Privacy Statement

Privacy Statement

Privacy Policy for Synthesis Medicine Journals

Synthesis Medicine operates a multi-journal publishing platform hosting scholarly journals dedicated to evidence synthesis and meta-analysis methodology. We are committed to protecting the privacy of all users including authors, reviewers, editors, and readers.

Information We Collect

Account Registration: When you create an account on our platform, we collect:

  • Name and email address (required)
  • Institutional affiliation (optional)
  • Country and region (optional)
  • ORCID iD (optional)
  • Professional role and research interests (optional)

Manuscript Submission: When you submit a manuscript, we collect:

  • Author information (names, affiliations, emails, ORCID iDs)
  • Manuscript content and supplementary files
  • Competing interests declarations
  • Correspondence during the editorial process

Peer Review: When you review manuscripts, we collect:

  • Reviewer comments and recommendations
  • Review forms and ratings
  • Correspondence with editors

Website Usage: We automatically collect:

  • IP address and browser information
  • Pages visited and time spent on site
  • Device type and operating system
  • Referral sources

How We Use Your Information

Editorial Process:

  • Managing manuscript submissions and peer review
  • Communicating editorial decisions
  • Coordinating publication workflow
  • Maintaining scholarly record

Publication:

  • Published articles display author names, affiliations, and ORCID iDs publicly
  • Corresponding author email is displayed publicly
  • Reviewer identities remain confidential unless open peer review is selected

Site Improvement:

  • Analyzing usage patterns to improve user experience
  • Troubleshooting technical issues
  • Monitoring site security

Communication:

  • Sending editorial notifications and decisions
  • Distributing journal announcements (if subscribed)
  • Responding to inquiries

Information Sharing

We DO share:

  • Published article metadata with indexing services (Google Scholar, PubMed Central, CrossRef, DOAJ)
  • Author information in published articles (publicly visible)
  • Aggregate statistics about journal performance

We DO NOT share:

  • Personal information with commercial third parties for marketing
  • Reviewer identities (except in open peer review)
  • Unpublished manuscript content
  • Email addresses for unsolicited communication

Data Retention

Published Content: Retained permanently for scholarly record and archived in LOCKSS/CLOCKSS

User Accounts: Retained as long as account is active; may be deleted upon request

Unpublished Submissions: Retained for 7 years for editorial record

Peer Review Records: Retained for 7 years per scholarly publishing standards

Server Logs: Retained for 12 months

Your Rights

Under GDPR and data protection laws, you have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of your personal data
  • Correction: Update or correct your information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data (subject to scholarly record requirements)
  • Portability: Export your data in machine-readable format
  • Objection: Object to processing of your data for specific purposes
  • Restriction: Request limitation on how we use your data

Note: Published articles are part of the permanent scholarly record and cannot be deleted, but author information can be corrected.

Cookies and Tracking

We use:

  • Essential cookies: Required for site functionality (login sessions, form submissions)
  • Analytics cookies: Google Analytics to understand site usage (anonymized IP addresses)

You may disable cookies in your browser, but this may affect site functionality.

Third-Party Services

We use the following services that may collect data:

  • CrossRef: DOI registration and citation linking
  • Google Analytics: Website traffic analysis (anonymized)
  • Email delivery services: For editorial notifications
  • Cloud hosting: Secure server infrastructure

Each service has its own privacy policy. We select vendors committed to data protection.

Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures:

  • SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
  • Secure password hashing
  • Regular security updates and monitoring
  • Restricted access to personal data
  • Secure backup systems

However, no internet transmission is completely secure. Users are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of their login credentials.

International Data Transfers

Our servers are located in [specify location]. If you access our site from outside this region, your data may be transferred internationally. We ensure adequate safeguards for international transfers.

Children's Privacy

Our site is not directed to individuals under 16. We do not knowingly collect information from minors. If you believe a minor has provided information, please contact us immediately.

Changes to Privacy Policy

We may update this policy periodically. Significant changes will be announced through:

  • Notice on the website homepage
  • Email notification to registered users
  • Updated "Last Updated" date

Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Open Access and Public Information

Published Content: All published articles are openly accessible under Creative Commons licenses (CC-BY 4.0). Author names, affiliations, and emails are publicly visible in published articles.

Competing Interests: Declared competing interests are published alongside articles for transparency.

Archiving: Published content is permanently preserved in multiple locations (LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, institutional repositories) for long-term scholarly access.