Privacy Statement

Identity of the Data Controller

NK Publishers is an academic publishing house committed to the dissemination of high-quality scholarly journals and books, with emphasis on academic integrity, ethical publishing standards, and open-access dissemination.

Advances in Science, Engineering and Society (ASES) is published and technically managed by NK Publishers.

NK Publishers acts as the Data Controller for all personal data processed through the ASES journal platform, which operates on Open Journal Systems (OJS).

Protection of Personal Data and Legal Basis

NK Publishers processes personal data in compliance with applicable data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679, where applicable, and relevant national and international data protection laws.

Personal data is processed solely for purposes directly related to scholarly publishing and journal operations. It is not sold, rented, or disclosed to third parties except where explicitly stated or required by law.

The legal bases for processing include:

  • Consent of the data subject

  • Performance of a contract (editorial and publishing services)

  • Legitimate interests associated with academic publishing and research dissemination

How We Collect Personal Data

Personal data is collected directly from users when they:

  • Register an account on the journal platform

  • Submit a manuscript or other scholarly contribution

  • Register as a reader to receive journal notifications

  • Serve as reviewers, editors, or editorial board members

Categories of Data Collected

Mandatory data:

  • Name and surname

  • Institutional affiliation and country

  • Email address

Optional data:

  • Telephone number

  • Postal address

  • Biographical summary

  • ORCID iD

  • Profile image

Purposes of Data Processing

Personal data is processed strictly in relation to the role(s) undertaken within ASES and for the following purposes:

  • Identification and communication during the editorial and publication process

  • Submission handling, peer review coordination, editorial decision-making, copyediting, and publication

  • Indexing, archiving, and dissemination of published content

  • Optional notifications regarding new issues, calls for papers, or journal updates

Role-Based Data Use

Readers: Data is used for identification and optional journal notifications.

Authors: Data is used for editorial communication and publication. Upon publication, the author’s name, affiliation, ORCID iD, and biographical summary may be publicly displayed and indexed as part of the permanent scholarly record.

Reviewers: Under the double-blind peer review process, reviewers do not have access to authors’ personal data. Reviewer identities are accessible only to editors for selection and communication purposes, unless an open review model is explicitly adopted.

Editors and Editorial Board Members: Name, affiliation, and country are publicly displayed on the journal website to ensure transparency and academic credibility.

Administrators: Authorized technical staff of NK Publishers may access system data solely for platform maintenance, technical support, and security purposes, and do not interfere with editorial decision-making.

Data Retention

Personal data is retained for as long as the user account remains active or as necessary to fulfill editorial and publishing purposes.

Data associated with published articles forms part of the permanent scholarly and academic record and is retained indefinitely for archiving, indexing, and citation purposes.

Requests for deletion of non-published personal data may be submitted at any time, subject to legal, ethical, and operational obligations.

Recipients of Personal Data

Personal data may be accessed by:

  • Journal editors and authorized administrative staff

  • The public, in the case of published author and editorial information

  • The Public Knowledge Project (PKP), in anonymized and aggregated form, for platform functionality and improvement

No personal data is used for commercial marketing purposes.

Rights of Data Subjects

In accordance with applicable data protection laws, including GDPR where relevant, users have the right to:

  • Access and obtain a copy of their personal data

  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

  • Request erasure of personal data, where legally permissible

  • Restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances

  • Request data portability

Requests may be submitted via the journal platform or by contacting the Data Controller directly.

Minors

Registration and processing of personal data for individuals under the age of 16 require explicit consent from a parent or legal guardian.

Cookies

The ASES platform uses cookies to ensure proper functionality and improve user experience.

  • Essential cookies: Required for authentication and platform operation

  • Analytical cookies: Used for anonymized usage statistics and performance monitoring

  • Third-party service cookies: May be used for indexing or content-sharing functionality

Users may manage cookie preferences through their browser settings.

Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding personal data processing, please contact:

NK Publishers
Email: editor@nkpublishers.com
Website: https://nkpublishers.com

NK Publishers is committed to safeguarding personal data and upholding transparency, accountability, and ethical standards in scholarly publishing.