Confidentiality Protocols

J-STAR: Journal of Social & Technological Advanced Research

At J-STAR, safeguarding confidentiality is fundamental to our mission of promoting ethical, unbiased, and high-quality research in the fields of social sciences and technological innovation. Confidentiality is maintained at every stage of the editorial workflow to ensure trust between authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. These protocols provide clear guidance for editors, reviewers, and staff on the secure and ethical handling of all submitted manuscripts.

1. Confidentiality of Manuscripts

For Editors

  • All submitted manuscripts are considered privileged and must be treated with discretion.

  • Editors may not use, copy, or disclose manuscript content—including data, case studies, or technological innovations—for personal or institutional purposes.

  • Unpublished materials must never be incorporated into editors’ own research.

For Reviewers

  • Reviewers are expected to treat manuscripts as confidential intellectual property.

  • Discussion with colleagues, students, or external experts is prohibited without explicit approval from the editorial office.

  • All physical or electronic copies must be deleted or securely destroyed after review.

For Journal Staff

  • Staff members may only access manuscripts necessary for their official responsibilities.

  • Editorial files must be stored in password-protected systems and never shared outside the authorized editorial workflow.

  • Unauthorized use or disclosure of manuscript content is considered a serious breach of professional conduct.

2. Confidentiality of the Peer Review Process

Double-Blind Peer Review

  • J-STAR operates a double-blind review model to protect impartiality.

  • Author details are removed prior to assigning manuscripts to reviewers.

  • Reviewer identities remain anonymous before, during, and after publication.

Reviewer Identity Protection

  • Editors are responsible for ensuring no technical system or communication unintentionally reveals reviewer identities.

  • Reviewer details will never be shared with authors, co-reviewers, or external organizations.

3. Confidential Correspondence

With Authors

  • All editorial correspondence, including decisions, revision requests, and reviewer feedback, is confidential.

  • Authors must not forward reviewer comments, decision letters, or internal communications without written permission.

  • All communication should remain within J-STAR’s submission and editorial systems.

With Reviewers

  • All correspondence with reviewers is confidential and may include manuscript details necessary for review.

  • Reviewer feedback provided to authors is anonymized to protect identity.

  • Editors must ensure that comments cannot be traced back to specific reviewers.

4. Data Protection and Secure Storage

System Access

  • J-STAR’s submission and review system is accessible only to registered users with authorized roles.

  • Editors, reviewers, and staff are responsible for safeguarding login credentials.

Secure File Handling

  • Manuscript files must be stored only on secure, password-protected devices.

  • Storing confidential files on unsecured platforms, public devices, or shared folders is prohibited.

  • At the conclusion of the review process, all locally stored files must be deleted.

5. Post-Decision Confidentiality

Rejected Manuscripts

  • Materials from rejected manuscripts remain confidential and may not be reused, cited, or disclosed.

  • Reviewers and editors may not exploit unpublished findings for their own academic or professional purposes.

Accepted Manuscripts

  • Final versions of accepted manuscripts become public upon publication.

  • However, review reports, editorial deliberations, and decision-making rationales remain confidential indefinitely.

6. Handling Breaches of Confidentiality

Reporting Violations

  • Any suspected breach must be reported immediately to the J-STAR editorial board.

  • The board will investigate, inform all affected parties, and determine corrective actions.

Consequences of Breach

  • Removal of reviewer or editor from J-STAR’s roster

  • Termination of system access rights

  • Notification to the offender’s affiliated institution

  • Escalation to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) where applicable

7. Commitment to Ethical Standards

J-STAR follows the publishing guidelines and confidentiality principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) where applicable. Upholding confidentiality ensures fairness in peer review, protects the intellectual property of authors, and fosters a culture of trust in academic publishing.