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Privacy Statement | Archives of Surgery and Clinical Research

Scope of this Statement

This Privacy Statement covers personal information processed through ASCR’s public website, article pages, and the online submission and peer-review platform. It applies to authors, co-authors, corresponding authors, reviewers, editors, guest editors, and readers who interact with our services. It does not cover third-party websites we link to (e.g., indexing services, repositories, social media), which have their own policies.

What We Collect

Special category data: ASCR does not intentionally collect sensitive personal data in user profiles. Manuscripts may contain sensitive information (e.g., patient data in clinical images or case reports). Such content must be de-identified and accompanied by appropriate ethics approvals and consent statements, and is processed solely for editorial and publishing purposes.

We process personal information to run a fair, efficient, and trustworthy scholarly publishing service. Depending on your role and location, our legal bases may include:

  • Performance of a contract (e.g., managing manuscript submission, peer review, editorial decisions, production, and publication).
  • Legitimate interests (e.g., platform security, fraud prevention, quality improvement, citation linking and indexing, outreach to active contributors, reviewer recognition).
  • Consent (e.g., newsletter sign-ups, optional profile fields, transparent peer review publication of reviewer reports).
  • Legal obligations (e.g., responding to lawful requests, accounting or tax requirements, research-integrity investigations, record-keeping for corrections/retractions).

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we balance those interests against your rights and reasonable expectations.

Cookies & Similar Technologies

We use essential cookies for core functions (login, session management, form submission) and may use performance/analytics cookies to improve navigation and content discoverability. You can control non-essential cookies through your browser settings and—where available—our cookie banner or preferences center. Disabling essential cookies may degrade submission or review features.

Category Purpose Examples Retention
Essential Authentication, security, load balancing Session ID, CSRF token Session-based
Performance Aggregate usage analytics Pageview counters Up to 13 months (typical)
Functionality Preferences (language, layout) Locale cookie Until cleared or expired

How We Share Information

We do not sell or rent personal information. We may share information with:

  • Editorial participants (editors, reviewers, authors) for peer review, conflict checks, and decision-making—limited to what is necessary.
  • Service providers under contract for hosting, email delivery, analytics, DOI registration, production, or archiving. They act on our instructions and are bound by confidentiality and security obligations.
  • Indexing and discovery services when depositing article metadata (e.g., author names, affiliations, references, license URLs, funding data).
  • Legal or safety reasons when required by law, to protect the rights, property, or safety of users, the journal, or the public, or to investigate suspected misconduct.

Reviewer identities are confidential in double-blind workflows. If you opt into transparent peer review, reviewer reports (and, if agreed, names) may be published with the article and assigned identifiers.

International Data Transfers

ASCR and HSPI systems may operate in multiple jurisdictions. When personal data is transferred across borders, we implement appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent protections where required. Regardless of location, we apply consistent security and confidentiality standards and limit access to personnel with a need to know.

Security

We employ layered technical and organizational measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Representative controls include encrypted transport (TLS), access controls and role-based permissions, server and application logging, regular backups with tested restoration, and staff training on privacy and security. No system is perfectly secure; however, we monitor for vulnerabilities and continuously improve our safeguards.

Breach response: If we identify a data incident that creates a risk to individuals, we will assess impact and notify affected users and—where required—regulators without undue delay.

Retention

We keep personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described here or to meet legal, audit, or research-integrity requirements. Typical retention periods are shown below.

Record type Examples Typical retention Purpose
User account Name, email, affiliation, roles Active + 3 years after inactivity Audit, conflicts checks
Peer review Invitations, reports, recommendations Up to 5–7 years Transparency, integrity review
Editorial decisions & correspondence Decision letters, appeals Up to 7 years Record-keeping, disputes
Published metadata Author names, affiliations, funding Permanent Scholarly record
Web logs (security) IP addresses, user agent 90–180 days Fraud and abuse detection

Your Choices & Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, object to, or port your personal information, as well as the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights. To make a request, contact us using the details below. We will respond in line with applicable laws and, where needed, request identity verification to protect your account.

If you believe we have not addressed your concerns, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your region.

Confidentiality in Peer Review

Submissions under review are confidential. Editors and reviewers must not disclose manuscript content or use it for personal advantage. Reviewer identities are protected in double-blind workflows unless all parties consent to transparency. Editorial systems restrict visibility based on role, and all participants agree to confidentiality obligations as a condition of access.

Children’s Privacy

ASCR services are intended for adults engaged in scholarly research and clinical practice. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

Newsletters & Communications

We may send transactional communications (submission confirmations, decision letters, production updates) as part of our services. Promotional communications (e.g., Calls for Papers, special issues) are sent only with your consent, and you can unsubscribe at any time using the link in the email or by contacting us.

Changes to this Statement

We review this Privacy Statement periodically and update it to reflect changes in law, technology, or our services. The “Last Updated” date appears in the footer. For material changes, we will provide additional notice (e.g., email to registered users or a banner on the site).

Contact Us

For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, contact: info@hspioa.org. For editorial matters, contact: editorial@clinsurgeryjournal.com. For production queries: production@clinsurgeryjournal.com.

Quick Summary

Last Updated: 2025 · Copyright & License: Page content (excluding trademarks/logos) is available under CC BY 4.0.