Privacy Policy

The Indian Journal of Climate & Environmental Studies (IJCEMS) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all users, authors, reviewers, and editorial members who interact with our journal.
This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal information in compliance with global best practices, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Indian IT Act, 2000 (as amended), and Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) principles.

By communicating with or submitting work to IJCEMS, you agree to this Privacy Policy and authorize us to use your data strictly within the limits described below.

1. Data We Collect

IJCEMS collects minimal data necessary for the editorial and publication process.
We collect and store the following information:

• Personal Information: Name, affiliation, email address, contact number (if voluntarily provided).
  
  

• Manuscript Information: Title, abstract, keywords, author contributions, and funding disclosures.
  
  

• Communication Data: Any correspondence exchanged via email or submission-related communication.
  
  

• Technical Information: Metadata such as submission date, revision date, and document file properties.
  
  

We do not collect sensitive personal data such as passwords, payment details, or biometric information.

2. How We Collect Data

IJCEMS does not use a website submission portal.
All communications and submissions occur through our official email:
📧 ijces.india@gmail.com

Data may also be collected when:

• You send us a submission or query by email.
  
  

• You agree to serve as an editor, reviewer, or contributor.
  
  

• You interact with our hosted content on Google Drive, Google Sites, or Zenodo (for DOI services).
  
  

All information is provided voluntarily by the user.

3. Use of Data

Collected data is used exclusively for the following legitimate academic purposes:

• Managing submissions and peer review.
  
  

• Communicating with authors, reviewers, and editors.
  
  

• Publishing accepted manuscripts and related metadata.
  
  

• Maintaining scholarly records and assigning DOIs via Zenodo.
  
  

• Providing open access to published research.
  
  

IJCEMS does not sell, rent, or commercially share any personal data with advertisers, analytics services, or unauthorized third parties.

4. Third-Party Services and Data Responsibility

IJCEMS uses Google Drive, Google Sites, and Zenodo to manage hosting, archiving, and DOI assignments.
Each platform has its own independent privacy policy and security standards.
By using IJCEMS services, you acknowledge and agree that:

• The journal does not own or control the servers or data handling systems of Google or Zenodo.
  
  

• IJCEMS cannot be held responsible for any breach, loss, or data misuse that occurs due to external platform vulnerabilities.
  
  

• Users are advised to review Google’s and Zenodo’s privacy policies before engaging with our hosted content.
  
  

All content stored on these platforms is managed under secure access controls and restricted editorial privileges.

5. Data Retention

• Manuscript-related data is retained permanently for archival and scholarly record purposes.
  
  

• Personal data (email correspondence, author contact info) is retained only as long as necessary to manage submissions and editorial communication.
  
  

• Authors may request deletion of personal contact data after publication by sending a formal request to ijces.india@gmail.com.
  
  

  • Such deletion requests will not affect the published article, which remains in public access for citation integrity.
    
    

6. Data Security Measures

We employ reasonable administrative and technical safeguards to protect your data, including:

• Restricted access to editorial email accounts.
  
  

• Encrypted email communication (via Gmail TLS encryption).
  
  

• Controlled document sharing on Google Drive (editorial access only).
  
  

• Secure DOI metadata submission through verified Zenodo accounts.
  
  

However, while we take every reasonable precaution, no system is entirely immune to digital risks.
By submitting to IJCEMS, authors and users acknowledge that electronic communication inherently carries limited risk, and the journal shall not be liable for unavoidable incidents beyond its control.

7. Cookies and Tracking

IJCEMS does not directly use cookies or tracking scripts.
However, hosting platforms such as Google Sites or Zenodo may use standard cookies for functionality and analytics.
These are governed by their respective privacy policies.
Users can control cookie preferences directly in their web browser settings.

8. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We disclose user information only in the following circumstances:

• When legally required by government or court order.
  
  

• When requested by indexing or archiving services (metadata only, not personal data).
  
  

• When necessary to complete DOI or repository submissions (title, author names, and institutional affiliations).
  
  

We never share personal email addresses or internal communication without explicit consent.

9. Rights of Authors and Users

Authors and users have the right to:

• Access and review their personal data held by the journal.
  
  

• Request correction or deletion of personal data (excluding published records).
  
  

• Withdraw consent for data retention (post editorial cycle).
  
  

• Request clarification on how their data is used or stored.
  
  

All such requests should be emailed to 📧 ijces.india@gmail.com with the subject:
“Privacy Data Request – [Name or Paper ID]”.
A formal response will be provided within 15 working days.

10. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

While IJCEMS prioritizes privacy and data security, the journal:

• Shall not be liable for any data breach, delay, or loss resulting from external service providers (Google, Zenodo, email servers, etc.).
  
  

• Shall not be responsible for any inadvertent data exposure caused by user-side errors (such as misdirected emails or file-sharing settings).
  
  

• Operates under a “good faith” academic publishing framework and assumes that all communications are professional and voluntary.
  
  

By engaging with IJCEMS, all parties acknowledge and accept these terms as binding.

11. Updates to This Policy

IJCEMS reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in technology, regulation, or operations.
Updated versions will be posted publicly on the journal’s official Google Site and will take effect immediately upon posting.
Continued use of our services after updates implies acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Information

For all privacy-related concerns or data protection requests, please contact:

Indian Journal of Climate & Environmental Studies (IJCEMS)
📧 Email: ijces.india@gmail.com