Client enquiries

Confidentiality and data handling.

A clear first approach to journal opportunities, restricted records and the information needed for publishing work.

A measured first exchange

Journal transitions, ownership discussions, editorial arrangements and operational concerns can be sensitive. The first exchange should establish the broad requirement, the authorised participants and whether there is a reasonable basis for a more detailed discussion.

A journal name, public website, your relationship to the title and a high-level description of the intended change are usually enough to begin. Detailed commercial schedules, manuscripts and system records need not accompany the first enquiry.

Authority and permitted disclosure

Before detailed information is shared, the parties should establish who owns or controls the relevant journal, records and materials, and who is authorised to discuss them. Editorial membership alone does not necessarily establish authority over all commercial or technical information.

Where Harrowell facilitates a potential partnership or introduction, the owner or authorised representative should approve what information may be disclosed. Named opportunity details should not be circulated as a general prospect list.

Agreeing confidentiality

An appropriate non-disclosure agreement can be discussed before detailed opportunity assessment or due diligence. Its scope should identify the parties, permitted purpose, authorised recipients and treatment of material disclosed during the discussion.

A website enquiry is not itself a signed non-disclosure agreement. If your organisation requires a particular confidentiality process, mention that requirement before sending restricted documents so the right arrangements can be considered.

Documents and transfer arrangements

Document exchange should be limited to what is needed for the agreed stage of work. A project brief may precede a more detailed inventory; a summary of access requirements may precede credentials; a redacted example may precede a complete record set.

Where a project requires sensitive material, the transfer route, permissions, approved recipients and storage responsibilities should be agreed before release. Ordinary initial correspondence should not include passwords, access tokens, research participant data or full journal database exports.

Information in migration and transition projects

Migration work may involve article files, unpublished submissions, contributor records, reviewer information and system configuration. The project scope should distinguish published material from restricted workflow and personal information.

A controlled project identifies the source inventory, permitted access, mapping requirements, test arrangements, acceptance checks and treatment of temporary copies. Backup and rollback responsibilities, system ownership and post-migration access should be explicit in the engagement plan.

Review, handover and closure

The handling of documents and access should be reviewed when an enquiry ends or a project is completed. This includes identifying records that are returned, working copies that are no longer needed and access that should be withdrawn.

For an active service, the agreed operating model should provide a route for information-handling questions and changes to authorised contacts. Concerns about a disclosure or an incorrectly shared document should be raised promptly at info@harrowellsolutions.com.

Speak with Harrowell

For questions about this notice or a specific publishing requirement, contact info@harrowellsolutions.com. Please include enough context to help us direct your request and avoid sending sensitive documents in your first message.

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