The International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences (IJABS), published by the Behavioral Sciences Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), respects the privacy of its authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. This statement explains what personal information the journal collects and how it is used.

1. Information We Collect

• Account and submission data: names, e-mail addresses, affiliations, countries, ORCID iDs, areas of expertise, and other details that users enter when they register or submit, review, or edit a manuscript.
• Editorial records: manuscripts, reviewers’ reports, decisions, and correspondence related to the editorial process.
• Technical data: limited technical information, such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited, which is recorded automatically by the journal website and the Open Journal Systems (OJS) software for security and statistical purposes.

2. How the Information Is Used

The names, e-mail addresses, and other information entered in this journal site are used exclusively for the stated purposes of the journal, which are:

• Managing the submission, peer review, editing, and publication of manuscripts.
• Communicating with authors, reviewers, and editors about their work with the journal.
• Publishing the names, affiliations, and ORCID iDs of authors and the names of editors and editorial board members, as part of the published articles and the journal’s website.
• Sending notifications about the journal (such as new issues), to those who have chosen to receive them.
• Maintaining the security of the website and producing anonymous usage statistics.

This information will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party, and it is not sold, rented, or shared for advertising or commercial purposes.

3. Disclosure

Personal information is disclosed only in the following cases: (a) to the editors and editorial staff who need it to manage the editorial process; (b) when it is part of the published article (for authors); (c) to the authors’ institutions, ethics committees, or funders when a case of suspected research or publication misconduct has to be investigated, following COPE guidance; and (d) when this is required by law.

4. Peer Review Confidentiality

The journal uses double-blind peer review. The identities of reviewers are never disclosed to authors, and the identities of authors are not disclosed to reviewers during the review. Submitted manuscripts and review reports are confidential and are used only for the editorial process.

5. Data Security and Retention

The journal takes reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. Editorial records are kept for as long as is needed for the editorial process and for the integrity and history of the journal’s publications. Information that is published in articles remains part of the permanent scholarly record.

6. Cookies

The website may use cookies that are necessary for its operation, such as to keep users logged in. Users may disable cookies in their browser, but some functions of the site may not work properly.

7. Rights of Users

Registered users may view and update their profile information at any time through their account. Users may ask the editorial office to correct inaccurate personal information, to stop sending them notifications, or to close their account, as far as this is compatible with the integrity of the editorial and publication record.

8. External Links

The journal’s website may contain links to other websites. The journal is not responsible for the privacy practices of these sites.

9. Changes to This Statement

This statement may be updated from time to time, and the updated version will be published on this page.

10. Contact

For any questions about this Privacy Statement or about personal information, please contact the editorial office at: ijabs@sbmu.ac.ir