • ORCID iD (where provided)
  • Country
  • Manuscript files and revisions

1.2 Reviewer Information

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Expertise fields
  • Affiliation
  • Review history

1.3 Reader Data

  • Non-identifiable analytics (website traffic)
  • Download statistics
  • Cookies used for website functionality

How We Use Personal Data

Personal data is used strictly for academic publishing purposes, including:

  • Manuscript submission and editorial management
  • Peer review communication
  • DOI and metadata registration (where applicable)
  • Journal announcements and updates
  • Indexing and archiving
  • Compliance with publication ethics
  • Reviewer selection

Personal data is not sold and is not used for marketing.

Data Storage & Security

LMJHCR uses secure systems to store data, including:

  • Restricted access to editorial staff
  • Encrypted data transfer (HTTPS)
  • Secure password-protected systems
  • Backup and preservation systems
  • Regular server maintenance

Use of Cookies

Cookies may be used to improve website usability, such as:

  • Login sessions
  • Remembering preferences
  • Basic website analytics
    Users can adjust browser settings to block or delete cookies.

Data Sharing With Third Parties

Personal data is not shared with third parties except where necessary for journal operation, such as:

  • DOI registration services
  • Archiving and preservation services
  • Indexing and discovery services
  • Institutional repositories (where applicable)

Where third parties are used, the journal ensures reasonable safeguards for privacy and data protection.

Publicly Available Information

Upon publication, the following information becomes public:

  • Author names and affiliations
  • ORCID IDs (where provided)
  • Article metadata
  • Funding details

Reviewer identities remain confidential unless open peer review is explicitly used.

Reviewer Confidentiality

LMJHCR ensures:

  • Confidentiality of reviewer identity
  • Anonymity in double-blind peer review
  • Secure storage of review reports
  • Protection against unauthorized disclosure

Data Retention

Data is retained as needed to maintain:

  • The scholarly record
  • Journal archiving
  • Ethical and legal requirements

Authors may request removal of personal data not associated with published articles. Published articles and metadata cannot be deleted.

Consent

By submitting a manuscript or accepting a review invitation, individuals provide consent for:

  • Storage of their information
  • Use within editorial systems
  • Contact regarding publication-related communication
  • Publication of author identifiers (e.g., ORCID) where provided

Right to Access, Correct, or Delete Personal Data

Individuals may request:

  • Access to stored data
  • Correction of inaccurate data
  • Removal of personal data unrelated to published content

Requests must be emailed to:

  • editor@linkmjhcr.com
  • info@lmi.education

Data Breach Policy

In the event of a suspected data breach:

  • Affected individuals will be notified where appropriate
  • The journal will take corrective action
  • Systems will be secured and reviewed

Alignment with Data Protection Principles

LMJHCR follows internationally recognized principles of privacy, confidentiality, and data protection in managing personal information within scholarly publishing workflows.