LEGAL
Terms of Use & Privacy Policy
IQ Research Journal (IQRJ)
Main Website: https://www.iqresearchjournal.com/ · Online Journal Platform: https://journal.iqresearchjournal.com/
Effective Date: [Insert approval and publication date] | Last Updated: [Insert revision date]
Welcome to IQ Research Journal (IQRJ). These Terms of Use and Privacy Policy govern access to and use of the IQRJ websites, online journal platform and associated publishing services.
IQ Research Journal is a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal that provides a platform for researchers, academics, students and professionals to share scholarly work.
By accessing our websites, creating an account, submitting a manuscript, participating in peer review or using our publishing services, you agree to comply with the applicable terms described in this document. If you do not agree with these terms, you should discontinue using the relevant services.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Part One — Terms of Use
1Purpose and Scope of the Websites2Acceptance of Terms3User Accounts and Registration4Acceptable Use5Manuscript Submission and Publication6Editorial Independence and Peer Review7Intellectual Property and Copyright8Open Access and Published Research9Accuracy of Website Information10Third-Party Websites and Services11Website Availability and Security12Limitation of Liability13Suspension and Termination of Access14Changes to These TermsPart Two — Privacy Policy
15Our Commitment to Privacy16Information We Collect17How We Use Personal Information18Publicly Available Author and Publication Information19Confidentiality of Manuscripts and Editorial Information20How We Share Personal Information21Cookies and Similar Technologies22Data Security23Data Retention24Your Privacy Rights25Children’s Privacy26International Data Processing27External Links and Third-Party Platforms28Changes to This Privacy Policy29Contact and Privacy EnquiriesPART ONE — TERMS OF USE
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Purpose and Scope of the Websites
The IQRJ websites provide information and services relating to academic research, scholarly publishing and the dissemination of knowledge. The main website provides information about the journal, editorial activities, publication opportunities, journal policies, author guidelines, books, theses, conference proceedings and other related services. The online journal platform provides facilities for reader access, author registration, manuscript submission, editorial communication, peer review and access to published research. Different features may be available depending on the website, account type and services being used.
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Acceptance of Terms
By using either IQRJ website, you acknowledge that:
- You have read and understood these Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
- You will use the websites for lawful and legitimate purposes.
- You will provide accurate information when registering or submitting information.
- You will respect the intellectual property and privacy rights of others.
- You will comply with applicable publishing, editorial and research ethics requirements.
IQRJ reserves the right to revise these terms when necessary. Updated versions will be published on the relevant website, with the revision date indicated.
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User Accounts and Registration
Certain services on the online journal platform require users to create an account. Users registering with IQRJ are responsible for:
- Providing accurate and complete registration information.
- Maintaining the confidentiality of their login credentials.
- Keeping their account information up to date.
- Using their accounts responsibly.
- Not sharing their passwords or allowing unauthorised access.
- Not creating accounts using another person’s identity without authorisation.
Users should notify the journal if they suspect that their account has been accessed or used without permission. IQRJ may restrict, suspend or terminate accounts where there is evidence of misuse, unauthorised access, fraudulent activity or violation of applicable policies.
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Acceptable Use
Users must not:
- Use the websites for unlawful, fraudulent or misleading activities.
- Upload malicious software, viruses or harmful files.
- Attempt to gain unauthorised access to website systems or user accounts.
- Interfere with the operation, availability or security of the websites.
- Submit false, misleading or fabricated academic information.
- Impersonate another author, reviewer, editor or institution.
- Use automated methods to disrupt the websites or collect information without permission.
- Upload content that infringes the intellectual property or privacy rights of others.
IQRJ reserves the right to investigate suspected violations and take appropriate action.
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Manuscript Submission and Publication
Authors submitting manuscripts through the online journal platform must ensure that their submissions comply with the applicable Author Guidelines and Editorial Policies. By submitting a manuscript, authors confirm that:
- The information provided is accurate to the best of their knowledge.
- The manuscript is original or appropriately acknowledges previously published material.
- All listed authors have approved the submitted version.
- The manuscript has been submitted with the knowledge and approval of the relevant co-authors.
- Necessary ethical approvals, permissions and declarations have been obtained where applicable.
- Relevant funding sources and conflicts of interest have been disclosed.
- The manuscript is not simultaneously under consideration by another journal, except where an approved exception applies.
Submission does not guarantee acceptance or publication. All manuscripts remain subject to editorial assessment and the journal’s applicable peer-review procedures.
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Editorial Independence and Peer Review
Editorial decisions are based on the academic quality, relevance, originality, research integrity and suitability of submitted work. Editors and reviewers are expected to treat manuscripts professionally and maintain appropriate confidentiality.
Authors must not attempt to improperly influence editorial decisions or interfere with the peer-review process. Reviewers must not disclose confidential manuscript information or use unpublished material for personal advantage.
IQRJ reserves the right to investigate concerns involving research misconduct, plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, duplicate submission or other violations of publication ethics. Further information is provided in the journal’s Editorial and Publication Ethics Policies.
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Intellectual Property and Copyright
Unless otherwise stated, the content published on the IQRJ websites, including website design, text, graphics, logos, branding and other original materials, is protected by applicable intellectual property laws.
Users may access, read, download and share published research in accordance with the applicable copyright and licensing terms attached to each publication. Authors retain or transfer rights according to the specific copyright, licensing or publishing agreement applicable to their work. Submission of a manuscript does not automatically transfer ownership of copyright to IQRJ.
Users must not reproduce, modify, distribute or commercially exploit protected website materials without appropriate permission, except where permitted by law or an applicable licence.
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Open Access and Published Research
IQRJ supports the dissemination of scholarly research through open-access publishing. Published articles made available under an open-access arrangement may be read and accessed by users without a subscription, subject to the applicable copyright and licensing conditions.
The permitted use of an individual article, book, thesis or other publication is determined by the licence or copyright statement associated with that work. Users should review the publication’s specific terms before reproducing, adapting or redistributing its contents.
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Accuracy of Website Information
IQRJ makes reasonable efforts to provide accurate information about its publications, editorial activities, services and academic resources. However, website information may occasionally contain errors, omissions or outdated material. IQRJ reserves the right to correct, update or modify website content without prior notice where necessary.
Information about indexing, abstracting, publication identifiers and external academic databases should be verified through the relevant organisations. IQRJ does not control independent indexing decisions or guarantee acceptance by external databases.
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Third-Party Websites and Services
The IQRJ websites may contain links to external websites, academic databases, repositories, payment services or other third-party platforms. These external services operate independently and may have their own terms of use and privacy policies.
IQRJ does not control the content, availability, security or privacy practices of external websites. Users should review the relevant third-party terms before providing personal information or using external services.
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Website Availability and Security
IQRJ aims to maintain reliable access to its websites and online publishing services. However, uninterrupted availability cannot be guaranteed. Access may occasionally be interrupted due to:
- Scheduled maintenance.
- Server or hosting problems.
- Software updates.
- Network or internet service interruptions.
- Security incidents.
- Circumstances beyond the journal’s reasonable control.
IQRJ may temporarily restrict access to particular services when maintenance, security or operational requirements make it necessary.
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Limitation of Liability
To the extent permitted by applicable law, IQRJ shall not be responsible for losses arising from:
- Temporary website unavailability.
- Unauthorised access resulting from circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
- Reliance on inaccurate or outdated third-party information.
- Errors or interruptions caused by external services.
- Misuse of published information by website visitors.
- Technical problems affecting a user’s device, internet connection or software.
Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable law.
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Suspension and Termination of Access
IQRJ may restrict or suspend access to its websites or services where a user:
- Violates these Terms of Use.
- Engages in fraudulent or unlawful activity.
- Attempts to compromise website security.
- Abuses the manuscript submission or peer-review system.
- Uses the platform in a manner that threatens its operation or integrity.
Where appropriate, users may be notified of the reason for such action.
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Changes to These Terms
IQRJ may revise these Terms of Use to reflect changes in its publishing services, website operations, technology or applicable legal requirements. The updated version will be published on the IQRJ website.
Continued use of the relevant services after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
PART TWO — PRIVACY POLICY
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Our Commitment to Privacy
IQ Research Journal respects the privacy of its website visitors, registered users, authors, reviewers, editors, academic contributors and other individuals who interact with its services. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information may be collected, how it is used, how it is protected and the circumstances under which it may be shared.
It applies to information collected through the main IQRJ website, the online journal and manuscript submission platform, author and reader registration, editorial and peer-review activities, contact, enquiry and publication request forms, email correspondence with the journal, and other services directly operated by IQRJ.
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Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with IQRJ, we may collect the following categories of information.
A. Personal Identification Information
Full name, email address, telephone number, country and location, institutional affiliation, and professional title or academic position.
B. Account and Registration Information
For registered users of the online journal platform: username, account email address, password credentials in the form securely stored by the platform, user role (such as author, reader, reviewer or editor), and account preferences and profile information.
C. Manuscript and Publication Information
When authors submit manuscripts or participate in publishing activities: manuscript titles and abstracts, author names and institutional affiliations, corresponding author details, keywords and subject areas, manuscript files and supplementary materials, research declarations and ethical statements, editorial correspondence, reviewer comments and editorial decisions, and publication and revision records.
D. Communication and Enquiry Information
When contacting IQRJ, users may provide information through general enquiries, editorial correspondence, publication enquiries, thesis and book publication requests, conference publication proposals, certificate requests, and financial and administrative enquiries.
E. Technical Information
When users access our websites, certain technical information may be collected by the website infrastructure or relevant services: IP address, browser type and version, device information, operating system, pages visited, access dates and times, referring website information, and website usage and diagnostic information. The actual information collected depends on the website configuration and services in use.
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How We Use Personal Information
Information collected through the IQRJ websites may be used for the following purposes:
- Account management: To register users, manage accounts, authenticate access and provide relevant platform services.
- Manuscript processing: To receive, evaluate, process and manage submitted manuscripts and supplementary documents.
- Editorial and peer-review activities: To facilitate communication between authors, editors, reviewers and relevant editorial personnel.
- Publication and dissemination: To prepare accepted scholarly work for publication and display appropriate publication information.
- Communication and support: To respond to enquiries, provide submission assistance and communicate important information about publishing services.
- Administrative and financial activities: To process publication-related enquiries, provide estimates, maintain relevant records and communicate administrative information.
- Website operation and security: To monitor website performance, diagnose technical problems, protect accounts and prevent unauthorised activity.
- Legal and regulatory requirements: To comply with applicable legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorised authorities.
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Publicly Available Author and Publication Information
Certain information associated with published research may be made publicly available as part of scholarly publishing. Depending on the publication and author-provided information, this may include article or book title, author names, institutional affiliations, abstracts, keywords, publication dates, references and DOI information where applicable, and author biographies and photographs where supplied and approved for publication.
This information helps readers discover, identify, cite and reference academic publications. Authors should ensure that they have the necessary rights and permissions to provide photographs, biographies and other personal information intended for public display. Personal information used for editorial administration or peer review is not automatically made public.
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Confidentiality of Manuscripts and Editorial Information
IQRJ recognises the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of unpublished manuscripts and editorial communications. Submitted manuscripts and related editorial materials are accessible only to individuals who require the information for legitimate journal processing and publishing responsibilities. These may include relevant editorial staff, editors handling the submission, invited and appointed peer reviewers, authorised publishing personnel, and technical personnel where access is necessary for platform operation.
Reviewers and editors are expected to respect the confidentiality of materials received through the peer-review process. Manuscript information may be disclosed where required for legitimate investigations into suspected research misconduct, legal obligations or other circumstances permitted by applicable law.
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How We Share Personal Information
IQRJ does not intend to make personal information available indiscriminately. Information may be shared where necessary with:
- Editors and reviewers involved in manuscript assessment.
- Authorised journal and publishing personnel.
- Website hosting and technical service providers.
- Email and communication service providers.
- Relevant academic publishing and metadata services.
- Legal, regulatory or law-enforcement authorities where disclosure is legally required.
Where third-party service providers process information on behalf of IQRJ, access should be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant service. IQRJ does not sell personal information to third parties for their independent commercial marketing purposes.
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Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our websites may use cookies or similar technologies to support website functionality and user experience. Cookies may be used for maintaining login sessions, remembering user preferences, supporting website navigation, improving website functionality, and understanding website usage where analytics services are enabled.
Users may manage or disable cookies through their browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect the availability or functionality of some website features, including account login and other interactive services.
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Data Security
IQRJ takes reasonable measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss or misuse. Security measures may include restricted access to administrative systems, password protection and account authentication, website and server security controls, secure data transmission where supported, routine maintenance and software updates, and appropriate access controls for editorial and publishing activities.
No internet-based system can guarantee absolute security. Users should also protect their passwords and avoid sharing confidential account information.
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Data Retention
IQRJ retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. Retention periods may depend on the type of information and the purpose for which it is maintained. For example:
- Account information may be retained while an account remains active and for a reasonable period afterwards.
- Manuscript and editorial records may be retained for publication administration, research integrity and scholarly recordkeeping.
- Published articles and their associated bibliographic information may be maintained as part of the academic publication record.
- Financial and administrative records may be retained where required for accounting, legal or operational purposes.
- Enquiry correspondence may be retained for an appropriate period to manage and respond to requests.
Information may be securely deleted, anonymised or otherwise disposed of when it is no longer required, subject to applicable legal and recordkeeping obligations.
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Your Privacy Rights
Subject to applicable law, individuals may have rights concerning their personal information. These may include the right to:
- Request access to personal information held about them.
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Request deletion of personal information where legally permissible.
- Object to or request restriction of certain processing activities.
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
- Request information about how their personal information is used.
- Raise a privacy complaint with the relevant authority where applicable.
Requests may be submitted to the IQRJ editorial office using the contact details provided below. Some information may need to be retained for legitimate publishing, legal, security or research integrity purposes. A request to delete personal information does not automatically require the removal of a published scholarly article or its necessary bibliographic record.
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Children's Privacy
The IQRJ websites and publishing services are intended primarily for researchers, academics, students and professionals. We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children where parental or guardian authorisation is legally required. If we become aware that personal information has been collected inappropriately from a child, appropriate steps will be taken to assess and address the situation in accordance with applicable law.
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International Data Processing
IQRJ serves an international academic community. Users, authors, reviewers and editorial personnel may access the websites from different countries. Depending on the hosting arrangements, technical service providers and publishing operations, personal information may be processed or accessed across national borders. Where applicable, IQRJ will take reasonable steps to ensure that international handling of personal information is consistent with relevant data protection requirements.
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External Links and Third-Party Platforms
Our websites may link to external academic databases, research repositories, scholarly communication services and other websites. Once users leave an IQRJ website, their interactions are governed by the relevant external provider’s terms and privacy policy. IQRJ is not responsible for the independent privacy practices or security arrangements of third-party websites.
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Changes to This Privacy Policy
IQRJ may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in its website operations, publishing activities, technology or applicable legal requirements. The latest version will be made available on the IQRJ websites, together with the applicable update date. Users are encouraged to review this page periodically.
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Contact and Privacy Enquiries
For questions, requests or concerns relating to these Terms of Use or Privacy Policy, please contact IQ Research Journal:
General Enquiries: iqrj@iqresearchjournal.com
Editorial Office: editor@iqresearchjournal.com
Publishing Office: publisher@iqresearchjournal.com
Website: https://www.iqresearchjournal.com/
Online Journal Platform: https://journal.iqresearchjournal.com/
For privacy-related requests, please use the subject line: Privacy Request – IQ Research Journal.
Final statement: By accessing and using the IQ Research Journal websites and associated publishing services, users acknowledge that they have had the opportunity to review these Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. IQRJ is committed to responsible academic publishing, appropriate handling of personal information, respect for intellectual property and the protection of confidential editorial materials.
IQ Research Journal (IQRJ) — A Multidisciplinary, Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal. Online ISSN: 2790-4296