Acceptable Use Policy
Last updated: 02/February/2022
This Acceptable Use Policy explains the rules that apply to your use of the Global Journals® websites, platforms, systems, and related services (collectively, the “Services”). By accessing or using any of our Services, you agree to comply with this Policy, our Terms and Conditions, and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you must not use the Services.
Scope of this Policy
This Policy applies to all users of Global Journals® Services, including:
- Authors, co-authors, and submitting authors
- Reviewers and editors
- Members of editorial and advisory boards
- Librarians, institutions, and subscribers
- Visitors, readers, and any person accessing our content or systems
It covers all modes of access, including our websites, submission and peer review systems, email communications, APIs, and any other tools provided by Global Journals®.
Our Commitment to Responsible Use
Global Journals® is affiliated with the Open Association of Research Societies (OARS) and adheres to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines. Our mission is to provide a trusted platform for high quality scholarly publishing.
All users must use our Services in a lawful, responsible, and ethical manner that supports:
- Academic integrity and research ethics
- Respect for intellectual property and confidentiality
- Security and reliability of our systems
- A professional, inclusive, and harassment-free environment
Eligibility and Account Responsibility
Where registration or account creation is required, you agree that:
- You will provide accurate, current, and complete information.
- You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.
- You are responsible for all activities carried out under your account.
- You will notify us promptly of any unauthorized use of your account or security breach.
You must not share your account credentials with any other person or entity, except as explicitly permitted by Global Journals®.
Permitted Use of the Services
You may use the Services only for legitimate academic, educational, professional, or personal research purposes, including:
- Submitting manuscripts and related materials for consideration.
- Participating in double-blind peer review as an editor or reviewer.
- Accessing, reading, and citing published articles and related content.
- Managing editorial workflows, decisions, and communications.
- Using tools and resources offered by Global Journals® to support research, teaching, or professional practice.
Any use must comply with applicable laws, institutional policies, and this Acceptable Use Policy.
Prohibited Activities
You must not use the Services for any unlawful, abusive, or harmful purpose. Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to, the following categories.
5.1 Legal and Regulatory Violations
You must not:
- Use the Services in violation of any applicable law or regulation.
- Infringe or misappropriate any copyright, trademark, trade secret, or other intellectual property right.
- Violate privacy, data protection, or confidentiality obligations.
5.2 Academic Misconduct and Research Ethics Violations
You must not use the Services to engage in any conduct that breaches accepted research and publication ethics, including COPE and OARS-aligned standards. This includes:
- Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or presenting others’ work as your own.
- Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data, images, or results.
- Submitting the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously without clear disclosure and permission.
- Unethical authorship practices, including ghost, guest, or gift authorship.
- Undisclosed conflicts of interest that may influence research or editorial decisions.
- Interfering with the integrity of the double-blind peer review process (for example, attempting to identify reviewers or authors, manipulating reviewer suggestions).
5.3 Security Abuse and Technical Misuse
You must not:
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any account, system, data, or network.
- Probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of our systems without explicit written permission.
- Circumvent or attempt to circumvent authentication, security, or access controls.
- Introduce or distribute malware, viruses, ransomware, worms, or other harmful code.
- Interfere with or disrupt the availability, performance, or operation of the Services, including through denial-of-service attacks or excessive automated requests.
5.4 Misuse of Content and Access
You must not:
- Systematically download, scrape, or harvest content or metadata beyond what is reasonably required for individual research or personal use, including using robots, crawlers, or other automated tools without our consent.
- Redistribute, resell, or provide large-scale access to our content, except as explicitly permitted by license, contract, or applicable open access terms.
- Remove, alter, or obscure copyright notices, attribution, or license information.
- Use content in a way that violates the specific license terms attached to an article or dataset (for example, Creative Commons licenses or subscription terms).
- Interfere with or disrupt the availability, performance, or operation of the Services, including through denial-of-service attacks or excessive automated requests.
5.5 Spam, Misrepresentation, and Harassment
You must not:
- Send unsolicited or bulk communications using our systems (spam).
- Use the Services for advertising, marketing, or commercial solicitation unrelated to scholarly publishing without permission.
- Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation, identity, or role.
- Use the Services to harass, threaten, defame, or discriminate against any person or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, religion, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic.
- Post or transmit content that is abusive, obscene, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate in a professional academic context.
5.6 Other Unacceptable Conduct
You must not:
- Use our Services in any way that could harm Global Journals®, its reputation, or its users.
- Encourage, promote, or assist any third party in engaging in activities that violate this Policy.
User-Generated Content and Submissions
Content you submit through the Services (including manuscripts, reviews, comments, figures, data, and correspondence) must:
- Be accurate, honest, and not misleading.
- Respect confidentiality obligations, including patient privacy, institutional approvals, and data protection requirements.
- Not contain unlawful, defamatory, or infringing material.
- Comply with our editorial, ethical, and formatting guidelines and with any specific journal instructions.
You retain rights in your original content subject to any copyright transfer, license to publish, or open access agreement you enter into with Global Journals®. You grant us the rights necessary to receive, review, process, host, and display your content in connection with our publishing activities.
Use of Peer Review and Editorial Systems
If you act as an editor, reviewer, or board member, you agree to:
- Maintain strict confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, data, and identities as required by the double-blind peer review process.
- Not share manuscripts, reviews, or editorial materials with third parties without explicit permission.
- Not use any unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal advantage, for the advantage of others, or to disadvantage competitors.
- Declare conflicts of interest promptly and recuse yourself where appropriate.
Any misuse of confidential material or abuse of editorial authority is a serious violation of this Policy.
Privacy and Personal Data
Use of our Services may involve the collection and processing of personal data. Our handling of personal data is set out in our Privacy Policy.
You agree not to use personal data obtained through the Services (including author, reviewer, editor, or subscriber information) for any unauthorized purpose, such as unsolicited marketing, data profiling unrelated to legitimate academic use, or unlawful processing under applicable data protection laws.
Security and System Integrity
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect our systems and data. You agree to:
- Use up-to-date software and security practices on your own devices when accessing the Services.
- Promptly inform us if you detect or suspect any security incident, vulnerability, or misuse involving our systems.
- Refrain from actions that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of our Services.
Intellectual Property
The Services, including website design, layout, logos, trademarks, databases, and content (other than user-generated content governed by specific licenses) are owned or controlled by Global Journals® or its licensors and are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.
Except as permitted by law, by license terms, or by written agreement with us, you must not:
- Copy, reproduce, modify, translate, or create derivative works from our content beyond normal academic use such as quotation, citation, or short excerpts.
- Use our trademarks, logos, or branding in a way that implies endorsement or affiliation without written permission.
Monitoring, Enforcement, and Consequences
To protect our users and Services, we reserve the right, to the extent permitted by law, to:
- Monitor use of the Services for security, integrity, and compliance with this Policy.
- Investigate suspected or alleged violations.
- Remove or disable access to content that we reasonably believe breaches this Policy or applicable law.
- Suspend, restrict, or terminate access to some or all Services for any user who violates this Policy or associated terms.
- Report suspected unlawful activities to relevant authorities or institutions where appropriate.
We may exercise these rights at our discretion and without prior notice where necessary to protect our users, systems, or legal rights.
Reporting Violations and Concerns
If you believe that any user or content is in violation of this Acceptable Use Policy, or if you observe security issues, plagiarism, research misconduct, harassment, or other improper behavior, you should promptly notify us using the contact details below and provide as much relevant information as possible.
Changes to this Policy
We may update or revise this Acceptable Use Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our Services, legal requirements, or best practices in scholarly publishing and research ethics.
Any updated version will be posted on our website with a revised “Last updated” date. Your continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about this Acceptable Use Policy, or if you wish to report a concern or potential violation, please visit our Contact Us, page on the Global Journals® website and reach out using the available options there.
Important notice
This Acceptable Use Policy is intended as a general framework for acceptable behavior on Global Journals® Services. It does not replace applicable laws, institutional policies, or specific contractual terms. We recommend that you seek independent legal advice if you require assistance interpreting your rights and obligations.
