Digital Archiving Policy

Policy Statement

Digital Archiving Policy describes what we should do regarding long term care and access to published scholarly works. The journal believes that it is its responsibility to ensure that all the published articles, supplementary materials, and other related digital materials are permanently exposed to the world research community today and in future.

Preservation Objectives

Primary Goals

  • Permanent Accessibility: Make published material available at any given time regardless of any change in technology or business conditions.
  • Digital Preservation: provide integrity and functionality of moving material through evolving digital forms and technologies.
  • Taking on the risk: Protection against loss of data due to technical breakdowns, natural calamities or organizational changes.
  • General Community Service: Investigate research infrastructure of the world community through the maintenance of groups.

Long-term Commitment

The journal undertakes not to restrict access to all published content after not longer than 10 years after the publication, where possible indefinitely through the trusted services of an archival service.

Multi-Layer Preservation Strategy

Primary Preservation Services

  1. CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS)
  • CLOCKSS is a collaboration of world leading publishers and libraries providing digital preservation services for the long-term survival of digital scholarship.
  • Copies of all content are held at twelve leading libraries around the world, running the LOCKSS software to ensure content is preserved in perpetuity.
  • Trigger mechanism: When the content ceases to exist on the publishers site, or is soon to cease to exist, CLOCKSS will activate the content and open it up to all under open access.
  1. Portico
  • Portico provides libraries and publishers with reliable, cost-effective preservation of electronic resources.
  • Dark archive: Content preserved with controlled access protocols.
  • Post-termination access: Available to participating libraries if original access is discontinued.
  1. PKP Preservation Network (PKP-PN)
  • Distributed preservation network specifically designed for open access journals.
  • Geographic distribution across multiple nodes worldwide.
  • Regular integrity checking and format migration services.

Secondary Preservation Measures

Local/Institutional Archives

  • Complete mirror maintained on secure local servers with redundant backup systems.
  • Multiple format preservation (XML, PDF, and native format files).
  • Regular migration to new format standards as technology evolves.

National Library Deposits

  • Submission to relevant national libraries as required by local legislation.
  • Partnership with national digital preservation initiatives.

Technical Standards and Procedures

File Formats and Standards

Preservation Master Files

  • Text content: XML (JATS format) and PDF/A for long-term preservation.
  • Images: TIFF (uncompressed) for preservation masters, with JPEG/PNG for access copies.
  • Multimedia: Standard preservation formats (MOV, WAV) with migration pathways defined.
  • Data files: Open, standard formats with comprehensive metadata.

Metadata Standards

  • Dublin Core for basic bibliographic information.
  • JATS metadata for detailed article structure.
  • PREMIS (Preservation Metadata Implementation Strategies) for preservation actions.
  • ORCID identifiers for author disambiguation.

Quality Assurance

Integrity Monitoring

  • Checksum checking of all archived files periodically.
  • File corruption or format obsolescence monitoring, which can be automated.
  • Somewhat yearly overall audit of every conservation system.

 

Format Migration

  • Active control over the risks of format obsolescence.
  • Planned movement into new formats before old formats become unreadable.
  • Preservation of original copies and the migrated copies.

 

Access and Retrieval Policies

Continuous Access

  • Normal operations: Content available through journal website and preservation partners.
  • Emergency access: Alternative access routes activated automatically during service disruptions.
  • Post-cessation access: Content remains available through preservation networks indefinitely.

Access Levels

  • Open access content: Completely free of charge at any preservation services.
  • Subscription content: This is the data that is provided to legitimate users by preservation partners.
  • Trigger events: Content will be open access when original source is permanently out of service.

Author Rights and Self-Archiving

  • Immediate self-archiving: Authors have the option to place the end published copy in institutional or subject repositories as soon as it is published.
  • Version clarity: clarity in the version used by the publisher and the version used by the author.
  • License compatibility: Self-archiving privileges are compatible with Creative Commons licensing wherever applicable.

Roles and Responsibilities

Publisher Responsibilities

  • Content submission: Regular deposit of all published content to preservation services.
  • Metadata provision: Complete and accurate metadata for all archived materials.
  • Fee payment: Timely payment of preservation service fees and maintenance of memberships.
  • Policy compliance: Adherence to preservation service requirements and best practices.

Editorial Team Responsibilities

  • Quality control: Before publication, all the content should be of archival quality.
  • Additional materials: Check that preservation deposits contain all additional materials.
  • Authors contact: provide advice to authors on the archival policies and rights.

Technical Team Responsibilities

  • System maintenance: Maintain local backup and archival systems.
  • Format monitoring: Monitor for format obsolescence and coordinate migration activities.
  • Integration management: Ensure seamless integration with preservation service workflows.

Contingency Planning

Business Continuity

  • Service interruption: Various preservation partners provide access continuity in the event of temporary disruptions.
  • Ownership transfer: Clear procedures for content transfer if journal changes ownership.
  • Cessation of publication: Content remains available through preservation networks with enhanced access rights.

Risk Management

  • Geographic distribution: Content preserved across multiple geographic locations.
  • Institutional diversity: Partnership with different types of organizations (academic, commercial, governmental).
  • Technology redundancy: Several preservation technologies and formats used in combination.

Compliance and Standards

International Standards

  • ISO 14721 (OAIS): Open Archival Information System reference model compliance.
  • ISO 16363: Audit and certification of trustworthy digital repositories.
  • NDSA Levels: National Digital Stewardship Alliance preservation levels framework.

Transparency and Reporting

  • Annual reporting: Annual report on preservation activities and status.
  • Public registry: Participation in Keepers Registry to document preservation commitments.
  • Author notification: Clear communication to authors about preservation arrangements.

Policy Review and Updates

Regular Review Schedule

  • Annual assessment: Review of preservation arrangements and service performance.
  • Technology evaluation: Assessment of new preservation technologies and services.
  • Policy updates: Revisions to reflect technological changes and best practices.

Stakeholder Engagement

  • Advisory input: Frequent consultation with librarians, authors and preservation specialists.
  • Community participation: The presence of community in conservation.
  • Feedback integration: Feedback and the developing requirements integration.

Financial Sustainability

Funding Model

  • Preservation fees: Specific allocation of budget on preservation service costs.
  • Cost sharing: Where possible participate in common schemes.
  • Long term: Financial planning Preservation commitment.

Cost Transparency

  • Fee disclosure: Clear communication of preservation costs to stakeholders.
  • Value demonstration: Regular reporting on preservation value and risk mitigation.