Privacy Statement

At the Journal of Sulaimani Medical College (JSMC), we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our users, including authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. This Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use, store, and share personal data through our website and editorial processes.

1. Data Collection

We collect personal information during:

• User registration
• Manuscript submission
• Peer review participation
• Editorial correspondence

This data may include:

• Full name, institutional affiliation, and academic or professional title
• Contact details, including email address and telephone number
• ORCID iD, where provided
• Publication and authorship information

2. Use of Personal Data

Personal data is used only for legitimate journal and publishing purposes, including:

• Processing manuscript submissions and facilitating peer review
• Communicating with authors, reviewers, editors, and other journal users
• Communicating editorial decisions and relevant journal updates
• Maintaining accurate publication and author records
• Supporting indexing, DOI registration, and archiving of published articles
• Fulfilling legal, regulatory, and ethical publishing obligations

3. Data Sharing

JSMC does not sell or otherwise disclose personal information for commercial purposes.

Personal data may be shared only where necessary for legitimate journal operations, including:

• With editors, reviewers, and authorized editorial staff as required for manuscript evaluation and editorial processing
• With DOI registration, indexing, metadata, and archiving services where necessary for the publication and dissemination of scholarly articles
• With service providers supporting the journal's website, submission system, or publishing infrastructure, where applicable
• When disclosure is required by law, regulation, court order, or other lawful authority

Personal data shared externally will be limited to what is necessary for the relevant purpose and, where applicable, handled in accordance with appropriate confidentiality and security requirements.

4. Confidentiality, Storage and Security

Personal data associated with manuscript submissions, peer review, and editorial correspondence is treated as confidential and is accessible only to authorized individuals who require access for legitimate journal activities.

JSMC takes reasonable administrative and technical measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or misuse.

Personal data is retained for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this statement, maintain the scholarly and administrative record of the journal, and comply with applicable legal and ethical obligations.

5. Cookies and Analytics

The JSMC website may use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary for website functionality, security, and user experience.

The website may also use analytics tools to collect aggregated or otherwise non-identifiable information about website usage, where such tools are implemented.

Users may manage or restrict cookies through their browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of some website features.

6. User Rights

Subject to applicable laws and institutional procedures, users may have the right to:

• Access their personal information held by the journal
• Request correction or updating of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of personal information where applicable
• Withdraw consent or object to certain uses of personal information, where applicable
• Raise questions or concerns regarding the handling of their personal data
• Lodge a complaint with an appropriate supervisory or regulatory authority where applicable

Requests concerning personal data should be directed to:

Journal of Sulaimani Medical College (JSMC)
Email: [email protected]

7. Privacy of Manuscripts and Peer Review

Manuscripts submitted to JSMC and information exchanged during the peer-review process are treated as confidential.

Information about submitted manuscripts, including unpublished data, findings, and reviewer comments, is not disclosed to individuals outside the editorial and peer-review process except where disclosure is necessary for legitimate editorial, ethical, legal, or research-integrity purposes.

Reviewers and editors are expected to maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and related information in accordance with JSMC's peer-review and publication-ethics policies.

8. Policy Updates

This Privacy Statement may be updated periodically to reflect changes in the journal's practices, publishing systems, institutional requirements, or applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

Any significant changes will be published on the JSMC website, together with the date of the latest update.