Privacy and Confidentiality

1. Introduction

Magistra Andalusia: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra (MAJIS) is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and legitimate interests of authors, reviewers, editors, editorial staff, research participants, readers, and other individuals involved in the scholarly publishing process.

The journal recognises that the publication process requires the collection and processing of personal, professional, editorial, and research-related information. Such information must be handled responsibly, transparently, and only for legitimate purposes associated with scholarly communication, editorial administration, peer review, publication ethics, and the preservation of the scholarly record.

MAJIS treats submitted manuscripts and associated editorial materials as confidential during the editorial and peer-review process. Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not disclose, reproduce, distribute, or use confidential manuscript information for purposes unrelated to the legitimate assessment and publication of the work.

The journal also recognises the importance of privacy protection in research involving human participants. Manuscripts in the fields of literature, linguistics, cultural studies, oral traditions, interviews, literary communities, and related disciplines may contain personal information, identifiable quotations, photographs, recordings, or other materials capable of identifying individuals. Authors are therefore responsible for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of research participants and for obtaining appropriate consent where identifiable information is to be published.

MAJIS is committed to handling privacy and confidentiality in accordance with applicable ethical and legal requirements and relevant publication-ethics principles, including the guidance and Core Practices of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). COPE's guidance emphasises that peer reviewers must respect the confidentiality of the peer-review process and must not use information obtained during review for their own or another person's advantage.

This policy establishes the principles and procedures governing privacy and confidentiality throughout the submission, peer-review, publication, and post-publication processes.

2. Description

Privacy and confidentiality in scholarly publishing concern the responsible protection of personal information, unpublished scholarly materials, research-participant information, and confidential editorial communications.

For MAJIS, this primarily involves:

  • Protection of Authors' Information: Safeguarding personal and professional information submitted by authors, including names, affiliations, email addresses, ORCID iDs, correspondence, and other information collected during manuscript submission and editorial processing.

  • Confidentiality of Manuscripts: Treating manuscripts submitted to the journal as confidential documents and restricting access to authorised individuals involved in editorial assessment, peer review, production, and publication.

  • Confidentiality of Peer Review: Protecting the confidentiality of reviewer identities, review reports, editorial assessments, and other information associated with the peer-review process in accordance with the journal's declared peer-review model.

  • Protection of Research Participants: Ensuring that authors protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals who participate in research, including interviewees, informants, literary practitioners, cultural communities, and other identifiable individuals.

  • Consent for Publication: Requiring appropriate consent where manuscripts contain personally identifiable information, photographs, recordings, detailed case descriptions, or quotations that could reasonably identify an individual.

  • Protection of Research Data: Ensuring that personal, confidential, restricted, or sensitive research data are handled responsibly and are not disclosed without appropriate ethical, legal, or scholarly justification.

  • Confidentiality of Editorial Communications: Protecting correspondence and internal discussions relating to manuscript assessment, peer review, editorial decisions, complaints, appeals, and publication-ethics investigations.

  • Responsible Use of Digital and AI Technologies: Preventing confidential manuscripts, reviewer reports, personal information, or other restricted material from being submitted to unauthorised third-party or generative AI systems.

  • Confidentiality in Publication-Ethics Investigations: Protecting the identity and information of complainants, whistleblowers, authors, reviewers, and other parties involved in allegations of publication misconduct, to the extent reasonably possible.

  • Protection of the Scholarly Record: Balancing privacy and confidentiality with the journal's responsibility to maintain transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the published scholarly record.

3. Policy

Confidentiality of Submitted Manuscripts

All manuscripts submitted to MAJIS are treated as confidential documents during the editorial and peer-review process.

Editors, reviewers, and editorial staff must not:

  • disclose manuscripts to unauthorised individuals;

  • distribute manuscript files outside the authorised editorial process;

  • reproduce substantial portions of unpublished manuscripts for unrelated purposes;

  • use unpublished information for personal, professional, academic, or commercial advantage;

  • discuss manuscripts publicly while they are under consideration; or

  • otherwise misuse confidential information obtained through the editorial process.

The confidentiality obligation applies regardless of whether a manuscript is ultimately accepted, rejected, withdrawn, or otherwise removed from consideration.

Confidentiality of Peer Review

MAJIS protects the confidentiality of its peer-review process in accordance with its stated peer-review model.

Reviewers must:

  • keep manuscripts confidential;

  • refrain from sharing manuscripts with unauthorised persons;

  • not use unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal or professional advantage;

  • not disclose their review reports or confidential comments;

  • not contact authors directly concerning the manuscript without editorial authorisation; and

  • notify the journal if they identify a potential ethical concern.

COPE specifically advises reviewers to respect the confidentiality of peer review and not to use information obtained during the process for personal or another person's advantage. Reviewers should also obtain permission from the journal before involving another person in reviewing a manuscript.

Reviewer Identities

Where reviewer anonymity applies, the identity of reviewers must be protected.

Reviewers must not reveal their identity to authors through:

  • the review report;

  • direct correspondence;

  • comments in the manuscript;

  • supplementary files; or

  • other means intended to circumvent the journal's review process.

Editors and editorial staff should take reasonable measures to prevent accidental disclosure of reviewer identities.

Reviewer identities may be disclosed only where:

  • the reviewer has explicitly consented;

  • disclosure is necessary for a legitimate editorial or ethical process;

  • disclosure is required by law; or

  • another disclosure is expressly authorised by the journal's peer-review policy.

Confidentiality of Editorial Deliberations

Internal editorial discussions are confidential.

Editors and editorial staff must protect:

  • editorial assessments;

  • reviewer recommendations;

  • internal correspondence;

  • editorial board discussions;

  • manuscript-related communications;

  • decisions before they are formally communicated; and

  • other internal editorial materials.

Confidential editorial information must not be disclosed to authors, reviewers, advertisers, sponsors, or other external parties except where disclosure is necessary for a legitimate editorial, ethical, institutional, or legal purpose.

Privacy of Authors

MAJIS collects and processes author information only for legitimate journal-related purposes.

Such information may include:

  • full name;

  • institutional affiliation;

  • professional email address;

  • ORCID iD;

  • author contribution information;

  • correspondence;

  • manuscript-related information;

  • declarations of interest;

  • acknowledgements; and

  • other information voluntarily supplied during the editorial process.

Information intended for publication, such as author names and institutional affiliations, may become part of the public scholarly record.

Information collected solely for administrative or editorial purposes should not be disclosed publicly unless there is an appropriate reason to do so.

Privacy of Reviewers

Reviewer information is treated as confidential.

Such information may include:

  • name;

  • institutional affiliation;

  • email address;

  • academic expertise;

  • ORCID iD;

  • reviewer reports;

  • editorial correspondence; and

  • records of participation in peer review.

Reviewer information must not be used for unrelated commercial, promotional, or personal purposes.

Privacy of Research Participants

Authors are responsible for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of research participants.

Where a manuscript involves human participants, authors should take appropriate measures to prevent unnecessary identification.

This may include:

  • removing names;

  • removing unnecessary identifying characteristics;

  • using pseudonyms;

  • anonymising interview transcripts;

  • aggregating sensitive information;

  • modifying non-essential identifying details; and

  • obtaining appropriate consent for publication.

The protection of research participants is particularly relevant to MAJIS because research within the journal's fields may involve interviews, oral histories, literary communities, authors, cultural practitioners, informants, and other individuals whose identities may be identifiable through contextual information.

Consent for Publication of Identifiable Information

Consent to participate in research does not necessarily constitute consent to publish identifiable information.

Where a manuscript contains information that could reasonably identify an individual, authors should obtain appropriate consent for publication where required.

Identifiable information may include:

  • names;

  • photographs;

  • audio or video recordings;

  • detailed biographical information;

  • identifiable interview quotations;

  • distinctive personal circumstances;

  • detailed case descriptions; and

  • combinations of information that could reasonably permit identification.

Where possible, authors should explain to participants what information will be published and how it will be disseminated.

Interviews and Oral Histories

Authors conducting interviews or oral-history research should consider privacy and confidentiality from the planning stage of the research.

Where appropriate, authors should:

  • obtain informed consent;

  • explain the purpose of the research;

  • explain the intended publication;

  • allow participants to understand how their statements may be used;

  • anonymise participants where identification is unnecessary; and

  • obtain specific permission where identifiable quotations are published.

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that interview materials comply with applicable ethical requirements and agreements made with participants.

Literary and Cultural Materials

Research in literature and cultural studies may involve sensitive personal, cultural, community, or historical information.

Authors should consider whether publication of particular information could:

  • identify an individual unnecessarily;

  • disclose confidential information;

  • violate an agreement with participants;

  • cause foreseeable harm;

  • disclose restricted cultural knowledge; or

  • violate applicable institutional or legal requirements.

Where necessary, authors should obtain permission from relevant rights holders, individuals, communities, archives, or institutions before publication.

Confidentiality of Research Data

Authors must handle personal, confidential, proprietary, or restricted research data responsibly.

Where research data cannot be publicly disclosed because of:

  • privacy restrictions;

  • confidentiality agreements;

  • participant protection;

  • legal restrictions;

  • intellectual-property considerations; or

  • other legitimate ethical restrictions,

authors should clearly explain the relevant limitation where appropriate.

The journal does not require authors to disclose confidential personal information merely to satisfy expectations concerning research transparency or data availability.

This policy should be read together with MAJIS's Data and Reproducibility Policy.

Data Anonymisation and De-identification

Authors should use appropriate measures to reduce the possibility of identifying individuals from research data.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

  • anonymisation;

  • pseudonymisation;

  • aggregation;

  • removal of direct identifiers;

  • removal of indirect identifiers; and

  • controlled access to sensitive data.

Authors should recognise that removing names alone may not be sufficient to anonymise a dataset if individuals can be identified through combinations of other characteristics.

Confidentiality of Publication-Ethics Investigations

Information relating to allegations of misconduct must be handled confidentially.

MAJIS will seek to restrict disclosure of information concerning:

  • allegations;

  • evidence;

  • correspondence;

  • complainants;

  • whistleblowers;

  • accused authors;

  • reviewers;

  • institutions; and

  • internal editorial deliberations

to individuals with a legitimate need to know.

Confidentiality does not prevent the journal from communicating with relevant institutions or other appropriate parties where this is necessary to investigate or resolve a credible allegation.

Protection of Whistleblowers

MAJIS will seek to protect individuals who raise publication-ethics concerns in good faith.

The identity of a whistleblower will not be disclosed unnecessarily.

However, anonymity cannot always be guaranteed where disclosure is:

  • legally required;

  • necessary for a fair investigation;

  • necessary to verify evidence;

  • required by an institution; or

  • otherwise necessary to protect the integrity of the investigation.

Retaliation against individuals who raise legitimate publication-ethics concerns is not acceptable.

Confidentiality After Publication

Publication of an article does not automatically make all information associated with that article public.

The published article and its officially published metadata form part of the public scholarly record. However, the following may remain confidential:

  • reviewer identities;

  • confidential reviewer correspondence;

  • internal editorial deliberations;

  • confidential complaints;

  • unpublished investigative materials;

  • personal information not necessary for publication; and

  • other confidential editorial records.

Confidentiality in Corrections and Retractions

MAJIS may need to investigate errors, ethical concerns, or suspected misconduct after publication.

The journal will distinguish between:

  • information that must become part of the public scholarly record, such as a correction or retraction notice; and

  • confidential information used internally to establish the facts.

Confidential investigative materials will not normally be published unless disclosure is necessary to protect the integrity of the scholarly record or is otherwise required.

Generative AI and Confidential Information

Editors, reviewers, authors, and editorial staff must exercise particular caution when using generative AI tools.

Confidential manuscripts, peer-review reports, editorial correspondence, personal information, unpublished research data, or other restricted materials must not be uploaded to external generative AI systems where doing so would compromise confidentiality, privacy, intellectual property, or applicable ethical obligations.

Reviewers must not use generative AI systems to process confidential manuscripts unless the journal has expressly authorised such use and appropriate safeguards are in place.

This requirement is consistent with COPE's emphasis on protecting confidential peer-review materials and with MAJIS's separate Generative AI Policy.

Third-Party Services

Where third-party services are used to support journal operations, MAJIS should take reasonable steps to ensure that confidential and personal information is appropriately protected.

Third-party services may include systems used for:

  • manuscript submission;

  • peer review;

  • plagiarism screening;

  • DOI registration;

  • archiving;

  • website operation; and

  • technical support.

Access to personal or confidential information should be limited to what is necessary for the legitimate function being performed.

Disclosure Required by Law

Confidentiality does not prevent disclosure where disclosure is required by:

  • applicable law;

  • a valid court order;

  • a competent governmental authority;

  • a legitimate institutional investigation;

  • a research-integrity investigation; or

  • another legally valid process.

Where possible, MAJIS should limit such disclosure to the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

Data Security

MAJIS will take reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect personal and confidential information against:

  • unauthorised access;

  • unauthorised disclosure;

  • accidental loss;

  • alteration;

  • destruction; and

  • inappropriate use.

Access to confidential information should be restricted to authorised individuals whose responsibilities require such access.

Confidentiality Breaches

A confidentiality breach may include:

  • accidental disclosure of a reviewer identity;

  • unauthorised sharing of a manuscript;

  • disclosure of confidential editorial correspondence;

  • inappropriate use of unpublished research;

  • disclosure of personal information;

  • unauthorised access to editorial records; or

  • submission of confidential material to an unauthorised third-party or AI system.

Suspected breaches should be reported promptly to the Editor-in-Chief or designated editorial authority.

MAJIS may investigate the incident and take appropriate corrective measures.

Relationship with Editorial Independence

Privacy and confidentiality must not be used to permit inappropriate commercial or personal influence over editorial decisions.

Advertisers, sponsors, authors, reviewers, editors, and other external parties must not receive confidential information for the purpose of influencing:

  • manuscript acceptance;

  • manuscript rejection;

  • reviewer selection;

  • editorial decisions;

  • corrections;

  • retractions; or

  • other editorial actions.

This principle should be read together with MAJIS's Journal Management and Editorial Independence Policy and Advertising and Direct Marketing Policy.

4. Technicalities to Achieve and Materialise the Policies

Confidentiality at Submission

The editorial office should ensure that manuscript files and associated information are accessible only to authorised users involved in the editorial process.

Authors should submit manuscripts through the journal's designated submission system and should avoid including unnecessary personal or confidential information in files intended for reviewers.

Anonymisation for Peer Review

Where the journal operates a double-blind peer-review process, authors must remove information that unnecessarily identifies them from the manuscript and supplementary files intended for reviewers.

This may include:

  • author names;

  • institutional affiliations;

  • acknowledgements;

  • identifying statements;

  • identifying file metadata; and

  • other information capable of revealing author identity.

Reviewer Confidentiality

Before reviewing a manuscript, reviewers should understand that:

  • the manuscript is confidential;

  • the review must be conducted independently;

  • manuscript information must not be shared without permission;

  • unpublished information must not be used for personal advantage; and

  • ethical concerns must be communicated to the editor rather than investigated independently.

These expectations reflect COPE's ethical guidance for peer reviewers.

Handling Review Reports

Reviewer reports should be handled through the journal's authorised editorial system.

Where reports are shared with authors, editors should ensure that:

  • reviewer identity remains protected where anonymity applies;

  • confidential comments are handled appropriately;

  • personal information is removed where necessary; and

  • reports are not used for unrelated purposes.

Handling Personal Information

Personal information collected through journal operations should be accessible only to authorised personnel.

The journal should distinguish between:

Information intended for publication, such as:

  • author name;

  • institutional affiliation;

  • ORCID iD; and

  • appropriate correspondence information,

and:

Confidential administrative information, such as:

  • internal correspondence;

  • reviewer contact information;

  • confidential complaints;

  • unpublished editorial assessments; and

  • investigation records.

Consent Documentation

Where publication requires consent, authors should retain appropriate evidence of consent.

The journal may request confirmation or supporting documentation where there is a reasonable ethical concern.

Any documentation supplied to the journal should itself be handled confidentially and should not be published unnecessarily.

Research Participant Protection

For manuscripts involving identifiable participants, authors should ensure that:

  • participants have been