Privacy Statement

The Iraqi Journal for Applied Science (IJAS) is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and security of the personal information entrusted to us by authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and website users. The journal recognizes the importance of safeguarding personal data and processes such information responsibly, transparently, and solely for legitimate scholarly publishing purposes.

IJAS adheres to internationally recognized principles of data protection, publication ethics, and responsible scholarly communication, ensuring that personal information is handled with fairness, accountability, and appropriate security measures.

Collection of Personal Information

The journal collects and processes personal information only to the extent necessary for editorial, publishing, indexing, archiving, and communication activities.

Information collected may include:

  • Full name
  • Email address
  • Institutional affiliation
  • Country of affiliation
  • ORCID iD
  • Professional position
  • Contact information
  • User account credentials
  • Manuscript-related information
  • Reviewer and editorial activity records
  • Correspondence associated with the editorial process

Only information required to support the journal's publishing workflow is collected.

Purpose of Data Processing

Personal information is processed exclusively for legitimate academic publishing purposes, including:

  • User registration and authentication
  • Manuscript submission and editorial processing
  • Peer-review management
  • Editorial decision-making
  • Production and publication of accepted manuscripts
  • DOI registration through Crossref
  • Metadata dissemination to indexing and abstracting services
  • Digital preservation and long-term archiving
  • Communication with authors, reviewers, editors, and readers
  • Website administration and technical support
  • Compliance with ethical, legal, and publishing requirements

IJAS does not use personal information for commercial advertising, marketing, or unrelated activities.

Confidentiality

All personal information submitted to the journal is treated as confidential.

Access to personal data is restricted to authorized individuals directly involved in the editorial and publication process, including members of the Editorial Office, Editors, and designated publishing staff.

Reviewer identities are protected in accordance with the journal's double-anonymous peer-review policy.

The journal does not sell, rent, trade, or disclose personal information to third parties except:

  • When required by applicable law.
  • When necessary for publication-related services.
  • When depositing metadata with trusted scholarly infrastructure providers.
  • When required to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.

Third-Party Scholarly Services

To support scholarly communication, IJAS may share limited publication metadata with trusted external services, including but not limited to:

  • Crossref
  • ORCID
  • OpenAlex
  • OpenAIRE
  • Google Scholar
  • Dimensions
  • ROAD
  • PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN)
  • Other indexing, abstracting, archiving, and discovery services, where applicable

Only metadata necessary for scholarly communication and discoverability is shared.

Data Security

IJAS implements appropriate administrative, organizational, and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information against:

  • Unauthorized access
  • Accidental loss
  • Unauthorized disclosure
  • Misuse
  • Alteration
  • Destruction
  • Cybersecurity threats

Reasonable measures are continuously maintained to preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of journal information systems.

Cookies and Website Technologies

The IJAS website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Maintain secure user sessions
  • Improve website functionality
  • Enhance user experience
  • Remember user preferences
  • Analyze website performance
  • Support security and authentication

Cookies do not contain sensitive personal information and may be disabled through browser settings, although some website functions may be affected.

User Rights

Users may request to:

  • Access their personal information.
  • Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Update personal details.
  • Request deletion of personal information where legally and technically feasible.
  • Withdraw previously granted consent where applicable.

Certain publication metadata associated with published scholarly articles cannot be removed because they constitute part of the permanent academic record.

Requests concerning personal information should be directed to the Editorial Office.

Data Retention

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to support legitimate scholarly publishing activities, fulfill legal obligations, preserve publication records, and maintain the integrity of the academic record.

Metadata associated with published articles may be retained permanently to ensure accurate citation, indexing, preservation, and long-term accessibility of the scholarly record.

Consent

By registering an account, submitting a manuscript, participating in peer review, accepting editorial responsibilities, or otherwise using the IJAS website and services, users acknowledge and consent to the collection, processing, storage, and use of their personal information as described in this Privacy Statement.

International Compliance

IJAS processes personal information in accordance with internationally recognized principles of:

  • Lawfulness
  • Fairness
  • Transparency
  • Purpose limitation
  • Data minimization
  • Accuracy
  • Integrity
  • Confidentiality
  • Accountability

These principles are applied within the context of responsible scholarly publishing and publication ethics.

Policy Updates

The Editorial Board periodically reviews this Privacy Statement to reflect developments in scholarly publishing, technological advances, legal requirements, and international best practices.

The most recent version of this policy will always be available on the journal website.

Contact Information

Questions regarding privacy, personal information, data protection, or information security should be directed to:

Editorial Office
Iraqi Journal for Applied Science (IJAS)
College of Education for Pure Sciences
University of Diyala
Diyala, Iraq

Email: ijas@uodiyala.edu.iq

Website: https://ijas.uodiyala.edu.iq

Policy Version: 1.0
Effective Date: July 2026
Last Updated: July 2026

The Editorial Board reviews this Privacy Statement periodically to ensure continued compliance with international publication ethics, data protection principles, Crossref requirements, DOAJ best practices, and evolving standards in scholarly publishing.