Preservation and Archiving Policy
The Archives of Surgery and Clinical Research (ASCR; ISSN: 2576-9537) is committed to the long-term preservation, discoverability, and usability of the scholarly record. This policy explains how we protect published content against loss or degradation; how versions are identified and linked; how repositories and indexers can harvest our records; and what authors and libraries can do to help preserve the version of record.
Principles & Objectives
Preservation ensures that the scientific record remains accessible and intelligible decades after publication. ASCR follows a multi-layered approach: redundant storage and backups; exposure of machine-readable metadata for harvesting; assignment of persistent identifiers and clear versioning; compatibility with community preservation networks; and public linking of corrections and retractions. Our goals are to maintain the integrity (content is unaltered or versioned transparently), authenticity (files are provably the same as when published), and availability (content remains retrievable despite technology, organizational, or economic change).
Key outcomes we commit to
- Perpetual access to the version of record (VoR) and metadata via persistent identifiers (DOIs).
- Transparent update pathways for corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern, interlinked with DOIs and clearly labeled on article pages and PDFs.
- Repository and indexer interoperability using OAI-PMH and other standard feeds.
- Compatibility with preservation networks such as PKP PN and LOCKSS/CLOCKSS for dark-archive resilience.
Our Preservation Layers
Bit-level preservation
- Redundancy: Multiple geographically separated copies of all published files and core metadata.
- Fixity checks: Regular cryptographic checksums (e.g., SHA-256) to detect corruption; repairs via known-good replicas.
- Backups & disaster recovery: Scheduled snapshots retained according to an internal rotation policy; periodic restore tests.
Logical preservation
- Preferred formats: PDF/A-compatible PDFs for articles; archival-friendly image formats (TIFF/PNG); tabular data as CSV with UTF-8; JATS or structured XML/HTML for metadata where supported.
- Human- and machine-readable metadata: Crossref deposits; JSON-LD schema on article pages; OAI-PMH exposure for harvesting.
- Versioning: Corrections/retractions and other updates are issued as separate notices with their own DOIs and relation links.
Preservation Networks & Services
ASCR supports participation in established preservation networks to provide community-governed redundancy beyond the publisher’s systems. For Open Journal Systems (OJS) deployments, this includes compatibility with the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) via the official plugin and alignment with LOCKSS/CLOCKSS approaches. Participation may depend on eligibility criteria (e.g., ISSN status, OJS version) and separate agreements with network operators. When enabled, these networks provide dark-archive storage and trigger access if the journal becomes unavailable.
Interoperability & OAI-PMH Harvesting
We expose machine-readable records for harvesting by indexers and repositories using OAI-PMH (Dublin Core and, where supported, JATS). Harvesters should capture DOIs, license URLs, versioning relations, ORCID iDs, and funding metadata. Our aim is to make the VoR discoverable through library systems, subject repositories, and open discovery services using standard, vendor-neutral protocols.
Metadata elements to expect in harvests
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Identifier (DOI URL) | Canonical link to VoR landing page |
| Title / Abstract | Discovery and indexing |
| Creators + ORCID | Author disambiguation |
| Publisher & ISSN | Journal identity |
| Rights (CC BY 4.0) | Reuse signaling |
| Relations (isVersionOf, isCorrectionOf, isRetractedBy) | Version linking for integrity of record |
| Funding references | Compliance and attribution |
Versioning, DOIs & Update Notices
Each research article is assigned a DOI that resolves to the article’s landing page. Post-publication updates (corrections, retractions, expressions of concern) are issued as separate notices with their own DOIs and bidirectional links to the affected article. Where a substantially new version replaces the original, we use relation types to show precedence and ensure readers can trace the history of changes. PDF and HTML articles display update badges and links to the record of changes for full transparency.
Preferred File Formats & Documentation
- Articles: Archival PDFs with embedded fonts and searchable text; where feasible, enriched HTML and/or JATS XML to support accessibility, mining, and long-term usability.
- Figures & media: TIFF/PNG for images; SVG for line art; MP4/H.264 or open alternatives for video with caption files (VTT/SRT).
- Data & code: Deposit datasets and software in trusted repositories that issue persistent identifiers; cite them in the article and metadata.
- Supplementary materials: Provide readme files describing content, provenance, and licenses for any third-party materials.
Trigger Events & Perpetual Access
Preservation networks provide trigger access if content becomes unavailable due to catastrophic failure, publisher cessation, or other qualifying events. Our policy recognizes that dark-archive operators may release preserved content under their governance rules to maintain scholarly access. If a trigger event occurs, we will post a public notice and update DOIs to point to the preserved copies where appropriate. Libraries and repositories should continue to resolve DOIs, which will always reflect the current authoritative location.
Integrity, Fixity & Audits
ASCR uses checksums to verify file integrity at ingest and during scheduled audits. Any detected discrepancies are reconciled from redundant copies. When metadata changes (e.g., funding updates), we re-deposit to Crossref and refresh site JSON-LD/OAI-PMH records. We retain audit logs for preservation operations and make public update notices for any changes that affect the scholarly interpretation of the work.
Roles & Responsibilities
Journal & Publisher
- Maintain redundant storage and regular backups; test restores.
- Expose metadata via OAI-PMH and schema markup; deposit metadata to Crossref including relations for updates.
- Enable or seek eligibility for community preservation networks (e.g., PKP PN) and communicate status on this page.
- Publish and link update notices with DOIs; ensure PDF/HTML pages show the current status.
Authors & Institutions
- Deposit the version of record (or AAM/VoR per repository rules) in institutional/subject repositories with the DOI and CC BY notice.
- Retain primary data and unprocessed images for verification and, where appropriate, deposit them in trusted repositories.
- Use ORCID iDs and include persistent identifiers for datasets and software in manuscripts and metadata.
For Repository & Library Partners
Checklist for creating resilient mirrors
- Harvest article records regularly via OAI-PMH; capture DOI, license, and version relations.
- Display a link to the VoR DOI prominently on repository records to reduce version confusion.
- When a correction or retraction is issued, update your record with the notice DOI and prominent labels.
- Respect third-party rights statements contained in credit lines; do not strip license information from PDFs or metadata.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have an embargo before authors can deposit the VoR?
No. Articles are open access on publication under CC BY 4.0. Authors may deposit the VoR PDF in repositories and on personal or lab websites with the citation, DOI, and license notice intact.
Does the journal participate in PKP PN or other preservation networks?
Our policy and infrastructure are compatible with PKP PN and LOCKSS-based networks. Eligibility and activation depend on criteria such as ISSN registration and platform configuration; where active, we will list specific networks on this page and provide verification links.
How are corrections or retractions preserved?
Update notices are citable items with their own DOIs. We deposit metadata to establish relations between the notice and the affected article and display the status on the article page and PDF. Repositories should harvest and display these relationships to maintain the integrity of the scholarly record.
What happens if the journal website is unavailable?
Redundant storage and preservation networks are designed to protect access. In a trigger event governed by a preservation network, content may be served from the dark archive under that network’s policies. We will update the DOI targets and post public notices to guide readers and libraries.
What can authors do to improve preservation outcomes?
Use recommended formats, include ORCID and funding metadata, and deposit data/code in trusted repositories with DOIs. Always cite the VoR DOI in repositories and preprints to help discovery tools consolidate versions.
Contact
Preservation and interoperability queries: [email protected] · Editorial updates (corrections/retractions): [email protected]