Privacy Statement

Privacy and Data Protection Policy

Hitik: International Journal of Catechists and Religious Educators respects and values the privacy, confidentiality, and protection of personal information provided by its authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and users of the journal website.

Confidentiality Commitment

The names, institutional affiliations, email addresses, and other personal information entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated academic, editorial, and publication purposes of the journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any unauthorized third party.

Collection and Use of Information

Personal information collected by the journal may include:

• Names and institutional affiliations;
• Email addresses and contact information;
• ORCID iDs and academic profiles;
• Editorial and reviewer account information;
• Submission-related metadata and correspondence.

These data are used solely for:

• Journal management and editorial communication;
• Peer review and publication processes;
• Author and reviewer coordination;
• Scholarly indexing and metadata management;
• Publication announcements and journal-related notifications.

Data Protection and Security

The journal implements reasonable administrative and technical measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, misuse, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Editorial files, reviewer comments, manuscript submissions, and personal account information are treated with strict confidentiality and are accessible only to authorized editorial personnel involved in the publication process.

The journal does not sell, rent, trade, or distribute personal information to commercial entities or unrelated organizations.

Editorial Confidentiality

All manuscripts submitted to the journal undergo confidential editorial and peer review processes. Information related to submitted manuscripts shall not be disclosed to individuals other than the corresponding author, reviewers, editorial advisers, and authorized journal staff as necessary for the publication workflow.

Reviewers are likewise expected to maintain the confidentiality of all materials received during the peer review process.

Cookies and System Logs

The journal website may utilize cookies and system-generated logs to improve user experience, maintain secure login sessions, analyze website functionality, and support journal operations through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.

Such technical information is used solely for operational and security purposes and is not utilized for commercial profiling or unauthorized tracking.

Hitik: International Journal of Catechists and Religious Educators

Official International Journal Publication of the Religious Educators Association of the Philippines (REAP), Inc.

Contact Information:
For inquiries regarding privacy, confidentiality, editorial communication, or data-related concerns, please contact the journal through:

hitikjournal@reapph.org