YellowMark Publishing House ("YellowMark," "we," "our," or "us") values your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you use our websites, submission systems, and related publishing services.

By accessing or using our website or submission platform, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our services.

1. Scope and Application

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• All websites and online platforms owned or operated by YellowMark Publishing House, including journal websites and submission portals;
• Authors, reviewers, editors, and visitors who use our services;
• Any information collected through electronic communication (e.g., email, contact forms, submission systems).

2. Information We Collect

We collect both personal and non-personal information, depending on your interaction with our platform.

2.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

When you register, submit a manuscript, or communicate with us, you may provide:

• Full name, affiliation, and academic position
• Email address and contact information
• ORCID ID, institution, and country
• Manuscript and publication details
• Payment or billing information (when paying APCs)
• Review or editorial comments (for reviewers and editors)
• Any other details voluntarily entered in forms or correspondence

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access our website, we may automatically collect:

• IP address and browser type
• Device information (operating system, version, language)
• Access times and referring URLs
• Cookies, analytics data, and usage statistics

This information helps us maintain site functionality, detect technical issues, and improve user experience.

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

YellowMark uses cookies and similar technologies to:

• Enable secure login and session management;
• Store user preferences;
• Analyze website traffic and performance;
• Improve editorial workflows.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, though some features may not function properly if cookies are disabled.

3. How We Use Your Information

YellowMark uses collected information to:

• Facilitate journal operations – manage submissions, peer review, and editorial communication.
• Process payments – manage Article Processing Charges (APCs) and invoicing.
• Provide support – respond to inquiries, requests, or technical issues.
• Publish and disseminate research – when a paper is accepted, relevant author details and affiliations are made public in the article metadata.
• Maintain platform security – detect and prevent fraud, spam, or misuse.
• Improve services – analyze performance, user experience, and platform usability.
• Comply with laws and policies – ensure ethical publishing, copyright compliance, and data retention requirements.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Compliance)

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA) or other GDPR jurisdictions, YellowMark processes personal data under the following lawful bases:

• Consent: When you register, submit manuscripts, or agree to communications.
• Contractual necessity: To provide publication, peer review, and editorial services.
• Legal obligation: To comply with tax, anti-fraud, or record-keeping laws.
• Legitimate interest: To maintain platform integrity, academic standards, and communication with contributors.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell or rent personal information. However, we may share data under specific, controlled circumstances:

5.1 Within YellowMark

Access to user data is restricted to authorized staff, editors, and technical administrators who require it for operational purposes.

5.2 With Third-Party Service Providers

We may use trusted vendors or processors to support:

• Web hosting and IT infrastructure
• Payment processing
• Manuscript management systems
• Email delivery and analytics

All vendors are contractually obligated to maintain confidentiality and comply with data protection laws.

5.3 With Indexing and Archiving Services

Published articles (including author names, affiliations, and metadata) may be shared with indexing databases, repositories, or archiving services (e.g., Crossref, DOAJ) for citation and preservation purposes.

5.4 Legal and Regulatory Disclosure

We may disclose information where required by law, regulation, or court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of YellowMark, its users, or the public.

6. Data Retention

We retain user and submission data only as long as necessary to:

• Maintain publication records;
• Fulfill legal or financial obligations;
• Support retraction or correction requests;
• Provide citation and archiving continuity.

Personal data associated with unpublished submissions may be deleted or anonymized after a defined retention period (typically five years) unless otherwise required by law.

Users may request data deletion at any time, subject to retention obligations (see Section 10).

7. Data Security

YellowMark employs appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration, including:

• Secure server environments and SSL encryption;
• Access control based on role and necessity;
• Regular data backups and monitoring;
• Periodic review of data protection procedures.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our websites use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as web beacons, tags, and scripts) to ensure the best possible user experience and to help us understand how visitors use our platforms.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our websites. They perform various functions, including:

• Essential Cookies – Enable core website functionality such as login access, submission forms, and security features.
• Performance and Analytics Cookies – Collect data about site traffic, usage trends, and how visitors interact with our content, helping us improve our services.
• Functional Cookies – Remember your preferences (such as language and region) to personalize your experience.
• Advertising or Marketing Cookies – May be used occasionally to deliver relevant content or measure the effectiveness of promotional activities.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. However, please note that disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of our websites, such as manuscript submission or user account login.

9. Data Retention and Deletion

We retain personal information only for as long as it is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including:

• Maintaining your author, reviewer, or editor profiles for continued collaboration and record-keeping.
• Fulfilling contractual and legal obligations, such as financial record retention for accounting and tax compliance.
• Resolving disputes, responding to inquiries, and enforcing our publishing agreements and terms of use.
• Supporting research integrity investigations and maintaining the scholarly record.

When Data Is No Longer Required:

When personal data is no longer required for these purposes, we will:

• Securely delete or anonymize it from our systems.
• Retain only the minimum necessary information for legitimate business or legal purposes (e.g., publication history, authorship records).

10. International Data Transfers

As an international open-access publisher, YellowMark Publishing House operates in collaboration with researchers, reviewers, and editors across the globe. This means your personal information may be transferred to, stored in, or processed in countries other than your own — including the United States and other regions where our service providers or affiliated partners are located.

Data Transfer Protections:

When we transfer your personal data internationally, we ensure that such transfers:

• Comply with applicable data protection laws; and
• Are protected through recognized legal safeguards, such as:
  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by data protection authorities;
  • Adequacy decisions for countries offering equivalent protection; or
  • Binding contractual agreements ensuring confidentiality and security.

By using our Services, you acknowledge and consent to such international data transfers under these protections.

11. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update or modify this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

• Changes in our publishing operations,
• Updates to applicable data protection laws or regulatory requirements, or
• Improvements in our technical or organizational practices.

When Updates Are Made:

When significant updates are made, we will:

• Revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page;
• Post the revised policy on our website; and
• In certain cases, notify registered users directly via email or account notifications.

We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect and handle your personal data.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us at:

YellowMark Publishing House
📍 6 A Reler Ln, Somerset, NJ 08873, United States
📧 Email: privacy@yellowmark.org
🌐 Website: www.yellowmark.org

You May Also Contact Us To:

• Request access to, correction, or deletion of your personal data
• Withdraw consent for specific data processing activities
• Ask questions about data transfers or retention practices