Rockefeller University Press Privacy Policy

Collection and Use of Personal Data

Rockefeller University Press (RUP, “us,” “we,” and “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of authors, reviewers, and others who use our manuscript submission systems and journal websites (Journal of Cell Biology [JCB], Journal of Experimental Medicine [JEM], Journal of General Physiology [JGP], and Life Science Alliance [LSA]; collectively “RUP Journals”). The limited personal data that are collected are never shared with advertisers or other third parties not directly connected to RUP. Personal data are shared only with organizations such as site hosting services used to publish the RUP Journals and with RUP partners to fulfill its publishing mission, and if an author elects to transfer their manuscript to another journal not published by RUP. All reasonable practices are followed to ensure the ongoing protection of author, reviewer, and end-user personal data that may be collected and used during manuscript submission, review, editing, production processing, publication, posting, and delivery of information related to all aspects of publication operations.

Your use of our websites and manuscript submission systems indicates your acceptance of this Privacy Policy.

To enable the processing of papers submitted to RUP Journals, RUP collects personal data such as author names, ORCID IDs, email addresses, affiliations, phone numbers, and other details in order to accurately identify authors as well as the individual submitting a manuscript, should that person not be a coauthor of the paper.

The terms noted below provide an accounting of how personal data are collected and used for the express purpose of preparing and publishing content, which includes, but is not limited to, reviewing, editing, processing, publishing, hosting, billing for, and indexing content as part of routine publication processes as well as online article purchasing services through secure measures. In using RUP Journal sites, as well as the submission system known as eJournal Press, authors and users agree to the privacy terms stated below.

As an author, reviewer, or site user, if you have any objections to any of the policies noted herein, you should not use RUP Journal websites or any related services, including the manuscript submission systems related to our sites.

Specifics related to the collection and use of personal data:

Personally identifiable information: The collection of author and reviewer details is required for accurate identification in the manuscript submission system and is necessary for communication with editorial and production staff. Personal data collected at the time of submission are also used to register authors and reviewers for accounts within the submission system. Visitors may choose not to supply personally identifiable information, but this may prevent the use of some or all of the features and functionality of the sites.
Non–personally identifiable information: This is information that is neither used nor intended to be used to personally identify an individual and is neither associated with nor linked to personally identifiable information. These are data collected via RUP-branded websites and include information such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, browser language, and the date and time of your visit.
Cookies: “Cookies,” which are used on our sites, are small pieces of information that a website sends to your computer’s web browser while you are viewing a website. We may use both session cookies (which expire once you close your web browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your computer until you delete them) to provide you with a more personalized and interactive experience. Persistent cookies can be removed or blocked by following the help file directions in your Internet browser. We also use login cookies that allow you to retain access for a specified period. When your cookie expires, you may need to log in again to regain access. There are also third-party cookies that may be set on the sites to deliver analytics data.
Aggregated data: Data about the collective behavior of visitors to our sites may be aggregated and displayed. However, personally identifiable information is never disclosed other than as described herein.
Accessing and removing personally identifiable data: Users, authors, and reviewers can access the personally identifiable data we have collected about them at any time by signing in to an RUP Journal’s manuscript submission system and clicking on ‘Download Copy of My Records’. Users can request that any data they have provided to us be removed from our servers and computer networks by clicking the ‘Contact’ link in the footer of the website or directly emailing [email protected] and making the request. Note that the request must come from the email address that is registered for the record in question.
Reviewer data: The collection of details about manuscript reviewers in RUP’s manuscript submission systems is required for proper solicitation of reviewers as well as appropriate editor engagement in the processing of decisions on submitted manuscripts. Reviewer information will be held indefinitely but never shared with other parties, apart from other select journals, with the explicit permission of the individual.
Author data: Author details are captured in our manuscript submission systems and used in the processing and publication of articles. They are also shared with RUP production staff. Minimal author metadata are shared with third-party vendor(s) to permit article composition, including metadata capture, delivery of page proofs to the corresponding author, resolution of queries as processed by RUP production staff, and the sharing of metadata as part of routine indexing of published content in professional publishing databases, such as PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, Crossref, ORCID, etc.
Editor and editorial advisory board member data: The collection of details about editors and editorial advisory board members in RUP’s manuscript submission systems is required for appropriate editorial staff engagement in the processing of decisions on manuscripts submitted. Editor and editorial advisory board member information will be held indefinitely but never shared with other parties.
Subscriber data: The collection of details about individual and institutional subscribers and subscription administrators is required for processing, activation, and access to RUP Journals. Subscriber information will be held indefinitely and shared only with our online host, fulfillment services partners, and sales partners.
Third-party sharing: Author metadata are shared with third-party vendors for the creation of articles and indexing services. Search engines index content directly from published content on RUP Journal websites.
Personal data stored in manuscript submission system: Author and reviewer account profiles, with identifiable personal details, are preserved in RUP’s manuscript submission systems (eJournal Press) after the processing of a specific article and are visible only to authorized staff within eJournal Press and RUP. Email addresses or other personal information are never sold to third parties.

Any information disclosed by users regarding gender and race/ethnicity will be used for aggregated and anonymous demographic statistical reporting only to help identify inequity in science and promote diversity.

Publication site hosting: Author and site user emails are collected by our online hosting service (Silverchair) as part of signup for the receipt of new content Alerts and Announcements; email addresses collected for this purpose are used for the delivery of journal Alerts and Announcements.
Personalization: RUP uses Hum, a customer data platform, to better understand user interests and personalize site experiences. Via Hum, RUP observes interest in content types, topics, and journals. Browsing and alerts accounts are tied together (when possible) to better understand and serve individuals.
Invoice/billing cycle: Author, subscriber, and user financial details are used by the Finance Department of RUP expressly to collect fees related to article publication; the purchase of individual articles, issues, posters, and reprints; or subscriptions. Credit card and purchase order information is used solely for the processing of payments for such purchases. Credit card information is not stored by RUP.
IP addresses are used to allow institutional subscribers access to RUP Journal content via subscriptions, for statistical purposes, including geographical data, and to understand institutional usage patterns. IP addresses are not used to identify individuals.
At times, information may be disclosed under the strictest confidentiality to RUP consultants as required for internal business reviews.
All other personal information collected at the manuscript submission stage, at any point during the RUP Journal article production process, or on pages that offer authors or site users additional alerting, announcement, or other services is used expressly for the stated purpose.
Rockefeller University Press reserves the right to update this Privacy Policy as required. Updates will be indicated by a “Last Update” date at the bottom of the page. Any continued use thereafter also constitutes your acceptance of the terms noted herein.