Privacy Statement

Scholares Journal, the official research publication of the Psychology Department at Jose Maria College Foundation, Inc. (JMCFI), is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all individuals who interact with our journal platform. This Privacy Statement outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data in compliance with applicable data protection laws, including the Republic Act No. 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012) of the Philippines.

1. Collection of Personal Data
When you register as a user (Reader, Author, or Reviewer), submit a manuscript, or participate in the peer-review process, the journal collects certain personal information necessary for editorial and administrative operations. This data may include:

  • Full name and institutional affiliation

  • Email address and professional contact details

  • ORCID iD (if provided voluntarily)

  • Country of residence and academic discipline

  • Username and encrypted password for system access

  • Submitted manuscript files and associated metadata (including co-author details)

  • Reviewer reports and editorial correspondence

2. Purpose and Use of Personal Data
The collected data is used exclusively for legitimate academic and editorial purposes, including:

  • Managing the submission, peer-review, and editorial decision processes

  • Facilitating anonymous and double-blind review assignments

  • Communicating with authors, reviewers, and editors regarding submissions and journal updates

  • Generating accurate publication metadata, including author attribution and institutional indexing

  • Maintaining internal editorial records and statistical reporting

  • Authenticating user access to restricted sections of the journal website

All personal data is processed solely for the fulfillment of the journal's scholarly mission and will not be used for any unrelated commercial, marketing, or promotional activities.

3. Data Sharing and Disclosure
Scholares Journal respects the confidentiality of its users. Personal information is not sold, rented, or traded to third parties. Limited disclosure may occur under the following circumstances:

  • Reviewer Assignment: Reviewer identities are kept strictly confidential and are not disclosed to authors or other reviewers, in accordance with the journal's double-blind policy.

  • Indexing and Archiving: Metadata such as author names, affiliations, and article abstracts are shared with academic indexing services and digital preservation systems (LOCKSS and CLOCKSS) to ensure scholarly discoverability and long-term content availability.

  • Legal Compliance: Data may be disclosed if required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, provided such disclosure is legally mandated and appropriately documented.

4. Data Security
We implement appropriate organizational, physical, and technical security measures to safeguard personal data against unauthorized access, accidental loss, alteration, or destruction. These measures include secure server environments, encrypted data transmission, role-based access controls, and regular system monitoring. Only authorized editorial staff and system administrators have access to personal data, and they are bound by strict confidentiality obligations.

5. User Rights
Registered users and authors have the following rights regarding their personal data:

  • Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

  • Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.

  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent to the processing of your data, subject to existing legal or contractual obligations (noting that published articles and associated metadata may be retained for archival and scholarly integrity).

  • Right to Deletion: Request the deletion of your account or personal data, subject to our data retention policy and applicable legal requirements.

To exercise any of these rights, please submit a formal written request to the journal's editorial office at JMCFI.

6. Cookies and System Logs
The OJS platform uses session cookies solely to maintain user authentication and navigation preferences during active browsing sessions. These cookies are temporary and expire upon logging out or closing the browser. The system also collects standard server logs, including IP addresses and browser types, for security and troubleshooting purposes. No tracking cookies or third-party analytics tools are deployed for advertising or behavioral profiling.

7. Data Retention
Personal data will be retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this statement, including editorial record-keeping, publication archiving, and compliance with academic integrity standards. After the retention period, data will be securely anonymized or permanently deleted, except where continued storage is required by law or institutional policy.

8. Amendments to This Privacy Statement
Scholares Journal reserves the right to update or revise this Privacy Statement from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, technological developments, or operational practices. Any material changes will be communicated through a prominent notice on the journal website. The continued use of our platform after such amendments constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Inquiries and Concerns
For any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Statement or the handling of your personal data, please direct your correspondence to the Editorial Office of Scholares Journal at the Psychology Department, Jose Maria College Foundation, Inc., Davao City, Philippines.