Privacy Statement

The JORMAR editorial office, operated by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all individuals who interact with this journal — including authors, reviewers, readers, and subscribers. This statement explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

1. Data Controller

The data controller for personal data processed in connection with JORMAR is:
Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC)
17 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria
📧 [email protected] | [email protected]

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

Registration data: Name, email address, institutional affiliation, country, ORCID iD (if provided), username and password
Submission data: Names and affiliations of authors and co-authors, contact details, cover letter content, manuscript files
Review data: Names and affiliations of reviewers (held in confidence); review reports
Communication data: Email correspondence between authors, editors, and reviewers
Usage data: Article views, downloads, and search queries (anonymised or aggregated where possible)

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

Managing manuscript submissions, peer review, and editorial decisions
Communicating with authors, reviewers, and editors about the progress of manuscripts
Publishing accepted articles and associated metadata (author names, affiliations, and ORCID iDs are published as part of the article)
Sending announcements, calls for papers, and journal updates to registered users who have opted in
Generating aggregated usage statistics to improve the journal's services
Complying with legal obligations and institutional governance requirements

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Contract: Processing necessary to fulfil our obligations in managing your submission and publication
Legitimate interest: Maintaining the integrity of the scientific record and communicating with the research community
Consent: Sending optional communications such as newsletters and announcements (you may withdraw consent at any time)

5. Data Sharing

JORMAR does not sell personal data. We may share data with:

CrossRef — for DOI registration (author names, article titles, DOIs)
Indexing databases (Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, AJOL, Google Scholar) — article metadata including author names and affiliations
PKP / OJS platform — the journal management software provider, for operational support
RMRDC management — aggregated journal performance data; no individual personal data beyond what is required

All data sharing is governed by appropriate data processing agreements.

6. Data Retention

Published articles and associated metadata — retained permanently as part of the scientific record
Reviewer identities — retained for 10 years to maintain the integrity of the peer review record
Submission records for rejected manuscripts — retained for 5 years
Registered user accounts — retained while the account is active; users may request deletion
Email correspondence — retained for 3 years

7. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Correct inaccurate personal data
Request deletion of personal data (where not required for the scientific record)
Withdraw consent for optional communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link in emails or by contacting us
Object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances
Data portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

8. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Reviewer identities are protected through the journal's double-blind peer review system and are not disclosed to authors.

9. Cookies

The JORMAR portal uses session cookies to manage user login and navigation. These are strictly necessary for the platform to function and are deleted when your browser session ends. No tracking or advertising cookies are used.

10. Changes to This Statement

This privacy statement may be updated periodically. We will notify registered users of significant changes via email. The current version is always available at this page.

Privacy Statement effective: 2026 | Reviewed annually | Data queries: [email protected]