This Privacy and Cookies Policy outlines how openmedscience.com (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal data when you visit our website, submit content, or communicate with us. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following personal data:
a. Information You Provide
- Name, email address, and country (via contact or blog submission forms)
- Company affiliation (if provided)
- Blog articles and cover letters submitted for publication
- Communication records between you and our team
b. Automatically Collected Information
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device and operating system
- Pages visited, time spent, and referral sources
This data is collected through standard web logs and cookies.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your data for the following purposes:
- To process and respond to blog article submissions
- To manage editorial and publication communication
- To comply with legal obligations and protect editorial integrity
- To analyse website performance and improve user experience
- To respond to enquiries or support requests
- If your article is accepted, we retain your name and submission under an exclusive publishing licence as described in our Terms of Use.
- If you opt to submit or record a video blog, any personal data (voice, image, or likeness) included in the recording will be used solely for editorial publication and displayed alongside your article, in line with this policy.
We do not sell or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.
3. Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases for processing your data:
- Consent – for voluntary form submissions and optional cookies
- Contract – where processing is necessary to evaluate and publish submissions
- Legitimate Interests – for analytical purposes, website security, and editorial review
- Legal Obligation – where required to comply with applicable laws
4. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described above, including legal or regulatory requirements. Submissions accepted for publication are stored indefinitely, as per our Terms of Use, unless removed under legal or editorial grounds.
Submissions that are accepted and published will be retained on the website permanently, unless removed for legal or editorial reasons. Contributor contact details are retained only as needed for correspondence or compliance.
5. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access – Request a copy of your data
- Rectification – Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Erasure – Request deletion of your data (subject to exceptions for published work)
- Restriction – Limit how we use your data
- Objection – Object to processing under legitimate interests
- Data Portability – Request your data in a portable format
To exercise these rights, please email: editorial[at]openmedscience.com
6. Security of Your Data
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. However, no method of data transmission or storage is entirely secure.
7. Cookies Policy
a. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small files stored on your device to enhance your browsing experience. They may be set by us or by third-party services we use.
b. Types of Cookies We Use
- Necessary Cookies – Required for basic site functionality
- Analytics Cookies – Help us understand site usage (e.g. via Google Analytics)
- Functional Cookies – Enhance usability and remember preferences
c. Managing Cookies
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain website features.
To learn more about cookies, visit: https://www.aboutcookies.org
8. Third-Party Services
We may use third-party platforms for email, analytics, or content delivery. These providers are GDPR-compliant and process data only on our instructions. We do not authorise them to use your data for their own purposes.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy and Cookies Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about how your data is handled, please contact:
Email: editorial[at]openmedscience.com
Website: https://openmedscience.com