1. Introduction

This Cookie Policy explains how Index Academic, managed by MultiMedia Publishing, Bucharest, Romania, uses cookies and similar technologies on:

  • the Index Academic website;
  • Index Academic Repository;
  • the Index Academic journal and its OJS editorial platform;
  • forms and other services associated with the platform.

This Policy should be read together with the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use of Index Academic.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small files stored on a user’s device when they access a website.

They may be used for:

  • technical operation of the website;
  • authentication;
  • security;
  • retaining preferences;
  • remembering the selected language;
  • session management;
  • analysing how the platform is used;
  • integrating external services.

Some cookies are deleted when the browser is closed, while others may remain stored for a defined period.

3. First-Party and Third-Party Cookies

The platform may use:

First-Party Cookies

These are set directly by the Index Academic domain or its technical components.

They may be used, for example, for:

  • authentication;
  • session management;
  • WordPress functionality;
  • OJS functionality;
  • security;
  • remembering preferences.

Third-Party Cookies

Some integrated services may set their own cookies.

These may come, for example, from services used for:

  • analytics;
  • anti-spam protection;
  • security;
  • external content;
  • video or multimedia services;
  • other technical integrations.

The use of such cookies depends on the services actually enabled on the platform.

4. Categories of Cookies

4.1. Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the platform to function and generally cannot be disabled through the website’s consent mechanism.

They may be used for:

  • authentication;
  • maintaining sessions;
  • form security;
  • attack prevention;
  • navigation between pages;
  • retaining essential technical preferences;
  • operation of WordPress and OJS systems.

Without these cookies, certain platform services may not function properly.

4.2. Preference Cookies

These cookies may allow the platform to remember choices such as:

  • selected language;
  • display preferences;
  • certain interface settings;
  • cookie preferences.

They help improve the user experience.

4.3. Analytics and Statistical Cookies

If analytics services are used, they may collect information about how visitors use the platform.

The information may include:

  • pages viewed;
  • visit duration;
  • traffic source;
  • device type;
  • browser;
  • interactions with certain pages.

These data are used to understand platform usage and improve services.

Non-essential analytics cookies are used only as permitted by law and, where required, after obtaining the user’s consent.

4.4. Cookies for External Services

Some pages may include services provided by third parties.

These services may set their own cookies when loaded or used.

Examples may include, where implemented:

  • video content;
  • anti-spam tools;
  • CAPTCHA systems;
  • analytics services;
  • embedded elements from other platforms.

The policies of those third parties apply to the data collected through their services.

5. Cookies Used by WordPress and the Repository

The main Index Academic website and the Repository may use cookies associated with WordPress and installed plugins.

These cookies may be necessary for:

  • administrator and user authentication;
  • form functionality;
  • security;
  • spam prevention;
  • preference management;
  • technical operation of the website.

The exact list may vary depending on the plugins and services currently active.

6. Cookies Used by the Index Academic Journal and OJS

The Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform may use cookies for functions such as:

  • maintaining the user session;
  • authentication;
  • security;
  • retaining language preferences;
  • managing the editorial process;
  • operation of author, reviewer, and editor accounts.

OJS cookies may differ from those used on the WordPress website.

7. Cookies and Forms

Index Academic forms, including those used for:

  • contact;
  • applications;
  • deposit of materials in the Repository;

may use cookies or other technical mechanisms for:

  • security;
  • spam prevention;
  • retaining form state;
  • preventing abusive submissions.

Non-essential cookies should not be used solely because a user completes a form unless there is an appropriate legal basis.

8. Cookies and Authentication

When a user logs into an account, cookies necessary to maintain the session may be set.

These cookies may allow the system to recognize the user during navigation and provide access to functions corresponding to the user’s role.

Authentication cookies are generally strictly necessary for the requested service.

9. Cookies and Language Preference

Because Index Academic is available in several languages, the platform may use cookies to remember the selected language.

This allows the interface or content to be displayed automatically in the preferred language during subsequent visits.

10. Security Cookies

The platform may use cookies and technical identifiers for:

  • preventing unauthorized access;
  • protecting forms;
  • preventing automated attacks;
  • detecting abusive behaviour;
  • protecting user sessions.

These technologies are considered necessary where they are essential to service security.

11. Consent to Cookies

Strictly necessary cookies may be used without consent where they are essential to provide a service requested by the user or to operate the platform securely.

For cookies that are not strictly necessary, Index Academic requests user consent where required by applicable law.

The user may have the option to:

  • accept all cookies;
  • reject non-essential cookies;
  • select specific categories;
  • change preferences later.

Rejecting non-essential cookies should not prevent access to public academic content.

12. Withdrawal or Modification of Consent

Where cookies are used on the basis of consent, that consent may be withdrawn or changed at any time.

The user may do so through:

  • the cookie management tool available on the website;
  • browser settings;
  • other mechanisms provided by the platform.

Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of cookie use before withdrawal.

13. Browser Settings

Most browsers allow users to:

  • view stored cookies;
  • delete cookies;
  • block all cookies;
  • block third-party cookies;
  • limit storage duration;
  • receive notifications before a cookie is set.

Blocking all cookies may affect the operation of some components, particularly authentication and account access.

14. Cookie Duration

Cookies may be:

Session Cookies

These are stored temporarily and are normally deleted after the browser is closed.

Persistent Cookies

These remain stored for a defined period or until the user deletes them.

The exact duration depends on the purpose of the cookie and the service using it.

15. Data Collected Through Cookies

Depending on the type of cookie, information such as the following may be processed:

  • technical identifiers;
  • IP address;
  • user session;
  • selected language;
  • pages visited;
  • access time;
  • browser type;
  • device type;
  • technical preferences;
  • security information.

These data are handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

16. Analytics Services

If Index Academic uses a traffic analytics service, it should be configured, as far as possible, to limit data collection to what is necessary to analyse platform usage.

Where analytics cookies require consent, they should not be activated before the user has expressed a choice.

Users should be able to reject such cookies without losing access to core academic services.

17. Anti-Spam and Security Services

Anti-spam or security services may be used to protect forms and the platform.

These services may process technical information needed to distinguish legitimate users from automated or malicious traffic.

If such a service uses cookies or transfers data to an external provider, this should be reflected in the actual list of cookies and services used.

18. Embedded External Content

Some pages may include content from external services, such as:

  • videos;
  • presentations;
  • maps;
  • interactive tools;
  • other embedded elements.

Providers of these services may set their own cookies.

Where such cookies are not strictly necessary, the content may be subject to user consent where required by applicable law.

19. List of Cookies Used

Types of cookies used

The website uses the following cookie modules:

a). Strictly necessary cookies: without them we cannot deliver the content of the website to you. These cookies ensure the basic functionality of the website.

No. Name Domain Purpose Expiration date
1 eucookielaw indexacademic.ro We record your acceptance of the cookie policy in your browser. 24 hours
2 OGP, OGPC Google.com These cookies enable the functionality of Google Maps. 23 days
3 AEC Google.com This cookie ensures that requests within a browsing session are sent by a user, not by other websites. This type of cookie prevents a malicious website from acting on behalf of a user without their knowledge. 6 months
4 SS_deltaBuffer indexacademic.ro This is an HTTP cookie. This data is used to provide the user with a smoother browsing experience while using our website. (Local storage). Session

b). Statistical analysis cookies: these cookies are used to collect information about how users interact with our website, about the general behavior of all users, which is to be analyzed to help us make improvements, and cannot be used to identify individual users.

Performance cookies: these are cookies that allow us to count visits and traffic sources, so that we can improve the performance of our website. These cookies help us to find out how many visitors our website has. The visitor is never identified individually or personally. Performance cookies are only used to improve the way the website works.

No. Name Domain Purpose Expiration date
1 tk_lr indexacademic.ro This referral cookie is set by the Jetpack plugin on websites that use WooCommerce and analyzes referral behavior for Jetpack. 12 months
2 tk_ai indexacademic.ro The Jetpack plugin sets this cookie to store a randomly generated anonymous ID, which is only used in the admin area and for general analytics tracking. 352 days
3 tk_or indexacademic.ro This referral cookie is set by the Jetpack plugin on websites that use WooCommerce and analyzes referral behavior for Jetpack. 352 days
4 tk_r3d indexacademic.ro The Jetpack plugin uses this cookie to collect internal metrics for user activity. The purpose of this cookie is to improve the visitor experience on our website. 3 days
5 NID Google.com This is an HTTP cookie that contains a unique ID that Google uses to remember the user’s preferences and other information, such as their preferred language, how many search results they want to display on the page, and whether or not they want Google’s SafeSearch filter to be enabled. 6 months
6 tk_tc indexacademic.ro The Jetpack plugin sets this cookie to record details about how the visitor uses our website. session
7 1P_JAR Google.com This cookie is used to collect website statistics and track conversion rates. 17 days
8 CONSENT Google Analytics This type of cookie helps to analyze information about our website visitors, such as the browser used by users and the number of people accessing the website. This data and information helps to improve the website. 13 months

Other cookies used:

No. Name Domain Expiration date
1 enforce_policy paypal.com 1 year
2 ts paypal.com 3 years
3 ts_c paypal.com 3 years

For information on how Google Analytics uses the data collected, we recommend that you access the following web pages:

a). Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=ro&gl=ZZ

b). Google Analytics Privacy and Security Practices: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=ro

How to turn off cookies

The web browser offers users the ability to control/disable cookies. The way you do this depends on the type of cookies. To learn more about disabling or deleting cookies from your browser, you can access the following website: http://www.allaboutcookies.org/. Also, another useful web resource is: https://www.youronlinechoices.com/ro/

If you want to configure your web browser to refuse cookies, you can use the preferences settings in your browser. For more information about these options, please refer to your browser’s help documentation. Depending on the web browsers you use, there are several ways to control or disable cookies. For more information, we recommend that you visit the websites of the browser you use.

a). Cookie settings in Microsoft Edge: https://support.microsoft.com/ro-ro/microsoft-edge/ştergerea-modulelor-cookie-în-microsoft-edge-63947406-40ac-c3b8-57b9-2a946a29ae09

b). Cookie settings in Internet Explorer: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies

c). Cookie settings in Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en&hlrm=en

d). Cookie settings in Safari: https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/manage-cookies-and-website-data-sfri11471/mac

e). Cookie settings in Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-and-disable-cookies-website-preferences

f). Cookie settings in Opera: https://help.opera.com/en/latest/web-preferences/

If you block the use of cookies in your browser, some of the services of certain websites may not be available. Some browsers allow users to set specific settings for the use of cookies by certain websites, which allows for more precise control over private information. This means that you can block cookies from all websites except those you trust.

Some web browsers have a Do Not Track feature that allows users not to be tracked while browsing. Using the Do Not Track option blocks the functionality of some websites.

20. Updating the Cookie List

Cookies used may change as a result of:

  • installing or removing plugins;
  • WordPress updates;
  • OJS updates;
  • changing analytics services;
  • modifying security systems;
  • integrating external services.

The cookie list should be reviewed periodically to reflect the actual platform configuration.

21. Cookies and International Transfers

Some external services may process data outside Romania or the European Economic Area.

Where cookies or similar technologies involve such transfers, they are handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

Further information about international data transfers is available in the Privacy Policy.

22. Cookies Do Not Change the Status of Academic Content

Cookies and technical technologies used by the platform do not change:

  • copyright in materials;
  • licenses;
  • DOIs;
  • editorial status;
  • peer-review status;
  • deposit rights.

These matters are governed by the relevant academic and legal policies of Index Academic.

23. Changes to the Cookie Policy

This Policy may be updated to reflect:

  • legislative changes;
  • infrastructure changes;
  • new cookies;
  • removal of cookies;
  • new external services;
  • WordPress or OJS updates;
  • changes to the consent mechanism.

The version published on the website represents the policy currently in force.

24. Contact

For questions about cookies, privacy, or data protection, users may contact:

MultiMedia Publishing / Index Academic
Bucharest, Romania
Email: contact@indexacademic.ro

Last updated: 16 September 2026