How We Secure Your Author Data

 

As you submit your manuscript/DFRR, and it moves through peer review you may be concerned about the security of your data. Your trust is foundational to our mission. That’s why we’ve built multiple layers of protection into our activities — combining technology, thoughtful processes, and responsible oversight to safeguard your information. 

We encourage authors to refer to the Author Resources webpage for Author Instructions and policies concerning security during the writing process, including data access and artificial intelligence (AI).  

Below, you’ll find an overview of the specific measures we use to protect your data. These best practice safeguards are designed to prevent unauthorized access, ensure confidentiality, and maintain the integrity of your work. 

You may occasionally notice additional verification steps or security requirements, such as the use of secure folders. While these precautions can sometimes feel inconvenient, they exist to protect you, your information, and the broader PCORI community we serve. Thank you for helping us maintain a secure and trusted environment. 

  

  • Submission and Peer Review System 
    • Our submission and peer review system, PeerTrack, is central to activities that include author submission of the final research report, editorial evaluation, and patient-centered peer review. Everybody involved in these activities is required to provide information to verify identity, send and receive important communications, and fully participate in the peer review of PCORI-funded research. Serving as the home of each of these activities, PeerTrack is protected by two separate Privacy Policies. One policy is on behalf of PCORI. The second is by Aries Systems Corporation (Aries), the company that powers PeerTrack. Together, these two policies represent a shared commitment to transparency, detailing why and how personal information for anybody participating in PCORI-funded peer review is collected, managed, and used. 
    • PeerTrack requires a username and password for users to access.  
  • Reviewers and Your Data 
    • We confirm confidentiality and conflicts of interest with reviewers before giving them access to the report. 
    • Reviewers are required to adhere to the organization’s data privacy and confidentiality policies, which clearly state that Reviewers may not upload all or any part of the Draft final Research Reports (DFRRs) or their reviews to AI platforms. Additionally, Reviewers may not share reports via email and must delete all DFRR-related files from their local systems once their evaluations are complete. 
  • Secure System Access 
    • We implement strong access controls across all systems used in the peer review process. This includes password protection and multifactor authentication (MFA), providing multiple layers of security to safeguard sensitive and personal information. 
    • Our Peer Track platform uses role-based access controls, meaning users can only view or interact with information necessary for their specific responsibilities. These protections are consistently applied across all user types, whether submitting a Draft Final Research Report (DFRR), conducting peer review, or supporting peer review processes for PCORI-funded research.  
  • Protected Virtual Meetings 
    • To maintain confidentiality, our virtual meetings are invitation-only and access-controlled. This ensures that only authorized participants can join discussions, helping to protect sensitive information and maintain the integrity of the submission and peer review process. Note that we may record or transcribe the meeting, but only if all participants agree.  
  • Secure File Sharing 
    • Some submission and peer review activities require the exchange of files that may contain personal or sensitive information. To protect this data, we provide secure, access-controlled links for file uploads and sharing. 
    • We also follow strict data handling practices, including requiring Author Services, reviewers, and editorial staff to work within digitally secure environments for reviewing and editing DFRRs and associated materials. These measures help reduce the risk of unauthorized access and support responsible data stewardship. 
  • User Device Security and Updates 
    • Maintaining the security of your personal devices is an important part of protecting sensitive information. We strongly encourage all users to regularly update their operating systems, browsers, and applications to ensure the latest security patches and protections are in place. 
    • Keeping devices up to date helps guard against known vulnerabilities and enhances overall system security. We also recommend using trusted antivirus or protection software and enabling automatic updates whenever possible. Please refrain from using public networks without a virtual private network app (VPN). 
       
  • Archiving and Reporting 
    • The security and confidentiality of author data are maintained throughout both the Archiving and Reporting processes. 
    • Data used for reporting are accessible only by authorized personnel and are handled in accordance with established security and privacy policies. These are managed through the peer review specific SharePoint environment.   When information sharing is necessary, it is carried out using approved protocols and access controls. 
    • All DFRRs and other Reports that are accepted at the end of the peer review process are archived for future reference. These archived reports, which include all versions of the report, reviewer comments and feedback are stored in a secure PCORI internal SharePoint environment. This environment is restricted to authorized personnel with granted permissions.  
    • We continue to regularly review the security and monitoring processes to ensure ongoing protection of both active and archived data.