Privacy Policy
International Medical Journal of Health (IMJH)
ISSN: 2395-6291 | GDPR Compliant | CCPA Compliant | Your Privacy Matters
Last Updated: 15 January 2025
This Privacy Policy describes how IMJH collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information when you interact with our journal, submit manuscripts, serve as a reviewer, or visit our website. This policy is effective from 15 January 2025 and supersedes all previous versions.
View summary of changes →Privacy Policy Navigation
1 Scope & Application
Who This Policy Applies To
This Privacy Policy applies to all users of IMJH services, including:
Authors & Contributors
- Corresponding authors and co-authors
- Individuals submitting manuscripts
- Researchers publishing with IMJH
- Grant applicants and funded researchers
Reviewers & Editors
- Peer reviewers and guest reviewers
- Editorial board members
- Guest editors and section editors
- Editorial staff and volunteers
Readers & Subscribers
- Journal subscribers (individuals and institutions)
- Email alert recipients
- Website visitors and account holders
- Conference and event attendees
Institutional Partners
- University and research institution contacts
- Library and subscription managers
- Partner organization representatives
- Sponsors and exhibitors
This policy does not apply to: Third-party websites or services linked from IMJH content. Please review the privacy policies of those services directly.
2 Information We Collect
Data Minimization Principle
IMJH collects only the information necessary to provide our services and fulfill our editorial and publishing obligations. We do not collect information indiscriminately.
| Category | Data Collected | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Identity Information |
|
Authorship attribution, indexing, professional recognition |
| Contact Information |
|
Editorial correspondence, manuscript handling, urgent communications |
| Professional Information |
|
Reviewer assignment, editorial board selection, expertise matching |
| Account Information |
|
System authentication, security, personalization |
| Manuscript & Submission Data |
|
Peer review, publication, compliance with ethical standards |
| Financial Information |
|
Payment processing, financial records, fee waiver administration |
| Technical Information |
|
Website optimization, security monitoring, usage analytics |
| Communication Records |
|
Service improvement, dispute resolution, quality assurance |
Payment Processing Notice:
IMJH does not store, process, or have access to your complete credit card details. All payment transactions are processed by our PCI-DSS compliant payment partners. We only retain invoice records and transaction confirmations for accounting purposes.
3 How We Collect Information
Information You Provide Directly
- Manuscript submission: Author details, affiliation, contact information
- Account creation: Name, email, professional profile, expertise areas
- Reviewer registration: Qualifications, specialties, publication history
- Correspondence: Emails, forms, support inquiries
- Survey responses: Feedback, satisfaction ratings, suggestions
- Event registration: Contact details, professional information
Information Collected Automatically
- Log data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, timestamps
- Device information: Operating system, screen resolution, language
- Cookies: Session cookies, preference cookies, analytics cookies
- Usage patterns: Clickstream data, navigation paths, download activity
- Referring websites: External sites that directed you to IMJH
Information from Third Parties
- ORCID: Publication records, affiliations, researcher identifiers
- Institutional databases: Affiliation verification, institutional email domains
- Crossref: Citation data, funding information
- Publons/Web of Science: Reviewer recognition (with consent)
- Funding agencies: Grant information, award details (when provided)
Information Derived from Use
- Reviewer performance: Quality scores, timeliness metrics
- Expertise inference: Areas of expertise based on manuscript handling
- Engagement metrics: Frequency of logins, feature usage
- Citation impact: Article-level citation metrics
4 How We Use Your Information
Core Editorial Functions
- Processing manuscript submissions and tracking status
- Assigning and managing peer reviewers
- Communicating editorial decisions
- Publishing and disseminating accepted articles
- Assigning DOIs and registering metadata with Crossref
- Maintaining the scholarly record
Account & Profile Management
- Creating and maintaining user accounts
- Authenticating user identity and access rights
- Managing reviewer profiles and expertise areas
- Tracking editorial board memberships
- Personalizing user experience and preferences
Analytics & Improvement
- Monitoring journal performance and metrics
- Analyzing usage patterns to improve website functionality
- Evaluating reviewer performance and recognition
- Conducting research on publishing trends (aggregate data only)
- Identifying technical issues and optimizing performance
Compliance & Legal Obligations
- Detecting and preventing fraudulent submissions
- Investigating ethical misconduct allegations
- Complying with legal and regulatory requirements
- Responding to lawful requests from authorities
- Maintaining audit trails for compliance purposes
Communications
- Sending submission confirmations and status updates
- Delivering reviewer invitations and reminders
- Sharing table of contents and article alerts (opt-in)
- Announcing special issues and calls for papers (opt-in)
- Responding to inquiries and support requests
Financial Processing
- Processing article processing charges (APC)
- Managing fee waiver applications
- Generating invoices and receipts
- Maintaining financial records for audit compliance
- Reporting to funding agencies (where required)
What We Do NOT Do:
IMJH does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We do not use your data for automated decision-making that produces legal effects concerning you. We do not retain your information longer than necessary for the purposes stated in this policy.
5 Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
GDPR Compliance for EEA Residents
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, we process your personal information under the following legal bases as defined in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
| Legal Basis (GDPR Article) | Description | Application at IMJH |
|---|---|---|
| Contract (Article 6(1)(b)) | Processing necessary for the performance of a contract or to take steps at your request before entering a contract | Manuscript submission and peer review services; publication agreements; subscription services |
| Legal Obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) | Processing necessary for compliance with a legal obligation | Tax and accounting records; legal reporting requirements; retention of publication records |
| Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1)(f)) | Processing necessary for the legitimate interests of IMJH or third parties, provided your rights do not override those interests | Peer review quality assurance; reviewer recognition programs; journal improvement analytics; fraud prevention |
| Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) | You have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose | Marketing communications; cookie preferences; optional data sharing with Publons/ORCID |
| Public Interest (Article 6(1)(e)) | Processing necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest | Preservation of the scholarly record; open access publishing; research dissemination |
Sensitive Data (Article 9)
IMJH does not intentionally collect or process special categories of personal data (revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data, health data, or sexual orientation) except as voluntarily provided by authors in manuscript content. Any such data is processed solely for scholarly publication purposes and is publicly available upon publication.
6 Information Sharing & Disclosure
Service Providers
We share information with trusted third-party service providers who perform functions on our behalf:
- ScholarOne Manuscripts: Submission and peer review platform
- Crossref: DOI registration and metadata distribution
- Amazon Web Services: Secure cloud hosting and storage
- iThenticate/Turnitin: Plagiarism screening
- Stripe/PayPal: Payment processing (PCI-DSS compliant)
- Google Analytics: Website usage analytics (anonymized)
All service providers are bound by data processing agreements and are prohibited from using your data for any purpose other than providing services to IMJH.
Scholarly Infrastructure
We share publication metadata with scholarly databases to ensure discoverability and preservation:
- PubMed Central / MEDLINE (pending indexing)
- Scopus / Web of Science (pending indexing)
- Google Scholar
- Index Copernicus
- CLOCKSS / Portico (digital preservation)
This sharing includes author names, affiliations, ORCID iDs, article metadata, and abstracts.
Legal & Regulatory Disclosures
- Legal requirements: When required by law, subpoena, or court order
- Fraud prevention: Investigating and preventing fraudulent submissions
- Ethics investigations: Sharing information with institutions and COPE
- Rights protection: Protecting the rights, property, or safety of IMJH, our users, or the public
With Your Consent
- Publons/Web of Science: Sharing reviewer activity records (opt-in)
- ORCID: Updating your ORCID record with publication data (opt-in)
- Third-party collaborations: Specific research projects with your explicit consent
No Sale of Personal Information:
IMJH does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing or advertising purposes. We do not share personal information for third-party direct marketing.
7 International Data Transfers
Global Operations
IMJH operates globally, and your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your country of residence, including India, the United States, and the European Union.
Safeguards for International Transfers
Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
For transfers from the EEA to countries without adequacy decisions, we use European Commission-approved SCCs to ensure adequate protection.
Adequacy Decisions
We transfer data to countries recognized by the European Commission as providing adequate data protection where applicable.
Binding Corporate Rules
Internal data transfer policies that ensure consistent protection across our global operations.
Derogations for Specific Situations
With your explicit consent or for the performance of a contract with you.
Primary Processing Locations
- 🇮🇳 India: Editorial office, administrative processing
- 🇺🇸 United States: Submission system (ScholarOne), cloud hosting (AWS)
- 🇪🇺 European Union: Data backups, EU user data (Frankfurt, Ireland)
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Reviewer recognition (Publons)
Questions about international transfers? Contact our Data Protection Officer at info@imjhealth.org for more information about the safeguards we use.
8 Data Retention & Deletion
Retention Policy
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for legal, accounting, and reporting requirements.
| Data Category | Retention Period | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Published articles & author metadata | Permanent | Scholarly record, indexing, citation integrity |
| Rejected manuscripts | 2 years after final decision | Appeals, ethical investigations, fraud prevention |
| Reviewer reports | 5 years after publication/rejection | Editorial accountability, appeals, ethics investigations |
| Author correspondence | 5 years after last contact | Continuity of service, dispute resolution |
| Reviewer activity logs | 5 years after last review | Performance assessment, recognition programs |
| Account login data | Until account deletion + 1 year | Security, audit trails |
| Financial records | 7 years (tax/legal requirements) | Tax law, accounting standards |
| Website analytics | 14-38 months (depending on tool) | Usage analysis, platform improvement |
| Marketing communications data | Until opt-out + 1 year | Consent management, unsubscribe compliance |
| System logs | 30 days | Security monitoring, troubleshooting |
Secure Deletion:
When data reaches the end of its retention period, we securely delete or anonymize it using methods that prevent reconstruction: cryptographic erasure, secure overwriting (DoD 5220.22-M), or physical destruction of media.
9 Data Security Measures
Encryption
AES-256 at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit
Access Control
Multi-factor authentication, role-based permissions
Audit Logging
All access logged, reviewed quarterly
Secure Infrastructure
ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, 24/7 monitoring
Backup & Recovery
Daily encrypted backups, geographic redundancy
Staff Training
Annual privacy and security training
Security Certifications & Compliance
10 Your Privacy Rights
Your Rights Under GDPR, CCPA, and Other Laws
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information.
GDPR Rights (EEA, UK, Switzerland)
- Right to be informed: Clear information about data processing
- Right of access: Request copies of your personal data
- Right to rectification: Correct inaccurate data
- Right to erasure: Request deletion ('right to be forgotten')
- Right to restrict processing: Limit how we use your data
- Right to data portability: Receive data in usable format
- Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Rights related to automation: No solely automated decisions
CCPA Rights (California Residents)
- Right to know: Categories and specific pieces of personal information collected
- Right to delete: Request deletion of personal information
- Right to opt-out: Opt-out of sale of personal information
- Right to non-discrimination: No retaliation for exercising rights
- Right to correction: Correct inaccurate personal information
- Right to limit use: Limit use of sensitive personal information
Note: IMJH does not sell personal information.
Other Jurisdictions
- India (DPDPA): Right to access, correction, erasure, grievance redressal
- Brazil (LGPD): Confirmation, access, correction, anonymization, blocking, deletion
- Australia: Access, correction, complaint handling
- Canada (PIPEDA): Access, correction, consent withdrawal
- Japan (APPI): Disclosure, correction, cessation of use
How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any of your privacy rights:
📧 Email:
📋 Subject Line:
"Data Subject Request: [Your Full Name]"
Required Information:
- Full name and email associated with your account
- Specific right(s) you wish to exercise
- Any relevant manuscript or account identifiers
We will respond within 30 days (GDPR requirement).
Identity Verification:
To protect your privacy, we require verification of identity before processing data subject requests. Acceptable verification includes: official institutional email matching our records, government-issued ID, or secure electronic signature. Verification documents are used only for identity confirmation and deleted immediately after request processing.
12 Children's Privacy
COPPA Compliance
IMJH is a professional medical journal and does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. Our services are directed to medical professionals, researchers, and academics.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us immediately. We will take steps to remove such information and terminate the child's account.
13 Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. When we make material changes, we will notify you by:
- Posting the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date
- Sending an email notification to registered users (for significant changes)
- Displaying a prominent notice on our website
Current Version:
v2.4
Effective: 15 January 2025
14 Contact Us
Data Protection Officer
Dr. Anjali Sharma, PhD, CIPP/E
Certified Information Privacy Professional
📧 Primary Email:
📧 Secondary Email:
📋 Subject Line Protocol:
"PRIVACY: [Your Name] - [Topic]"
Postal Address
IMJH Privacy Office
Medical Publications Building
123 Health Sciences Drive
New Delhi, 110001
India
EU Representative
IMJH EU Data Representative
Attn: Data Protection
123 Avenue des Sciences
75014 Paris, France
Right to Lodge a Complaint
If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. Contact details for EU data protection authorities can be found at edpb.europa.eu.
Summary of Key Changes (January 2025)
- ✓ Expanded GDPR compliance - Updated legal bases, enhanced rights descriptions
- ✓ CCPA/CPRA updates - Added California privacy rights
- ✓ India DPDPA readiness - Compliance with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act
- ✓ Enhanced security measures - ISO 27001 certification noted
- ✓ Cookie policy clarity - Detailed cookie table, DNT honoring
- ✓ Data retention schedule - Comprehensive retention periods
- ✓ International transfers - SCCs and adequacy safeguards
- ✓ DPO contact - Direct Data Protection Officer contact
This policy replaces the previous version dated 15 March 2023. By continuing to use IMJH services after 15 January 2025, you acknowledge this updated Privacy Policy.
Data Protection Officer
For privacy inquiries, data subject requests, or questions about this policy.
info@imjhealth.org info.imjh@gmail.com24-hour acknowledgment | 30-day response
IMJH fully complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and respects your privacy rights.
Privacy at a Glance
Your Privacy Rights
- Right to access
- Right to rectification
- Right to erasure
- Right to restrict processing
- Right to data portability
- Right to object
Cookie Preferences
IMJH uses essential cookies only. No marketing cookies are used.
DNT signals are honored.
Security Certifications
IMJH does not sell personal information. California residents have the right to request deletion and access.