Privacy Statement

Effective Date: January 20, 2026

The Research Community Journal (RCJ) is committed to protecting the privacy of our authors, reviewers, and readers. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information when you visit rcjjournal.org.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information necessary for the peer-review and publication process, including:

• Personal Identifiers: Name, academic/professional affiliation, and job title.
• Contact Information: Email address, physical mailing address, and phone number.
• Research Data: ORCID iDs, research interests, and manuscript metadata.
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, and usage data via cookies to improve website performance.

2. How We Use Your Information

Your data is used strictly for scholarly publishing purposes:

• To process, review, and publish your submitted manuscripts.
• To communicate with authors and reviewers regarding the status of a submission.
• To notify readers about new issues or journal announcements (if opted-in).
• To process Article Processing Charges (APC) and provide invoices.

3. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. Information is shared only in the following contexts:

• Public Metadata: If your article is published, your name, affiliation, and email (as corresponding author) will be publicly visible as part of the scholarly record.
• Indexing Services: Metadata is shared with indexing databases (e.g., Crossref, Scopus, Google Scholar) to ensure research discoverability.
• Service Providers: We may share data with trusted partners who assist in web hosting, plagiarism checking (e.g., Ithenticate), or payment processing.

4. Data Retention

Because research articles form a permanent part of the scientific record, metadata associated with published works (names and affiliations) will be retained indefinitely. Information regarding rejected manuscripts or inactive accounts is periodically purged according to our internal data management schedule.

5. Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies to enhance user experience. You can choose to disable cookies through your browser settings, though some features of the submission system may not function correctly as a result.

6. Your Rights

Under global data protection laws (including GDPR), you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Request the correction of inaccurate information.
• Request the deletion of your user account (provided it is not linked to a published article).
• Opt-out of any marketing or newsletter communications at any time.

7. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

Research Community Journal reserves the right to update this policy. All updates will be posted on this page.