Privacy Policy

Effective Date: October 14, 2025

At Zo Humanities and Social Research Hub (OPC) Private Limited, we run zohumanities.com, ojs.zohumanities.com and event.zohumanities.com  as a platform for open access academic journals using the Open Journal Systems (OJS). We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your data when you visit our website, submit articles, make payments via Razorpay, or interact with our services. It applies to all users, including authors, readers, reviewers, and subscribers.

By using zohumanities.com, you agree to the practices described here. If you don't agree, please don't use our site.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide and improve our services. This includes:

Personal Information You Provide

  • Contact details: Like your name, email address, phone number, and affiliation (e.g., university or organization) when you register an account, submit a manuscript, or contact us.

  • Payment information: When you make a payment (e.g., for article processing charges or subscriptions) through Razorpay, we collect details like your billing address and transaction ID. Note: We do not store full card details—Razorpay handles sensitive payment data securely under PCI DSS standards.

  • Content you submit: Manuscripts, reviews, comments, or other uploads, which may include your name and bio.

Information Collected Automatically

  • Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, time spent on site, and referral sources. This helps us understand how you use the site.

  • Cookies and tracking technologies: Small files stored on your device to remember preferences, track sessions, and analyze traffic. See Section 7 for details.

We only collect what's necessary and relevant to our academic publishing mission.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

  • Manage user accounts and journal submissions in OJS.

  • Process payments securely via Razorpay.

  • Communicate with you (e.g., send acceptance emails, newsletters, or updates).

  • Improve our site and services (e.g., analyze usage to fix bugs or add features).

  • Comply with legal requirements, like anti-fraud checks or academic ethics standards.

  • Publish open access content while respecting author rights.

We won't use your data for marketing without your consent.

3. Sharing Your Information

We don't sell or rent your data. We may share it in these limited cases:

  • With service providers: Like Razorpay for payments, OJS hosting partners for technical support, or email tools for notifications. These providers are bound by contracts to protect your data.

  • For journal purposes: Author names and affiliations are public in published articles (as per open access norms), but we don't share sensitive details without permission.

  • Legal reasons: If required by law, court order, or to protect rights/safety (e.g., copyright disputes).

  • Business transfers: If ZHSSRH is acquired, your data may transfer to the new owner.

Razorpay may share transaction data with banks or regulators as needed for compliance.

4. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information:

  • Using encryption (e.g., HTTPS) for data in transit.

  • Secure servers for OJS and backups.

  • Access controls to limit who sees your data.

However, no system is 100% secure, so we can't guarantee absolute protection. Report any concerns to us promptly.

5. Data Retention

We keep your data only as long as needed:

  • Account info: Until you delete your account or it's inactive for 2 years.

  • Payment records: 7 years for tax/compliance.

  • Published articles: Indefinitely, as public records.

You can request deletion (see Section 6), but we may retain some for legal reasons.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location (e.g., GDPR for EU users or India's DPDP Act), you have rights like:

  • Access: See what data we hold about you.

  • Correction: Update inaccurate info.

  • Deletion: Ask us to erase your data (subject to exceptions).

  • Objection: Opt out of certain uses, like analytics.

  • Portability: Get your data in a usable format.

To exercise these, email contact@zohumanities.com. We'll respond within 30 days. You can also manage cookies via browser settings.

For Razorpay users: Review their privacy policy at razorpay.com/privacy for payment-specific rights.

7. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies for essential functions (e.g., login sessions) and analytics (e.g., Google Analytics). You can:

  • Accept or reject non-essential cookies via our banner.

  • Disable them in your browser, but this may limit site features.

Third-party tools like Razorpay may set their own cookies during checkout.

8. Children's Privacy

Our site is for adults (18+). We don't knowingly collect data from children under 13 (or 16 in some regions). If we discover such data, we'll delete it.

9. International Data Transfers

As an India-based organization, your data is stored in India. We may transfer it to other countries (e.g., cloud servers in the US) with safeguards like standard contractual clauses.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or laws. We'll post the new version here with the update date. Major changes get emailed to registered users.

11. Contact Us

Questions? Reach out to:

  • Email: contact@zohumanities.com

  • Address: Zo Humanities and Social Research Hub (OPC) Private Limited, Ramthar North, Aizawl, Mizoram

This policy complies with applicable laws, including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) and Razorpay's merchant requirements. Thanks for trusting us with your data—we're here to support open research!