Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files containing unique identifiers that are transferred to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website or use an application. Cookies perform various functions, such as enabling efficient navigation between pages, remembering your preferences, and improving your overall user experience.

2. Why Do We Use Cookies?

We use cookies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Purposes: To enable you to register, log in, submit manuscripts, access subscription content, complete payments, submit forms, and maintain website security.

Preferences and Functionality: To remember your language preferences, font size, reading mode settings, and saved search filters.

Performance and Analytics: To measure visitor numbers, page views, traffic sources, and article downloads. This helps us identify popular content, improve site structure, and detect technical issues. All data is processed in anonymized and aggregated form.

Marketing and Recommendations: To recommend relevant journal special issues, conferences, calls for papers, or new books based on the topics or articles you have previously viewed. We do not sell your personal reading behavior to third-party advertising networks.

3. What Types of Cookies Do We Use?

3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the proper functioning of our website. They allow you to navigate the site and use its core features, such as accessing secure areas, logging into your account, and submitting forms.

Examples include session identifiers (session_id) and security tokens (csrf_token). These cookies are typically set in response to actions you take, such as logging in or setting your privacy preferences.

These cookies do not require your consent because the website cannot function properly without them. You can configure your browser to block or alert you about these cookies; however, some parts of the website will not function properly as a result. Strictly necessary cookies generally expire at the end of your browsing session.

3.2 Performance Cookies

These cookies collect information about how visitors use our website, such as the number of visitors, which pages are visited most frequently, and which traffic sources bring users to the site. We use this information to generate reports, improve website performance, understand user navigation behavior, and detect technical issues.

Examples include Google Analytics cookies (such as _ga and _gid), which distinguish unique users and sessions.

These cookies are only enabled after you click "Accept" or provide your consent. If you disable these cookies, your browsing experience will not be affected, but our ability to improve the website based on usage data may be limited. Performance cookies typically remain valid for 12 to 24 months.

3.3 Functional Cookies

These cookies allow our website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They remember your preferences and settings, such as your chosen language, font size, and recent search filters.

Examples include language preference cookies (language), font size settings (font_size), and saved search criteria (recent_searches).

These cookies may be set by us or by third-party service providers whose services we have integrated into our website. These cookies are only enabled after you provide your consent. If you do not allow these cookies, some or all of these personalized features may not function properly. Functional cookies typically remain valid for up to 12 months.

3.4 Marketing and Recommendation Cookies

These cookies help us deliver content and recommendations that are relevant to your interests. For example, based on the topics or articles you have previously viewed, we may recommend related journal issues, conferences, or books.

Examples include recommendation cookies (recommended_articles) and interest category identifiers (interest_category). These identifiers are stored in anonymized form only.

These cookies are only enabled after you provide your consent. We do not use these cookies to track your activity across other websites. Marketing and recommendation cookies typically remain valid for 30 to 90 days.

4. Third-Party Cookies

Our website may embed services from third-party providers. These third parties may set their own cookies on your device. We use the following third-party services:

Google Analytics: Used for anonymous, aggregated website traffic and user behavior analysis.

CrossRef: Used for DOI resolution and citation statistics.

Social Media Platforms (such as Twitter/X, WeChat, and LinkedIn): Used for share buttons and social login features. These cookies are only activated when you actively use these features.

Journal Submission Systems (such as ScholarOne or Editorial Manager): Used for manuscript submission authentication and status tracking.

Each of these third parties operates under its own privacy and cookie policies. We encourage you to review their policies for more detailed information.

5. Local Storage

In addition to cookies, we may use browser local storage and session storage technologies for the following purposes:

Offline Caching: To store article PDFs that you have explicitly downloaded or saved for offline reading. This data remains on your device until you manually clear it.

Reading Progress: To remember your last reading position within a long article. This data is deleted at the end of your session.

Form Drafts: To save unsaved reviewer comments or form entries as drafts. These drafts are typically retained for up to 7 days.

Data stored via local storage is never used for cross-site tracking. You can delete local storage data at any time through your browser's developer tools or by clearing site-specific data.

6. How to Manage Your Cookie Preferences

6.1 Using Our Cookie Management Tool

When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner that allows you to make the following choices:

Accept all cookies (enables performance, functional, and marketing cookies)

Customize your settings (enable or disable each category individually)

Reject all non-essential cookies (only strictly necessary cookies will be used)

You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link located in the website footer or navigation bar.

6.2 Using Your Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their privacy settings. You can block or delete cookies by selecting the appropriate options in your browser settings. Below are links to management instructions for common browsers:

Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Third-party cookies

Mozilla Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data

Apple Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Block all cookies

Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions → Cookies and Site Data

Please note: If you disable all cookies (including strictly necessary ones), many features of our website may not function properly, including login, manuscript submission, and personalized recommendations.

6.3 Opting Out of Google Analytics

You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available for most major browsers

7. Updates to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legal requirements, or our practices. Any material changes will be announced through a notice on our website. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the most recent revisions were made.

Last Updated: June 1, 2026