Archiving, Digital Preservation and Repository Policy
1. Purpose and Scope
Science Mundi, published by AJER Publishing, is committed to preserving the integrity, authenticity, accessibility, and scholarly value of its published scientific research.
The journal recognises that long-term preservation is essential for maintaining a reliable scientific record and supporting continued access to research findings, experimental evidence, methodological developments, and scientific knowledge.
This policy establishes Science Mundi's commitments concerning digital preservation, electronic backups, repository deposits, metadata harvesting, persistent identifiers, and continuity of scholarly access.
It applies to published articles, associated metadata, supplementary materials where applicable, and editorial notices, including corrections and retractions.
2. Digital Preservation Principles
Science Mundi follows the principles of long-term accessibility, content integrity, preservation of the scientific record, technological sustainability, and continuity of access.
The journal is committed to maintaining published research in formats and systems that support continued accessibility and reliable identification.
Published records include article titles, authorship details, abstracts, publication dates, volume and issue information, DOI identifiers, and relevant post-publication notices.
Science Mundi recognises that preserving scientific research supports reproducibility, scholarly accountability, technological advancement, and the continued development of scientific knowledge.
3. Electronic Archiving and Backup
Science Mundi uses Open Journal Systems (OJS) as its journal management and publishing platform.
The journal maintains electronic records of published articles and associated bibliographic metadata within its publishing infrastructure.
AJER Publishing's digital preservation arrangements include appropriate measures for:
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Maintaining copies of published articles and associated files.
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Backing up journal databases and publication records.
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Protecting published content against accidental deletion, corruption, and unauthorised modification.
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Maintaining publication metadata and persistent identifiers.
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Supporting restoration of journal content following technical disruptions.
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Reviewing backup and recovery procedures periodically.
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Preserving relevant correction, retraction, and publication history records.
The journal recognises that operational backups are important for recovery but do not independently establish permanent digital preservation.
4. PKP Preservation Network and Independent Archiving
Science Mundi recognises the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) as an established digital preservation service designed to support the long-term preservation of scholarly content published through compatible Open Journal Systems installations.
The journal supports the use of PKP PN and other appropriate independent preservation arrangements to strengthen the long-term security and accessibility of its scientific publications.
Participation in an independent preservation service is subject to the applicable technical requirements, eligibility conditions, registration procedures, and successful activation of the relevant preservation arrangements.
Science Mundi does not regard the installation of OJS, the availability of a preservation plugin, or routine server backups as evidence of active participation in an independent preservation network.
Where independent preservation arrangements are active, the journal identifies the relevant service and provides appropriate participation information through its official website.
AJER Publishing periodically evaluates available preservation services to strengthen the journal's long-term archiving arrangements.
5. Repository Policy and Institutional Deposits
Science Mundi supports the preservation and dissemination of published research through institutional repositories, university archives, academic repositories, and other appropriate non-commercial scholarly platforms.
Authors may deposit the final published versions of their articles in institutional repositories and other suitable scholarly archives without an embargo, subject to the applicable Creative Commons licence and any third-party copyright restrictions.
Deposited articles should:
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Identify Science Mundi as the original publication source.
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Include complete bibliographic information.
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Provide the article DOI or permanent publication link where available.
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Preserve the applicable copyright and licensing information.
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Respect restrictions governing third-party copyrighted materials.
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Clearly distinguish any modified or adapted version from the official published version.
The journal encourages responsible repository deposits to improve the accessibility, visibility, and long-term availability of scientific research.
Repository deposits complement, but do not necessarily replace, formal independent preservation arrangements.
6. Metadata Harvesting and OAI-PMH Interoperability
Science Mundi supports the dissemination and discoverability of scholarly metadata through the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH).
The journal's OJS publishing infrastructure provides an OAI-PMH interface through which compatible scholarly databases, repositories, discovery services, and indexing systems may retrieve available publication metadata.
Science Mundi maintains appropriate bibliographic metadata, including article titles, authors, abstracts, publication dates, journal information, and identifiers where available.
The journal recognises that metadata harvesting supports scholarly discovery but does not independently guarantee permanent preservation of full-text articles or inclusion in external indexing databases.
External repositories and indexing services independently determine whether and how journal content is harvested, indexed, displayed, or preserved.
7. Persistent Identifiers and Bibliographic Records
Science Mundi supports the use of persistent identifiers, including Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), to facilitate reliable citation, identification, and retrieval of published articles.
The journal maintains bibliographic records intended to support the continued identification of published works even where website structures or technical systems change.
Where an article has been assigned a DOI, Science Mundi endeavours to maintain accurate associated metadata and functional links to the publication.
The journal also maintains relevant information concerning corrections, retractions, and other post-publication developments.
8. Preservation of Corrections, Retractions, and Publication History
Science Mundi recognises that responsible scientific preservation requires maintaining an accurate historical record of published research.
Where articles are corrected, retracted, or subject to expressions of concern, the journal preserves appropriate bibliographic information and publishes relevant editorial notices.
Retraction does not ordinarily result in the complete disappearance of a publication from the scientific record.
Where appropriate, retracted articles remain identifiable and are clearly marked to inform readers of their publication status.
Content may be removed or access restricted in exceptional circumstances involving legal requirements, serious privacy concerns, or other compelling ethical or safety considerations.
Such actions are undertaken in accordance with the journal's correction, retraction, and publication ethics policies.
9. Preservation Security and Disaster Recovery
Science Mundi recognises the importance of safeguarding scientific content against technological failures, cyber threats, accidental deletion, and other risks.
AJER Publishing maintains appropriate operational measures intended to support the security and recoverability of journal content.
These measures include controlled administrative access, secure storage practices, electronic backups, and procedures for restoring publication information following technical disruptions.
Preservation and recovery arrangements are reviewed periodically to identify potential weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.
10. Continuity of Access and Journal Sustainability
Science Mundi is committed to supporting the continued accessibility of its scientific publications, including during periods of technological change, platform migration, or operational restructuring.
Where publishing systems are upgraded or migrated, reasonable measures are taken to preserve article files, bibliographic metadata, identifiers, and publication records.
If the journal's publishing operations are discontinued or transferred, AJER Publishing will seek appropriate arrangements for maintaining access to published content, subject to available resources, legal obligations, and existing preservation agreements.
The journal recognises that sustainable preservation requires a combination of operational backups, interoperable metadata, repository dissemination, and independent preservation services.
11. Policy Implementation and Review
The Chief Editor, Editorial Board, and AJER Publishing are responsible for overseeing the implementation and periodic review of this policy.
The journal evaluates its digital preservation arrangements in light of technological developments, recognised scholarly publishing practices, and available preservation infrastructure.
Science Mundi remains committed to strengthening its archiving systems and ensuring that published scientific research remains discoverable, identifiable, and accessible to future generations of scholars.
Science Mundi
AJER Publishing
