Privacy and Data Protection Statement

1. Introduction and Commitment to Privacy

The African Journal for Empirical Research (AJERNET), published by AJER Publishing, is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and personal information of authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and other individuals who interact with the journal.

The journal recognises the importance of responsible personal data management in scholarly publishing and is committed to processing personal information lawfully, fairly, transparently, and securely.

Names, email addresses, institutional affiliations, and other personal information submitted through the journal's website are used exclusively for legitimate scholarly publishing, editorial, administrative, and related operational purposes.

AJERNET does not sell personal information or disclose it to third parties for unrelated commercial advertising or marketing activities.

This statement explains how personal information is collected, used, stored, protected, and disclosed in connection with the journal's publishing activities.

2. Scope of the Privacy Statement

This statement applies to personal information collected or processed through AJERNET's official website, manuscript submission system, editorial communications, peer review processes, and related journal activities.

It covers information relating to:

  1. Authors and co-authors submitting manuscripts.

  2. Peer reviewers participating in manuscript evaluation.

  3. Editors and Editorial Board members.

  4. Registered readers and other website users.

  5. Individuals communicating with the journal.

  6. Persons submitting complaints, appeals, or publication ethics concerns.

The statement applies to personal information processed electronically or through other official journal communication channels.

3. Collection of Personal Information

AJERNET collects personal information necessary for the administration of its scholarly publishing activities.

Depending on the nature of an individual's interaction with the journal, this information may include:

  • Full names and professional titles.

  • Email addresses and contact information.

  • Institutional affiliations and professional positions.

  • Academic qualifications and areas of research expertise.

  • ORCID identifiers and other scholarly identifiers.

  • Manuscript submission details and correspondence.

  • Peer review reports and editorial assessments.

  • Publication history and authorship information.

  • Information relating to publication fees and payment confirmation.

  • Technical information associated with website access, where collected.

The journal seeks to collect only information that is relevant and reasonably necessary for its legitimate publishing operations.

4. Purposes of Personal Data Processing

Personal information collected by AJERNET is used for legitimate scholarly publishing and journal administration purposes.

These purposes include:

  1. Registering and managing journal user accounts.

  2. Receiving, processing, and tracking manuscript submissions.

  3. Communicating with authors regarding editorial decisions and publication requirements.

  4. Identifying, inviting, and coordinating peer reviewers.

  5. Supporting editorial assessment and peer review.

  6. Managing manuscript revisions, acceptance, and publication.

  7. Maintaining accurate authorship and publication records.

  8. Registering and maintaining article metadata and persistent identifiers.

  9. Processing publication-related administrative and financial records.

  10. Responding to enquiries, complaints, appeals, and ethical concerns.

  11. Maintaining website functionality, security, and technical performance.

  12. Complying with applicable legal, regulatory, and scholarly publishing obligations.

Personal information is not used for unrelated purposes without an appropriate lawful basis.

5. Confidentiality of Manuscripts and Peer Review

AJERNET recognises that manuscript submissions, peer review reports, editorial assessments, and related communications may contain confidential information.

The journal maintains appropriate confidentiality safeguards throughout the editorial and peer review process.

Unpublished manuscripts and confidential editorial records are accessible only to authorised individuals who require the information to perform legitimate editorial responsibilities.

Reviewers and editors are expected to maintain confidentiality and must not disclose, reproduce, distribute, or misuse unpublished manuscript information.

The journal does not publicly disclose confidential reviewer identities where the applicable peer review model requires anonymity.

Confidential information may be disclosed where reasonably necessary for legitimate publication ethics investigations or where required by applicable law.

6. Disclosure and Sharing of Personal Information

AJERNET does not sell, rent, or trade personal information.

Personal information may be shared where reasonably necessary for legitimate publishing operations, including with:

  1. Authorised editors, reviewers, and journal administrators.

  2. AJER Publishing personnel responsible for publishing operations.

  3. Service providers supporting website hosting, manuscript management, technical maintenance, or secure communication.

  4. DOI registration agencies, scholarly indexing services, and metadata repositories.

  5. Relevant institutions or authorities where disclosure is legally required or necessary for an appropriate publication ethics investigation.

Only information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose is disclosed.

The journal recognises that authors' names, institutional affiliations, ORCID identifiers, and other bibliographic details may become publicly available as part of the scholarly publication record.

Such publication-related disclosures are distinguished from confidential account information and unpublished editorial records.

7. Data Security and Protection

AJERNET implements appropriate organisational and technical measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.

These measures include appropriate access controls, administrative safeguards, secure account management, and technical maintenance of the journal's publishing infrastructure.

Access to confidential personal information is restricted to individuals with legitimate operational responsibilities.

The journal periodically reviews its information security arrangements and takes appropriate steps to address identified risks.

Although reasonable security measures are maintained, no electronic information system can guarantee absolute protection against every possible security threat.

8. Data Retention and Preservation

AJERNET retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil legitimate publishing purposes, comply with applicable legal obligations, resolve disputes, and preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

Information relating to published articles, authorship, editorial decisions, and publication history may require long-term retention because of its continuing scholarly and administrative significance.

Other personal information is reviewed and deleted, anonymised, or otherwise appropriately managed when it is no longer required, subject to applicable legal and operational obligations.

Requests for deletion or correction are considered in accordance with applicable data protection requirements and the journal's legitimate obligations to preserve publication records.

9. Cookies and Website Information

AJERNET's website may use cookies, session identifiers, and other technical mechanisms necessary for user authentication, website functionality, security, and the operation of its publishing platform.

Where additional analytics or optional tracking technologies are used, the journal provides appropriate information and obtains consent where required by applicable law.

Users may manage cookies through their browser settings, although disabling essential cookies may affect certain website functions.

The journal does not authorise the use of its website for third-party commercial advertising or unrelated advertising-based profiling.

10. Rights of Individuals

Subject to applicable data protection laws, individuals whose personal information is processed by AJERNET may have rights to:

  1. Request access to personal information held about them.

  2. Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.

  3. Request deletion of personal information where legally applicable.

  4. Object to or request restriction of certain processing activities.

  5. Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

  6. Request information about how their personal data is used or disclosed.

  7. Raise concerns or complaints regarding the handling of personal information.

The journal considers such requests in accordance with applicable legal requirements and its responsibilities as a scholarly publisher.

Certain information may need to be retained to preserve the integrity of published research, fulfil legal obligations, or maintain legitimate editorial records.

11. Third-Party Websites and External Services

AJERNET may provide links to external scholarly databases, DOI registration services, institutional repositories, indexing platforms, or other websites.

These external services operate under their own privacy policies and data protection arrangements.

AJERNET is not responsible for the privacy practices of independently operated third-party websites.

Users are encouraged to review the privacy statements of external services before providing personal information.

12. Privacy Complaints and Enquiries

Individuals with questions, concerns, or complaints regarding the collection, processing, retention, or disclosure of personal information may contact the AJERNET editorial office through the journal's official communication channels.

Privacy-related enquiries are assessed confidentially where appropriate and addressed in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

Where necessary, concerns may be referred to the responsible personnel within AJER Publishing for further review.

13. Policy Implementation and Review

The Chief Editor, Editorial Board, and AJER Publishing are responsible for implementing this Privacy and Data Protection Statement.

The journal periodically reviews its privacy practices to reflect developments in data protection requirements, scholarly publishing standards, and information security practices.

Any material changes to this statement are communicated through the journal's official website.

AJERNET remains committed to protecting personal information while maintaining the transparency, accountability, and accessibility required for responsible scholarly publishing.

African Journal for Empirical Research (AJERNET)
AJER Publishing