Policies & Legal

Privacy Policy

The International Sugar Journal ("we", "our", or "the Journal") is committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals who interact with our website and publication services. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have in relation to that data.

Information We Collect

We may collect personal information in the following circumstances:

• Manuscript submissions: Author names, email addresses, institutional affiliations, ORCID identifiers, and correspondence details.
• Peer review: Reviewer names, contact details, and review correspondence.
• Account registration: Login credentials and profile information for registered users of the submission system.
• Subscriptions and orders: Contact and payment information provided during subscription or purchase.
• Website usage: IP addresses, browser type, pages visited, and session data collected via cookies and analytics tools.
• Enquiries: Name and contact details submitted through contact forms or email.

How We Use Your Information

Your personal information is used to:

• Process and manage manuscript submissions and the peer review workflow.
• Communicate with authors, reviewers, and readers regarding publications and services.
• Maintain and improve our website and submission platform.
• Fulfil subscription and order requests.
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
• Send relevant updates or notifications where you have given consent.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. Manuscript-related records are retained for the lifetime of the published article. Reviewer data is retained to maintain editorial integrity and avoid conflicts of interest in future submissions. You may request deletion of your personal data at any time, subject to our legal obligations.

Third-Party Sharing

We do not sell or rent personal data to third parties. We may share limited information with service providers who assist in operating our platform (e.g., submission systems, hosting providers, payment processors), strictly under data processing agreements. Author information such as names and affiliations is published openly as part of the scholarly record.

Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Request erasure of your data where it is no longer necessary.
• Object to or restrict the processing of your data.
• Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

Terms of Use

By accessing or using the International Sugar Journal website and its associated services, you agree to be bound by the following Terms of Use. Please read these terms carefully before using this site. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, you should not use our services.

Use of Content

All content published on this website — including articles, abstracts, editorial content, graphics, and data — is protected by copyright and belongs to the International Sugar Journal or its respective authors and rights holders. Content may not be reproduced, distributed, or adapted without prior written permission, except as permitted under open access licences where applicable.

Personal, non-commercial use of published content for research and educational purposes is permitted provided proper attribution is given to the original source and authors.

User Conduct

When using this website, you agree not to:

• Reproduce, republish, or commercially exploit any content without written consent.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the website or its systems.
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information.
• Use automated tools to scrape, harvest, or download content at scale.
• Engage in any activity that could impair the security, integrity, or performance of the website.
• Violate any applicable local, national, or international laws or regulations.

Author Responsibilities

Authors submitting manuscripts confirm that their work is original, has not been published elsewhere, and does not infringe the intellectual property rights of others. Authors are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions for the use of third-party material within their manuscripts.

Disclaimer of Warranties

The International Sugar Journal provides its website and content on an "as is" basis. While we strive for accuracy, we make no warranties or representations regarding the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of any content. We reserve the right to modify or remove content at any time without notice.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the International Sugar Journal shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of this website or reliance on any content published herein.

Changes to These Terms

Cookie Policy

This website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience and to help us understand how visitors use our site. This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, which cookies we use, and how you can control your cookie preferences.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They allow websites to recognise your device, remember your preferences, and collect information about how you interact with the site. Cookies do not typically contain personally identifiable information, but when combined with other data they may be linked to you.

Cookies We Use

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of this website.

• Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data.
• Mozilla Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data.
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data.
• Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions.

Accessibility Statement

The International Sugar Journal is committed to ensuring that our website is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. We strive to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA, as recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Our Commitment

We work to ensure that our website is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Specifically, we aim to:

• Provide text alternatives for non-text content including images and figures.
• Ensure sufficient colour contrast between text and background elements.
• Make all functionality available via keyboard navigation.
• Ensure content is readable and understandable for assistive technologies such as screen readers.
• Avoid content that is known to cause seizures (e.g., flashing elements).
• Provide consistent and predictable navigation across all pages.
• Offer PDF articles in formats that support text extraction where possible.

Known Limitations

While we are committed to accessibility, some areas of the website may not yet fully meet all WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria. Known limitations include:

• Some older PDF articles may not be fully tagged for accessibility. We are working to address this progressively.
• Certain third-party embedded content (e.g., reference management tools) may not fully comply with accessibility standards.
• Complex tables in some articles may not render optimally with all screen reader software.

Assistive Technologies

Our website has been tested with the following assistive technologies and browsers:

• NVDA screen reader with Mozilla Firefox
• JAWS screen reader with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge
• VoiceOver with Safari on macOS and iOS
• TalkBack on Android devices

Complaints Procedure

The International Sugar Journal takes all complaints seriously and is committed to resolving concerns in a fair, transparent, and timely manner. This procedure applies to complaints from authors, reviewers, readers, and any other individuals who interact with our journal and its services.

Scope of This Procedure

This complaints procedure covers concerns relating to:

• Editorial decisions and the peer review process.
• Suspected research misconduct, plagiarism, or data fabrication.
• Publication ethics, including authorship disputes or undisclosed conflicts of interest.
• Post-publication concerns such as errors, retractions, or corrections.
• The conduct of editors, reviewers, or journal staff.
• Website accessibility, privacy, or data handling concerns.

How to Submit a Complaint

All complaints should be submitted in writing by email to the editorial office. Please provide as much detail as possible, including the relevant article title or manuscript reference number, the nature of your concern, and any supporting evidence.

Our Process

1. Acknowledgement We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 5 working days of submission. You will be provided with a reference number and the name of the person responsible for handling your case.
2. Initial Review The editorial team will carry out an initial review of the complaint to determine its nature and the appropriate course of action. This stage is completed within 10 working days.
3. Investigation Where the complaint involves a substantive editorial or ethical concern, a formal investigation will be initiated. We follow the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in handling cases involving research integrity. All parties involved will be notified as appropriate and given the opportunity to respond.
4. Resolution & Decision A formal decision will be communicated to the complainant in writing, normally within 30 working days of the initial acknowledgement. The decision will include the findings of the investigation and any actions taken or recommended.
5. Appeal If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may request a review by a senior editor or the editorial board within 14 days of receiving the decision. The appeal decision is final.

External Bodies

If a complaint involves serious research misconduct that cannot be resolved through our internal procedure, or if you believe our process has not been followed correctly, you may escalate the matter to:

• COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics): publicationethics.org
• The author's or reviewer's employing institution.
• Relevant national or international regulatory bodies where applicable.