Confidentiality Protocols

ACADEMIA Health Sphere Journal (AHSJ)
https://academia.edu.pk/index.php/hsj

Maintaining confidentiality is fundamental to preserving the integrity, objectivity, and ethical standards of the editorial and peer review process at ACADEMIA Health Sphere Journal (AHSJ). These confidentiality protocols outline the responsibilities of editors, reviewers, and journal staff to safeguard sensitive information and ensure ethical conduct throughout the publication lifecycle.

1. Confidentiality of Manuscripts

For Editors
All submitted manuscripts are treated as privileged and confidential materials. Editors must:

  • Refrain from disclosing, discussing, or using manuscript content (including data, images, and supplementary materials) outside the editorial review process

  • Not use unpublished material for personal or professional research

  • Protect the integrity of all documents throughout the assessment process

For Reviewers
Reviewers are entrusted with confidential intellectual property. They must:

  • Treat manuscripts under review as strictly confidential

  • Not discuss or share content with colleagues without express editorial permission

  • Destroy or securely delete all files upon completion of the review

For Journal Staff
Access to manuscripts is restricted to authorized personnel only. Staff members must:

  • Not access, share, or use manuscript content without explicit editorial authorization

  • Use secure, password-protected systems for handling confidential materials

2. Confidentiality of the Peer Review Process

Double-Blind Review
AHSJ employs a double-blind peer review model to ensure fairness and impartiality. To preserve anonymity:

  • Author identities are concealed from reviewers

  • Reviewer identities are withheld from authors

  • Editors must verify that no identifying information is present in documents shared between parties

Reviewer Identity Protection
Reviewer identities are strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to:

  • Authors

  • Other reviewers

  • External individuals or institutions

Editorial communication systems are configured to prevent accidental disclosure.

3. Confidential Correspondence

With Authors
All correspondence with authors, including reviewer feedback, decisions, and revision instructions, is confidential. Forwarding or sharing this content without permission is strictly prohibited.

With Reviewers
Editorial instructions, manuscript files, and summaries sent to reviewers must remain confidential. Reviewer comments shared with authors are fully anonymized to avoid direct or indirect identification.

4. Data Protection and Secure Storage

System Access
Only registered editors, reviewers, and staff are granted access to AHSJ’s editorial platform. All users must:

  • Maintain secure passwords and avoid using public or shared devices for login

  • Not store login credentials or manuscript files on unsecured systems

Secure File Handling
All manuscript files must be stored securely. It is prohibited to:

  • Save files in open cloud storage systems without encryption

  • Share materials outside the submission platform without editorial approval

5. Post-Decision Confidentiality

Rejected Manuscripts
Rejected manuscripts remain confidential indefinitely. No content from these manuscripts may be used or cited. Editors, reviewers, and staff must:

  • Delete or destroy all local copies

  • Refrain from referencing any unpublished material in future work

Published Manuscripts
While final articles are public, all peer review records—reviewer identities, comments, and editorial deliberations—must remain confidential in perpetuity.

6. Handling Breaches of Confidentiality

Reporting Violations
Any breach—intentional or accidental—must be immediately reported to the editorial board. The editorial office will investigate, notify affected individuals, and take appropriate corrective action.

Consequences of Breach
Confidentiality violations may lead to:

  • Removal from editorial or reviewer roles

  • Termination of access to the manuscript submission system

  • Notification to the violator’s affiliated institution

  • Reporting to professional ethics bodies (e.g., COPE)

7. Ongoing Commitment

AHSJ upholds ethical publishing standards in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). All editors, reviewers, authors, and staff are expected to adhere strictly to these confidentiality protocols as part of our shared responsibility to maintain integrity in health sciences publishing.