Privacy Statement

Data Collected Through OJS

The journal may collect names, affiliations, email addresses, ORCID iDs, manuscript files, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, decision letters, metadata, and files required to manage peer review and publication.

Field-Specific Data

For environmental sustainability and development, editorial files may include community data, field-site locations, environmental sensor records, traditional knowledge, and reviewer reports. Authors should not upload identifiable, confidential, or controlled data unless the journal has explicitly requested it and the upload is lawful.

Use of Information

Personal data will be used for editorial workflow, peer review, publication, indexing preparation, preservation, audit trails, ethics investigations, and communication related to manuscripts or journal operations. Data should not be sold or used for unrelated marketing.

Reviewer and Author Confidentiality

Reviewer identities and reports should be handled according to the journal's peer-review model. Confidential review material must not be shared outside the editorial process unless required by an investigation, law, or explicit consent.

Retention

Editorial records should be retained long enough to support publication ethics investigations, corrections, appeals, audit needs, and legal obligations. The final retention period should be confirmed by the publisher before launch.

Security and Access

Access to OJS administrative accounts should be limited to authorised staff and editors. Passwords, reviewer files, unpublished manuscripts, and correspondence should not be shared through uncontrolled channels.

Contact

Privacy questions may be sent to [info@esdjournal.net](mailto:info@esdjournal.net). The final public website should also name the legal privacy contact once publisher registration details are confirmed.