Legal
Privacy Policy
Draft - standard template drafted for the Institute’s review, not legal advice, and not final until the Institute (or its counsel) confirms it. This policy should be reviewed by qualified legal counsel before final publication and adapted to reflect the Institute’s actual legal structure, jurisdiction, website infrastructure, and data-processing practices. Last drafted August 2026.
About This Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how Mikaelson Institute for African Studies (“the Institute”, “we”, “us”) handles information collected through this website and through its submission, correspondence, and engagement processes. By using this website, you accept the practices described here.
Information We Collect
Direct submissions and correspondence. When you submit a paper, contact the Institute, or engage with any of our programmes, we collect the information you provide directly: your name, email address, institutional affiliation (if any), and the content of your manuscript, message, or enquiry. We do not collect payment information.
Website usage information. This website may collect standard technical information about visits, such as page views, browser type, and referring pages, through server logs or analytics tools, where such tools are in use. Where analytics are used, they are configured to minimize data collection consistent with their purpose.
Cookies. This website may use cookies or similar technologies for operational purposes such as navigation and session management. Where cookies are used, they will be limited to those necessary for the site to function correctly. We do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site tracking.
How We Use Information
Submission data is used solely to operate the editorial review process: routing your paper to reviewers, tracking its status, and communicating updates to you. Contact and enquiry data is used only to respond to your message.
We do not sell, rent, share, or use your personal information for advertising purposes.
Academic Submissions
Manuscripts submitted for review are handled under conditions of confidentiality appropriate to the review process. Your submission is shared with the reviewers and editors assigned to it, and with no one else, unless the paper is accepted and published, at which point the paper and your author attribution become part of the public record.
Public Information
If your paper is accepted for publication, the published work and your author details (name, institutional affiliation if provided) will become part of the Institute’s publicly accessible archive. This information is intended to remain permanently available as part of the scholarly record.
Analytics and Third-Party Services
Where the Institute uses third-party services (such as analytics providers, hosting services, or submission platforms), those providers may process certain technical data in connection with the operation of the website. The Institute will endeavour to use only services whose data practices are consistent with this policy. Specific third-party services in use will be listed here once the Institute’s technical infrastructure is confirmed.
Data Security
The Institute takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the information it holds against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
If your paper is accepted for publication, we retain the manuscript and your author information as part of the permanent published record.
If your paper is declined or withdrawn, we retain the submission for a limited administrative period and then delete it from active systems.
Contact and enquiry correspondence is retained for a reasonable administrative period and then deleted, unless there is a specific reason to retain it.
Your Rights
You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information the Institute holds about you. Requests relating to published scholarship will be considered in light of the Institute’s obligations to maintain an accurate and permanent scholarly archive. To make a request, contact us at hello@mikaelsoninitiative.org.
Children’s Privacy
This website is not directed at children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in the Institute’s practices, legal requirements, or operational context. Where changes are material, we will note the revision date on this page. Continued use of the website following an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy, or requests regarding your data, can be sent to hello@mikaelsoninitiative.org.