SMART WORLD JOURNAL · SHLAEN RETAIL LLC
Privacy Policy
How Smart World Journal handles personal information, manuscripts and editorial requests.
Effective November 7, 2026 · Version 2026-11-07
Contents
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1. Who we are and what this notice covers
SHLAEN RETAIL LLC operates Smart World Journal at smartworldjournal.com. This notice covers website visits, manuscript submissions and attachments, editorial correspondence, requests to contact authors or obtain expert assessments, editorial-board applications, issue-notification requests and the Technology Briefing. It describes our practices; it is not a request to waive privacy rights. The separate subscription notice provides additional details about the Technology Briefing. Where privacy law requires specific disclosures or protections, those requirements prevail.
2. Information you provide
We collect the information entered in the relevant form: names, email addresses, affiliations, professional roles, optional ORCID identifiers and correspondence addresses; manuscript titles, abstracts, keywords, author details, declarations, files and supporting links; messages, selected authors or experts, work titles and assessment requests; board applicants’ experience, qualifications and supporting links; and subscription preferences. Do not submit information about another person unless you have appropriate authority and have informed that person about the intended use. Remove unnecessary personal information from research data and documents before uploading them. Do not send passwords, payment-card information, government identification documents or identifiable patient or research-participant records through ordinary forms.
3. Technical information and browser storage
Hosting and security systems may receive IP addresses, request times, requested URLs, browser or device information, referring pages and error or access logs. The application uses an IP-derived hash for abuse and rate limiting; this is not a representation that every hosting log is anonymized. The site stores an animation preference in browser local storage under swj-motion-paused. Administrative authentication and security functions may involve browser or authentication state. External fonts, content-delivery resources and linked services may receive connection information when your browser requests them. You can control local storage and cookies through your browser; disabling essential functionality may prevent forms or administrative access from working.
4. Purposes and applicable grounds
We use information to receive and assess submissions, administer review and publication, communicate with contributors, coordinate requested expert assessments, assess board applications, deliver separately requested notices, prevent abuse, secure the service, maintain rights and consent records, investigate complaints and comply with applicable law. Where a legal basis is required, it may be steps requested before an agreement, performance of an agreement, legitimate interests in operating a scholarly publication, compliance with legal obligations, or consent for activities that require it. Acknowledging this notice does not constitute consent to unrelated marketing, nor does it replace any consent specifically required by law.
5. Manuscripts and confidential material
Unpublished files are stored outside the public website and made available to the editorial office. Manuscripts and attachments are also forwarded through email to the editorial inbox; copies can therefore exist in hosting, delivery and mailbox systems. Authorized editors, reviewers and necessary service providers may receive material for the relevant assessment. We limit disclosure to the purpose involved, but ordinary email and online storage are not a guarantee of absolute secrecy. An application or submission does not create an attorney-client, fiduciary or professional-advisory relationship. Discuss unusually sensitive or contractually restricted material with the editorial office before sending it. Reviewer confidentiality and any promised anonymity are governed by the applicable review arrangement.
6. Publication and the scholarly record
Accepted publications normally make the approved author names, relevant affiliations, ORCID identifiers when provided, bibliographic information, article content, declarations and recorded review status publicly accessible. This information can be indexed, cited, cached and preserved by third parties worldwide. A private correspondence address or the email used to submit a form is not automatically authorized for public display; public contact details should be agreed during publication preparation. Correction, retraction and authorship-change notices may need to remain associated with a publication. A privacy request does not automatically require erasure of a lawful scholarly record, but applicable erasure, correction and other rights will be assessed individually.
7. Recipients and service providers
Relevant recipients include the editorial office, authorized reviewers or requested experts, hosting and infrastructure providers, email-delivery and mailbox providers, and professional advisers where needed. The current workflow uses DigitalOcean for hosting, Resend for email delivery, and a Gmail editorial mailbox operated through Google. External font and content-delivery services may process browser requests. These providers process information under their own applicable terms and safeguards. We may disclose limited information when required by valid legal process, to protect rights or safety, or during a lawful business transfer subject to appropriate protections. We do not sell application or mailing-list data or share them for cross-context behavioral advertising.
8. AI and unpublished submissions
The journal uses generative tools for some editorial preparation and technology reporting. Ordinary intake forms do not automatically send uploaded manuscripts or application messages to a generative-AI model. Any proposed use of confidential submissions with an external AI service must first be assessed for confidentiality, provider terms, lawful authority and any required notice or permission. A general website checkbox is not an unrestricted authorization to train commercial models on unpublished work. Public editorial use and article-specific disclosures remain separate from processing a private submission.
9. International processing
The publisher is based in the United States, and its hosting and service providers may process data in the United States, Europe or other locations. Legal protections may differ between countries. Where applicable law requires a transfer mechanism or additional safeguards, we must address those requirements; use of the website alone does not waive them. This notice does not certify universal compliance with every country’s privacy regime.
10. Retention and deletion
We retain information for the purposes for which it was collected, taking account of the status of a submission or request, publication and research-integrity needs, correspondence, rights and acceptance evidence, applicable limitation periods, security and legal obligations. Rejected, withdrawn or closed material is not automatically treated as publishable content. We assess deletion or minimization requests against those purposes. Published records, legal holds, necessary dispute evidence and minimal suppression records may need longer retention. Backups and email-provider copies may persist until their normal removal or overwrite cycles. We do not promise that removing a live record immediately removes every backup, mailbox or independently maintained public copy.
11. Your requests and choices
Contact the editorial office with the subject Privacy Request to ask about access, correction, deletion, a copy of information, withdrawal of consent, restriction or objection where applicable. Identify the relevant submission or request reference if available. We may verify identity and authority using proportionate information; do not send identity documents unless a justified, secure process is arranged. We respond within the period required by applicable law and explain relevant limits. Withdrawal of consent does not invalidate earlier lawful processing. Rights vary by jurisdiction, and you may contact a competent regulator. You do not need to accept a limitation-of-liability clause to exercise a nonwaivable privacy right.
12. Subscriptions, opt-out signals and children
The Technology Briefing requires a separate signup and email confirmation. Its emails provide an unsubscribe or cancellation link. Manuscript submission, an expert request or a board application does not subscribe you to marketing. Legacy issue notifications are separate from the Technology Briefing. We retain the minimum suppression information needed to avoid unintended delivery. We do not currently use cross-context advertising technology; browser Do Not Track signals do not independently change the editorial processing described here. We address legally applicable opt-out requirements where relevant. Forms are intended for adults able to enter the relevant agreement, not children under 13. If you believe we have collected a child’s personal information inappropriately, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.
13. Security, incidents and changes
We use measures such as HTTPS, restricted administrative access, private file storage and backups. No internet transmission or storage system is completely secure, and this notice does not guarantee prevention of every incident. We assess incidents and provide notices when legally required. We publish an effective date and retain versioned copies of this notice. Materially different uses requiring notice or permission will not be justified merely by silently replacing this page. Contact: SHLAEN RETAIL LLC, 935 N Beneva Rd, Ste 609, PMB 2038, Sarasota, FL 34232, United States. Email: shlaenretail@gmail.com.
Publisher contact: SHLAEN RETAIL LLC, 935 N Beneva Rd, Ste 609, PMB 2038, Sarasota, FL 34232, United States. Email: shlaenretail@gmail.com.