Privacy Statement

The Pakistan Journal of Clinical Research (PJCR) enforces a comprehensive privacy framework managed by the Open Access Institute for Research to guarantee the absolute security, confidentiality, and ethical processing of all personal data collected throughout the editorial lifecycle. Personal information-consisting of names, academic titles, verified email addresses, institutional affiliations, telephone numbers, and unique ORCID identifiers-is collected exclusively within the Open Journal Systems (OJS) workflow engine. This data processing is restricted strictly to the administrative execution of manuscript submissions, the technical facilitation of the double-blind peer review process, the distribution of volume publication alerts, and the verification of research integrity under international medical publishing standards.

To safeguard user identity and maintain absolute objectivity in scientific evaluation, personal metadata is heavily restricted within the digital interface. The identities of authors and external peer reviewers are permanently cloaked from mutual exposure via secure automated user-role masking built directly into the OJS database architecture. The journal employs rigorous digital security controls, incorporating site-wide Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption protocols, firewall protections, and role-based administrative access privileges to insulate user profiles from unauthorized exposure, external security data breaches, or algorithmic exploitation by third-party tracking entities. Core operational integrations-including automated plagiarism screening through Turnitin, alongside permanent metadata harvesting by Crossref-are executed via secure, closed Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that strictly adhere to international data-sharing safety parameters.

The journal utilizes localized website cookies and standard analytical tools solely to monitor traffic patterns, optimize server response times, and enhance overall user interaction layout efficiency without capturing granular, identifying individual behavioral profiles. Users interacting with the platform maintain the absolute legal right to access, verify, correct, or withdraw consent for the processing of their personal profile information at any stage. However, to preserve the unalterable stability of global medical literature and ensure compliance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, personal names and institutional affiliations integrated into a published Version of Record cannot be deleted or expunged from the permanent Crossref metadata registry or active volume archives. All explicit requests for user profile erasure, mailing list de-registration, or technical privacy inquiries must be directed formally to the PJCR Editorial Office at editor@pjcr.com, where administrative processing occurs within standard operational timelines.