privacy policy

At Openventio, we understand the importance of protecting your privacy and the trust you place in us when you use our website and applications. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and disclose information about you, and the choices you have regarding your personal data.

Scope

This policy applies to all websites and applications operated by Openventio. This policy does not apply to third-party websites or applications, even if linked to our sites or apps. Please review the privacy policies of any third-party services you use for their data practices.

Commitment

We are committed to complying with all applicable data protection laws and regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We are constantly reviewing and updating our practices to ensure your privacy is protected.

Information Collected

At Openventio, we collect different types of information from users depending on their role and how they interact with our websites and applications. Here’s a breakdown:

Information You Provide Directly:

  • Contact Information: We collect your name, email address, and affiliation when you register as an author, editor, reviewer, or subscriber. Depending on your chosen role, additional information like phone number, address, or expertise might be required.
  • Account Information: We collect your username and password (hashed and securely stored) for account creation and login.
  • Content Data: This includes information you submit, such as articles, reviews, comments, and forum posts. You may also choose to provide information in your profile bio.


Information Collected Automatically:

  • Usage Data: We collect data about your activity on our websites and applications, such as pages visited, time spent on each page, search queries, and clickstream data. This helps us improve user experience and website performance.
  • Device Information: We collect basic information about your device, such as operating system, browser type, and IP address. This helps us ensure website compatibility and security.


Information Collected from Third Parties:

  • We currently do not collect personal information from third parties.

Use of Information

We use the information we collect for several purposes, including:

  • Sending journal alerts, soliciting articles, complimentary articles, news updates, and special offers on the journals. By registering, you consent to receive these communications related to our publications. You can always unsubscribe at any time.
  • Providing additional services to you, such as peer review management or reviewer recognition programs.
  • Maintaining our accounts and records of transactions.
  • Advertising and marketing purposes. We may use your information to personalize your experience on our websites and applications, or to send you targeted marketing communications. You can always opt out of these communications.

We understand the importance of your privacy and are committed to protecting it. We will only disclose your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers: We may share your information with third-party service providers who help us operate our website and applications, such as web hosting companies, data analytics providers, and payment processors. These service providers are only authorized to use your information for the specific purposes for which it was provided.

Legal Disclosures: We may disclose your information to law enforcement or other legal authorities if required by law or to protect the rights or safety of ourselves, our users, or the public. This may include responding to court orders, subpoenas, or other legal processes.

Third-Party Partners: We may share your information with third-party partners for specific purposes, such as:

  • Peer review management: We may share author and reviewer information with third-party platforms used for managing the peer review process.
  • Journal promotion: We may share aggregated, anonymized usage data with third-party partners to help us promote our journals to researchers and institutions.
  • Academic initiatives: We may share information with academic institutions or research communities for non-commercial purposes, such as promoting scholarly collaboration or research opportunities.


We do not sell user data or engage in targeted advertising.

Data Storage and Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement various measures to protect it from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

  • Secure storage: We store your information using industry-standard security protocols and encryption technologies.
  • Limited access: Access to your information is restricted to authorized personnel who have a legitimate business need to access it.
  • Regular security audits: We regularly conduct security audits to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities.
  • Incident response plan: We have a detailed incident response plan in place to quickly address any security breaches.


We retain your personal information for as long as it is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and processed, as required by law, or in accordance with best practices. Here are some general guidelines:

  • Account information: We retain your account information as long as your account is active. You can request to delete your account at any time through your account settings.
  • Usage data: We aggregate and anonymize usage data for analytics purposes. Individual user data is typically retained for a limited period of time, unless required for security purposes or investigations.
  • Content data: We retain content data, such as articles and reviews, for the life of the journal unless requested for deletion by the author.
  • Contact information: We retain contact information for as long as you consent to receive communications from us or as needed to provide services to you.


Please note that these are just general guidelines, and the specific data retention period may vary depending on the type of information and the reason for collecting it. You can always contact us for more information about our data retention practices.

User Rights

We respect your right to control your personal data and have implemented procedures to help you exercise the following rights:

1. Access and Correction: You have the right to access and correct your personal information. This includes reviewing, updating, and rectifying any inaccuracies in your data.

2. Data Deletion: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions. This means you can ask us to erase your data from our systems.

3. Withdrawal of Consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent for us to process your personal information at any time. This means you can choose to opt-out of certain uses of your data, such as receiving marketing communications.

4. Data Portability: In some cases, you have the right to request that your personal information be transferred to another controller in a machine-readable format.

Exercising Your Rights:

You can exercise your rights by contacting us through the following methods:

  • Email: contact@openventi.org
  • Online Form: https://openventio.org/contact/
  • Postal Mail: Suite #A, GKS Workspace, No. 309, 3rd Floor, RP Business Park, Shaikpet, Hyderabad, TS 500008, India


Please include your name, email address, and a clear description of your request when contacting us. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days.

Additional Information:

  • You can find more information about your data protection rights on the website of your local data protection authority.
  • If you have any concerns about how we handle your personal data, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

At Openventio, we use cookies and other tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our websites and applications. Here’s what you need to know:

What are Cookies and Tracking Technologies?

  • Cookies: Small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help us remember your preferences and improve your browsing experience.
  • Web Beacons: Tiny graphics embedded in pages or emails that track activity anonymously. They help us understand how users interact with our content.
  • Similar Technologies: Local storage objects, pixel tags, and analytics tools may also be used for similar purposes.


How We Use Them:

  • Essential Cookies: Ensure website functionality, like remembering logins or shopping cart items. These cannot be disabled.
  • Performance Cookies: Collect anonymous data on usage patterns to improve website performance and user experience.
  • Analytics Cookies: Provide insights into user behavior for website optimization and targeted marketing (with your consent).


Your Control:

We respect your right to choose how your data is used. You can manage your cookie preferences through the following methods:

  • Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to control cookies or reject them entirely. Remember, this might affect website functionality.
  • Cookie Banner: Our website provides a cookie banner where you can choose to accept or decline specific cookie categories.
  • Do Not Track (DNT): We respect DNT settings sent from your browser, although they may not cover all tracking technologies.


Additional Information:

  • To learn more about specific cookies used on our website, please see our detailed Cookie Policy.
  • If you have any questions or concerns about tracking technologies, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Changes to the Privacy Policy

We understand that your privacy is important to you, and we are committed to keeping you informed about any changes we make to our Privacy Policy. This document outlines the process for notifying you of any changes.

How We Notify You of Changes

  • Website Banner: We will display a prominent banner on our website for a reasonable period of time after any significant changes are made to the Privacy Policy. This banner will direct you to the new policy for review.
  • Email Notification: If you have provided us with your email address and consented to receive marketing communications, we may also send you an email notification about the changes.
  • This Page: We will always update the date at the top of this page to reflect the most recent version of the Privacy Policy. This allows you to easily check for any changes at any time.


Timing of Notifications

  • We will strive to provide at least 30 days’ notice of any material changes to the Privacy Policy before the changes take effect. However, we reserve the right to make immediate changes to the Privacy Policy if necessary to protect our interests or comply with legal requirements.


Your Consent

By continuing to use our website after any changes to the Privacy Policy take effect, you agree to be bound by the new terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you should discontinue using our website.


Additional Information

  • We encourage you to regularly review this Privacy Policy to stay informed of any changes.
  • If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy or the changes we make to it, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policies, please don’t hesitate to contact us.