Privacy Statement

Privacy Statement

Thoughts Review (TR) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all individuals who interact with the journal, including authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and website visitors. This Privacy Statement explains what personal data the journal collects, how it is used, how it is protected, and the rights available to individuals in relation to their data.

This statement applies to the journal’s website (https://www.thoughtsreview.com/index.php/TR) and to the editorial and publishing processes conducted through the journal’s Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform. It is displayed during user registration, author submission, and on the journal’s publicly available Privacy page.

1. Data Controller

The data controller for personal data processed through the journal is Thoughts Review. Questions about this Privacy Statement or requests relating to personal data should be directed to the editorial office using the contact details published on the journal website.

 

2. Personal Data Collected

Thoughts Review collects personal data in the following ways:

2.1 During User Registration

When a user registers on the journal website, the journal collects:

1.      Name.

2.      Email address.

3.      Username and password.

4.      Institutional affiliation.

5.      Any other information the user chooses to provide in their profile.

2.2 During Manuscript Submission

When an author submits a manuscript, the journal collects:

                                                              i.      Author names, affiliations, and contact details.

                                                            ii.      Corresponding author’s postal address, email address, and telephone number.

                                                          iii.      ORCID iDs (where provided).

                                                          iv.      Funding information and conflict-of-interest disclosures.

                                                            v.      Any other information included in the submission files.

2.3 During Peer Review and Editorial Processes

When individuals participate as reviewers or editors, the journal collects:

 

      Names, affiliations, and contact details.

      Areas of expertise and review history.

      Correspondence relating to manuscript evaluation.

2.4 Website Usage Data

When visitors browse the journal website, the journal may automatically collect:

                                                              i.      IP address.

                                                            ii.      Browser type and version.

                                                          iii.      Pages visited and entry/exit dates.

                                                          iv.      Session duration and referral information.

This data is used in an aggregated and anonymised form to understand how the website is used and to improve the journal’s services.

2.5 Cookies

The journal website uses cookies to manage user sessions and to support core functionality, such as logging in and maintaining a user’s session while navigating the site. Cookies are not required simply to visit the site and read content. Users may disable cookies in their browser settings, although this may affect some functionality of the website.

3. How Personal Data Is Used

Thoughts Review processes personal data for the following purposes:

 

                                                              i.      Managing manuscript submissions and peer review: To receive, assess, review, edit, and publish manuscripts, and to communicate with authors, reviewers, and editors throughout the editorial process.

                                                            ii.      Publication and dissemination: To publish articles, display author information as part of the scholarly record, and disseminate content through indexing, abstracting, and archiving services.

                                                          iii.      Communication: To respond to enquiries, provide editorial correspondence, and send notifications relating to submissions, reviews, and publications.

                                                          iv.      Journal administration: To manage user accounts, maintain editorial records, and support the efficient operation of the journal.

                                                            v.      Website improvement: To analyse usage patterns and improve the functionality, accessibility, and performance of the journal website.

                                                          vi.      Legal and ethical compliance: To meet applicable legal obligations, support research integrity processes (such as plagiarism screening), and respond to allegations of misconduct in accordance with the journal’s policies.

The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party, except as described in this Privacy Statement.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Where data protection laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) apply, Thoughts Review processes personal data on the following legal bases:

a)      Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary for the performance of the publishing and editorial services the journal provides, including manuscript submission, peer review, and publication.

b)      Legitimate interests: Processing is necessary for the legitimate interests of the journal in operating a scholarly publication, maintaining editorial records, ensuring research integrity, and improving its services.

c)      Legal obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with applicable legal requirements.

d)      Consent: Where consent is required, the journal will seek it clearly and separately, and individuals may withdraw consent at any time.

 

5. Sharing of Personal Data

Thoughts Review does not sell or rent personal data.

Personal data may be shared in the following circumstances:

Ø  With reviewers and editors: As part of the double-anonymous peer review process, personal identifiers are removed from manuscripts. Reviewer identities are kept confidential in accordance with the journal’s Peer Review Policy.

Ø  With indexing, abstracting, and archiving services: Author names, affiliations, article metadata, and corresponding author contact details may be shared with services such as Crossref (for DOI registration), OpenAlex, and other scholarly discovery platforms, and with digital preservation services, in order to publish and preserve the scholarly record.

Ø  With technical service providers: The journal uses the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform and related technical services to manage its website and editorial workflow. These providers process data on behalf of the journal and are expected to maintain appropriate safeguards.

Ø  With institutions or authorities: Data may be shared where required by law, or where necessary to investigate allegations of research or publication misconduct in accordance with the journal’s Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

Where personal data is transferred outside the individual’s jurisdiction, the journal takes reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place.

6. Data Retention

Thoughts Review retains personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law or editorial practice.

1.Published articles and associated metadata (including author names and affiliations) are retained indefinitely as part of the permanent scholarly record.

2.Manuscripts that are rejected or withdrawn are retained for a reasonable period to support editorial records and integrity processes, after which they may be deleted.

3.User account data is retained for as long as the account remains active, and for a reasonable period thereafter to meet administrative and legal requirements.

4.Reviewer and editor data is retained for as long as needed for editorial workflows and the maintenance of editorial records.

7. Data Security

Thoughts Review takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include secure hosting of the OJS platform, access controls, and confidentiality obligations for editors, reviewers, and staff.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. While the journal takes data protection seriously, it cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Rights of Individuals

Subject to applicable law, individuals whose personal data is processed by Thoughts Review may have the following rights:

                                                              i.      Right of access: To request confirmation of whether their personal data is being processed and to obtain a copy of that data.

                                                            ii.      Right to rectification: To request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

                                                          iii.      Right to erasure: To request deletion of personal data where there is no legal or legitimate reason for its continued retention.

                                                          iv.      Right to restriction of processing: To request that processing be restricted in certain circumstances.

                                                            v.      Right to object: To object to processing based on legitimate interests, including processing for analytics purposes.

                                                          vi.      Right to data portability: To request the transfer of their personal data to another service, where applicable.

                                                        vii.      Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, to withdraw that consent at any time.

 

Requests to exercise these rights should be directed to the editorial office using the contact details published on the journal website. The journal will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

Individuals also have the right to lodge a complaint with a relevant data protection authority, where such a right exists under applicable law.

9. Cookies and Analytics

The journal website uses cookies to manage user sessions and to support core functionality. Cookies are required for logged-in users to maintain their session but are not required simply to visit the site and read content.

The journal may use aggregated and anonymised analytics data to understand how the website is used and to improve its services. Such data is not used to identify individual visitors.

Users may manage cookie preferences through their browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the availability of certain features.

10. Third-Party Links

The journal website may contain links to external websites, including indexing services, repositories, and partner organisations. Thoughts Review is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites they visit.

11. Children’s Privacy

Thoughts Review does not knowingly collect personal data from children. The journal’s services are intended for academic and scholarly use by adults. If the journal becomes aware that personal data of a child has been collected without appropriate consent, it will take reasonable steps to delete such data.

 

12. Changes to This Privacy Statement

Thoughts Review may update this Privacy Statement from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, editorial practices, or the journal’s services. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date. Where changes are significant, the journal will take reasonable steps to notify affected individuals.

Continued use of the journal website or services after changes to this Privacy Statement constitutes acceptance of the revised statement.

13. Contact

Questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Statement or the processing of personal data should be directed to the Thoughts Review editorial office using the official contact details published on the journal website.

Website: https://www.thoughtsreview.com/index.php/TR

ISSN (Print): 3106-9509

ISSN (Electronic): 3106-9517

Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)