1. Introduction

Welcome to Luminal Literati Publishing (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, submit manuscripts, or use our services.

By using our website or services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access our website or use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

We collect information you provide directly to us, including:

• Author Information: Name, email address, phone number, institutional affiliation, ORCID ID, and biographical information
• Manuscript Submissions: Manuscripts, abstracts, keywords, cover letters, and supporting documents
• Account Information: Username, password, and account preferences
• Communication Data: Correspondence via email, contact forms, or other communication channels
• Payment Information: Billing address and payment details (processed securely through third-party payment processors)

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage, including:

• IP address and location data
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring website addresses
• Date and time of visits

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Publishing Services: To process manuscript submissions, conduct peer review, and publish academic works
• Communication: To respond to inquiries, provide updates on submissions, and send important notifications
• Account Management: To create and maintain your account, and provide customer support
• Marketing: To send newsletters, promotional materials, and information about new publications (with your consent)
• Analytics: To understand how our website is used and improve our services
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Peer Reviewers: Manuscript information shared with qualified peer reviewers under confidentiality agreements
• Service Providers: Third-party vendors who assist with website hosting, email services, and payment processing
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights and safety
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• Consent: With your explicit consent for specific purposes

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL encryption for data transmission
• Secure servers and databases
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
• Employee training on data protection

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Specifically:

• Author accounts: Maintained while you have an active relationship with us
• Manuscript records: Retained for archival and legal purposes
• Communication records: Kept for a reasonable period for reference
• Financial records: Retained as required by tax and accounting regulations

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal requirements)
• Portability: Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Objection: Object to certain uses of your information
• Withdrawal of Consent: Withdraw consent for processing where applicable

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Understand how you use our website
• Improve website functionality
• Provide personalized content

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our website.

9. Third-Party Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites and services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

We may use third-party services for:

• Analytics (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Payment processing
• Email services
• Cloud storage

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries.

We take appropriate safeguards to ensure that your personal information remains protected in accordance with this privacy policy.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the new privacy policy on this page
• Updating the “Last Updated” date
• Sending an email notification (for significant changes)

We encourage you to review this privacy policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us:

14. Academic Publishing Specific Provisions

14.1 Peer Review Process

During the peer review process:

• Reviewer identities are kept confidential unless open peer review is selected
• Manuscripts are shared only with assigned reviewers who have agreed to confidentiality
• Review comments and decisions are retained for quality assurance and dispute resolution

14.2 Author Rights and Open Access

For open access publications:

• Author information may be publicly displayed with published works
• ORCID IDs and affiliations will be published as provided
• Published content may be indexed by search engines and academic databases

14.3 Research Data

If you submit research data alongside your manuscript:

• Data will be stored securely and shared according to your specified access level
• We comply with funder mandates for data availability
• Sensitive data is handled with additional security measures

15. GDPR Compliance (For European Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

15.1 Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on:

• Contract: To fulfill our publishing agreement with you
• Legitimate Interests: To operate our business and provide quality publishing services
• Consent: For marketing communications and optional services
• Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws

15.2 Your GDPR Rights

In addition to the rights mentioned in Section 7, EEA residents have the right to:

• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
• Withdraw consent at any time
• Object to automated decision-making
• Request restriction of processing

16. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, and share
• Right to delete personal information (subject to exceptions)
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us using the information in Section 13.

17. Accessibility

We are committed to ensuring that our privacy policy is accessible to all users. If you need this privacy policy in an alternative format due to a disability, please contact us at editor@luminaliterati.com.