Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy — ACE Journal of Addiction (ACEJA)

Last Updated: June 2026

ACE Journal of Addiction (ACEJA), published by Mak Hill Publications, is committed to protecting the privacy of authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and all visitors to our website (www.aceja.org). This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how it is used, and the choices available to you.

1. Information We Collect

From Authors, Reviewers, and Editorial Board Members:

  • Name, institutional affiliation, and designation
  • Email address and contact number
  • ORCID ID (where provided)
  • Areas of expertise and publication history
  • Manuscript submissions, cover letters, and correspondence
  • Payment and billing details, where applicable, for Article Processing Charges

From Website Visitors:

  • Technical information such as IP address, browser type, device information, and pages visited
  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 5)
  • Information voluntarily submitted through contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, or reviewer applications

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected to:

  • Process and manage manuscript submissions, peer review, and editorial decisions
  • Communicate with authors, reviewers, and editors regarding submissions, review invitations, and publication status
  • Process Article Processing Charges and issue invoices, including through our authorized third-party payment associate, Resol Global
  • Maintain the reviewer database and match reviewers to relevant manuscripts
  • Publish accepted articles, including author names, affiliations, and other details customarily included in scholarly publications
  • Improve the journal's website, services, and editorial processes
  • Comply with legal, regulatory, and publication ethics obligations

3. Manuscript Confidentiality

Manuscript content, reviewer identities, and reviewer comments are treated as confidential in accordance with the journal's double-blind peer review process and Publication Ethics Statement. This Privacy Policy governs personal data handling; the confidentiality of unpublished manuscript content itself is separately governed by our Peer Review Process and Publication Ethics Statement.

4. Sharing of Information

We do not sell personal information. We may share information with:

  • Resol Global, our authorized third-party payment processor, solely for the purpose of processing Article Processing Charges and issuing invoices
  • Indexing and abstracting services (such as Google Scholar and Embase), to the extent necessary for published article metadata to be indexed
  • Website hosting, email, and IT service providers who process data on our behalf under appropriate confidentiality obligations
  • Regulatory or legal authorities, where required by law or to investigate suspected research or publication misconduct

We do not share personal data with third parties for their independent marketing purposes.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to remember preferences, understand website usage, and improve user experience. You may control or disable cookies through your browser settings; doing so may affect certain website functionality.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, including ongoing editorial, archival, and legal record-keeping obligations. Published articles, including author names and affiliations, are retained permanently as part of the scholarly record, consistent with standard academic publishing practice.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legitimate editorial, archival, and legal retention needs
  • Object to or restrict certain processing of your information
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise these rights, contact us at editor@aceja.org. Please note that published articles form part of the permanent scholarly record and, once published, generally cannot be removed except in accordance with the journal's Corrections and Retractions policy.

9. International Users

ACEJA is an international journal with authors, reviewers, and readers based in multiple countries. By submitting information to us, you acknowledge that it may be processed and stored in Oman or other locations where our service providers operate, which may have data protection laws different from those in your own country.

10. Children's Privacy

This website and its submission services are intended for use by researchers, academicians, and professionals, and are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18 through this website.

Note: This clause concerns visitors to the ACEJA website and submission portal. It is separate from the journal's editorial scope, which includes published research involving minors as study participants — such research is governed by the informed consent, assent, and ethics-committee-approval requirements set out in our Publication Ethics Statement, not by this Privacy Policy.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including indexing databases and the payment portal operated by Resol Global. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties and encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by an updated "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

For questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact:

Mak Hill Publications
Office No. 14, Building No. 892, Way No. 63, Al Hail Shumaliya Street, Al Seeb, Muscat 121, Oman
Email: editor@aceja.org
Website: www.aceja.org