31st Annual Academic Sessions 2026 - Colombo - Abstract Submission, Peer Review, and Event Management System

1. Introduction and Legal Framework This Comprehensive Privacy Policy constitutes a legally binding agreement between the user (including submitters, authors, reviewers, discussants, and session chairs) and the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (CCPSL) and the Public Health Summit organizing committee. This policy governs the collection, storage, processing, and cross-border transfer of personal data within our submission system. All data processing activities are conducted in strict adherence to the Personal Data Protection Act No. 9 of 2022 (PDPA) of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

2. Scope of Data Collection We collect personal information through direct user input and automated digital tracking mechanisms:

Information Provided by You: When you interact with our portal (e.g., as an author submitting an abstract, or registering as a reviewer), we mandate the collection of specific personal identifiers. As indicated on our submission interface, this includes your First/Given Name, Last/Family Name, Organization/Affiliation, Country of Residence, Email Address, and Telephone Number. We also collect the Submission Title, Category designation, and the contents of the academic abstract.
Automated Information Collection: For system security and performance optimization, our servers automatically log technical usage data when you browse the site. This includes your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, timestamping of visits, referring web pages, and the specific pages accessed within our domain.

3. Lawful Basis and Purpose of Processing Pursuant to the PDPA, we process your personal data strictly under the lawful bases of explicit consent and contractual necessity. The data collected is utilized exclusively for the following purposes:

Facilitating the peer-review, evaluation, and editorial processes of the academic activity.
Communicating administrative updates, acceptance notifications, and required corrections regarding your submission.
Publishing accepted abstracts in the Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (JCCPSL) and the conference proceedings.
Troubleshooting system errors, verifying user identity, and preventing fraudulent submissions.

4. Data Sharing and Third-Party Sub-Processors Your personal data will not be sold or commercially traded. However, to fulfill the operational goals of the academic event, your data will be shared with designated entities under strict confidentiality terms:

Internal Sharing: Data is shared with the organizing committee, the Scientific Committee, and assigned peer reviewers.
Public Disclosure: If your submission is accepted, your name, organizational affiliation, and country will be permanently made publicly available within the published scientific record.
Third-Party Processors: Your data is accessible to our authorized hosting provider and may be transmitted to specialized third-party vendors, including payment processors, plagiarism detection services, copyright processing services, and publishing platforms. All processing adheres to the PDPA principles of legitimacy, proportionality, and transparency.

5. Data Retention and Scientific Archiving We retain your personal data for the duration necessary to complete the conference and publication lifecycle. However, pursuant to Section 10 of the PDPA, the CCPSL reserves the right to store personal data for longer, indefinite periods insofar as the data is inextricably linked to the published scientific record. Once an abstract is published, the associated author data is retained in perpetuity under the statutory exemptions for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific research, and historical integrity.

6. Data Subject Rights Under the Sri Lanka PDPA, you possess specific, enforceable rights regarding your personal data :

Right of Access: You may request formal confirmation of whether your data is being processed and obtain a copy of the data we hold.
Right to Rectification: You may use the "Update Profile" or "Edit Submission" portal tools to correct inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information prior to publication.
Right to Withdraw Consent and Erasure: You have the right to withdraw your processing consent at any time. However, under the law, this withdrawal operates strictly prospectively and shall not affect the lawfulness of any processing that took place prior to your withdrawal. Requests for the erasure of data post-publication may be denied if such erasure fundamentally damages the historical integrity of the printed scientific record or impacts other system users. Such requests require manual intervention and must be submitted directly to the system administrators.

7. Technical and Organizational Security Measures We act as the designated Data Controller and assume the responsibility of implementing rigorous technical and organizational measures to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of your personal data. These protocols are designed to safeguard against unauthorized or unlawful processing, accidental loss, data breaches, destruction, or damage.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies Our portal employs cookies to facilitate core system functionality. Temporary (session) cookies are utilized to authenticate your identity, maintain language selections, and keep you logged in during your session; these are permanently destroyed when you close your browser. Persistent cookies (retained for up to 1 month for customized program options, and 1 year for consent acknowledgment records) do not track personally identifiable information across third-party sites and are strictly limited to operational necessity.