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Privacy Policy

JOURNAL POLICIES DATA PROTECTION

Privacy Policy

ICME Journal of Laboratory Medicine  • Privacy, Data Handling & Confidentiality Commitments

The ICME Journal of Laboratory Medicine is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and personal information of authors, reviewers, editors, readers, website visitors, and other individuals who interact with the journal.

This Privacy Policy explains how the journal collects, uses, stores, processes, and protects personal information submitted through its website, manuscript submission system, editorial correspondence, registration forms, and other authorized communication channels.

Information We Collect & Scope

The journal collects only necessary information to facilitate peer review, editorial operations, and scholarly publishing across the following user roles:

From Authors
  • Full names, institutional affiliations, and designations
  • Contact email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses
  • ORCID identifiers, funding, and ethical statements
  • Manuscript files, raw datasets, and revisions
From Reviewers & Editors
  • Academic background, qualifications, and subject expertise
  • ORCID identifiers and review histories
  • Conflict of interest declarations
  • Confidential reviewer comments and evaluations
From Readers & Site Visitors
  • Registration details for notification alerts
  • Reading and notification preferences
  • Technical usage logs, device types, and access dates
  • Cookies for session management and site security
Publicly Displayed Information
  • Published author names, affiliations, and ORCID iDs
  • Corresponding author contact details in articles
  • Editorial board member professional profiles
  • Indexing metadata shared with DOI and archival databases

How Personal Information Is Used

Personal information is processed strictly for legitimate scholarly and operational purposes, including:

✓ Managing manuscript submissions, editorial screening, and double-blind peer review.
✓ Communicating decisions, revision requests, and publishing acceptance notices.
✓ Disseminating research via open-access indexing, DOI assignment, and digital archives.
✓ Investigating research or publication misconduct in compliance with COPE guidelines.
✓ Maintaining system security, preventing fraud, and supporting digital preservation.

Confidentiality & Ethical Directives

Manuscript & Peer Review Confidentiality

Submitted manuscripts and reviewer comments are strictly confidential. Editors, reviewers, and staff are prohibited from sharing, copying, or utilizing unpublished research for personal advantage.

Patient Privacy & Anonymity

The journal strictly prohibits publishing identifiable patient information (names, hospital numbers, recognizable photos) unless scientifically necessary and supported by explicit informed consent.

AI Tools & Data Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts, reviewer notes, or personal details into unauthorized generative AI tools to ensure intellectual property and privacy protection.

No Commercial Data Sales

The journal does not sell, rent, or trade personal data or email lists to advertisers, mass marketers, or third-party commercial entities under any circumstances.

User Rights, Security & Data Retention

Technical Security: Protected using password controls, secure hosting, encrypted log-ins, regular backups, and restricted administrative privileges.
Data Retention: Published article metadata forms part of the permanent scholarly record and is retained indefinitely in digital repositories.
Access & Corrections: Users may request correction of inaccurate profile data or account details by writing to the editorial office.
Email Preferences: Users may opt out of promotional alerts; essential editorial and account communications remain active.

Privacy Inquiries: Questions, corrections, or complaints regarding data protection should be directed to the official editorial office address. The journal evaluates all legitimate requests within a reasonable time frame.

Privacy Summary
Data Sales Strictly Zero / None
Review Security Double-Blind
Patient Data Consent Mandatory
Archiving Permanent Metadata
Compliance COPE & ICMJE
Submit Paper Online Author Guidelines
Adhering to international data privacy & publication ethics standards.