Privacy Policy

1. Information We Process

Depending on how you use JournalReady, we may process the following categories of information:

• Contact information you provide, such as your email address for guest review access or support inquiries.
• Uploaded manuscript files and related content needed to run the requested pre-submission review.
• Generated review documents, annotated manuscript files, and temporary access metadata associated with paid service access.
• Basic technical and usage information generated by our hosting and application infrastructure, such as request logs, timestamps, and diagnostic information.
• Payment and transaction metadata when paid access is enabled. Payment card details are processed by the payment provider and are not stored in full by JournalReady.

2. How We Use Information

We use information only for legitimate service operations, including to:

• Run pre-submission review workflows, generate readiness findings, and provide temporary service outputs.
• Provision paid service access and support guest checkout workflows.
• Maintain service reliability, security, fraud prevention, and troubleshooting.
• Respond to user communications and support requests.
• Meet legal, tax, accounting, and contractual obligations.

3. Manuscript Handling and Retention

JournalReady is built around limited retention. Uploaded manuscripts are processed for report generation and are not retained as a reusable manuscript repository. Uploaded manuscripts are not used to train models. Generated outputs are made available for a limited access window and then are scheduled for deletion according to the retention period configured by the service.

Although we design the service to minimize retention, no internet-based service can guarantee zero persistence at every infrastructure layer. Temporary copies may exist briefly in backups, logs, caches, or hosting systems as part of normal technical operations.

4. Payment Processing

When paid service access is enabled, payments are processed by third-party payment providers such as Stripe. JournalReady may receive limited transaction information such as customer email, purchase status, plan identifier, and payment confirmation metadata. We do not receive or store full payment card numbers.

5. Service Providers

We may rely on third-party providers for cloud hosting, payment processing, email delivery, infrastructure logging, and similar operational functions. These providers process information only as needed to operate the service, support access, security, and payments, or meet legal obligations.

6. Disclosure of Information

We do not sell uploaded manuscripts. We may disclose information:

• To service providers supporting hosting, payment processing, email delivery, security, or infrastructure operations.
• To comply with law, legal process, regulatory requests, or enforceable governmental demands.
• To investigate misuse, fraud, abuse, or security incidents affecting JournalReady or its users.
• As part of a business reorganization, merger, sale, or transfer of assets, subject to appropriate confidentiality handling.

7. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures intended to protect information processed through the service. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Choices and Requests

If you have questions about information associated with your guest purchase, temporary service access, or support communications, you may contact us at privacy@journalready.org. We will review requests in accordance with applicable law and our operational constraints.

9. Editorial Scope

JournalReady focuses on pre-submission readiness, structure, reporting completeness, consistency, target fit, and configured journal or sponsor expectations. The service is not a scientific-validity guarantee, legal opinion, regulatory review, or substitute for peer review.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as the service evolves, including when we add payment processing, support tooling, or other operational features. The version posted on this page will control as of its effective date.

11. Contact

Privacy questions or requests may be sent to privacy@journalready.org. General support questions may be sent to support@journalready.org.