Archiving Policy
Policy Number: TGM-AP-001
Version: 1.0
Effective Date: June 2026
Review Date: June 2029
1. PREAMBLE
The Gazette of Medicine (TGM) is the official peer-reviewed, open-access scientific journal of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). The Journal recognizes that long-term preservation and accessibility of scholarly publications are fundamental to scientific integrity, transparency, reproducibility, and the advancement of medical knowledge.
To ensure that published scholarly content remains permanently accessible despite technological changes, organizational restructuring, or unforeseen disruptions, TGM has established this comprehensive Archiving Policy. The policy outlines the mechanisms for digital preservation, long-term storage, backup, disaster recovery, repository deposit, and continued public accessibility of all published content.
This policy aligns with international best practices for scholarly publishing, including the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Crossref, the Open Archives Initiative (OAI), and the principles of digital preservation adopted by major indexing and archiving organizations.
2. PURPOSE
The objectives of this policy are to:
· Ensure permanent preservation of all published scholarly content.
· Guarantee uninterrupted access to published articles.
· Protect published works against accidental loss, corruption, cyberattacks, or technological obsolescence.
· Establish multiple preservation mechanisms and redundant storage systems.
· Promote discoverability through indexing and repository deposition.
· Facilitate compliance with international indexing requirements.
· Ensure the authenticity, integrity, and reliability of archived publications.
· Support long-term scholarly communication.
3. SCOPE
This policy applies to all content published by TGM, including but not limited to:
· Original Research Articles
· Systematic Reviews
· Meta-analyses
· Narrative Reviews
· Case Reports
· Case Series
· Short Communications
· Editorials
· Commentaries
· Perspectives
· Letters to the Editor
· Clinical Images
· Technical Notes
· Practice Guidelines
· Conference Proceedings
· Supplements
· Special Issues
· Corrections
· Expressions of Concern
· Retractions
· Editorial Notices
· Multimedia files
· Supplementary datasets
· Audio and video materials
· Graphical abstracts
· Figures and tables
· Appendices
4. POLICY STATEMENT
TGM is committed to the permanent preservation and accessibility of all published scholarly content. Every article accepted for publication shall be securely archived in multiple trusted digital repositories and preservation systems to ensure that the scholarly record remains permanently available regardless of changes to the Journal, publisher, or website. Archiving shall be undertaken using internationally recognized digital preservation standards and repository practices.
5. GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The Journal's archiving practices are based on the following principles:
5.1 Permanence
Published articles shall remain permanently available after publication.
5.2 Accessibility
Archived content shall remain freely accessible to readers without unnecessary restrictions.
5.3 Authenticity
Archived materials shall accurately reflect the published version of record.
5.4 Integrity
Published files shall remain complete, unchanged, and protected from unauthorized modification.
5.5 Redundancy
Multiple preservation copies shall be maintained in separate storage locations.
5.6 Sustainability
Archiving systems shall be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure long-term viability.
6. DIGITAL PRESERVATION STRATEGY
TGM shall implement a multi-layered digital preservation strategy consisting of:
· Primary journal server storage.
· Institutional repository preservation.
· Independent preservation networks.
· Cloud-based backup systems.
· Offline archival storage.
· National and international repository deposits.
· Persistent identifier registration.
· Metadata preservation.
No single preservation mechanism shall be solely relied upon.
7. OFFICIAL VERSION OF RECORD
The Version of Record (VoR) published by TGM shall constitute the definitive, citable, and permanently archived version of each article. The archived Version of Record shall include:
· Final accepted manuscript.
· Copyedited version.
· Typeset PDF.
· HTML version (where applicable).
· Supplementary materials.
· DOI.
· Metadata.
· Publication history.
· Licensing information.
8. DIGITAL ARCHIVING SYSTEMS
TGM shall utilize one or more internationally recognized digital preservation systems, including:
8.1 PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN)
Where the Journal is hosted on the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform, TGM shall participate in the PKP Preservation Network to ensure decentralized preservation of published content.
8.2 LOCKSS
TGM supports participation in the LOCKSS ("Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe") program to ensure distributed preservation of published materials.
8.3 CLOCKSS
Where feasible, TGM may participate in the CLOCKSS preservation initiative to ensure long-term preservation and public access if publication ceases.
8.4 Portico
Subject to institutional arrangements and available resources, TGM may deposit published content in Portico or comparable trusted digital preservation services.
9. INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORY
Published articles shall be preserved in the official institutional repository of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and/or the Association of Resident Doctors where such repositories exist. The repository shall preserve:
· PDF articles.
· Metadata.
· Supplementary materials.
· DOI information.
· Publication history.
10. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL REPOSITORIES
Where eligible, TGM shall deposit published content in recognized repositories and indexing services, including:
· African Journals Online (AJOL)
· Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
· PubMed Central (where eligibility criteria are met)
· Europe PMC (where applicable)
· Institutional repositories
· National medical repositories
· OpenAIRE (where applicable)
· Google Scholar indexing
· Crossref metadata repository
· WorldCat (where applicable)
11. WEBSITE ARCHIVING
The official Journal website shall maintain permanent online access to:
· Current issues.
· Back issues.
· Supplementary files.
· Editorial policies.
· Corrections.
· Retractions.
· Expressions of concern.
· Announcements.
Archived content shall remain accessible through stable URLs whenever possible.
12. BACKUP POLICY
The Journal shall maintain multiple backup copies of all published content.
Backups shall include:
Daily Incremental Backup
· New submissions.
· Editorial records.
· Published articles.
· Metadata.
Weekly Full Backup
· Entire Journal database.
· Website files.
· PDFs.
· Images.
· Supplementary files.
Monthly Offline Backup
Offline encrypted copies shall be stored separately from the production server.
Annual Archival Backup
A permanent archival copy shall be maintained for historical preservation.
13. DISASTER RECOVERY
TGM shall maintain procedures for recovery in the event of:
· Hardware failure.
· Cybersecurity incidents.
· Data corruption.
· Accidental deletion.
· Natural disasters.
· Fire.
· Flood.
· Organizational changes.
· Website migration.
· Publisher transition.
Recovery procedures shall prioritize restoration of the Version of Record and associated metadata.
14. METADATA PRESERVATION
The Journal shall preserve comprehensive metadata for all published content, including:
· Title.
· Authors.
· ORCID identifiers.
· Affiliations.
· Abstract.
· Keywords.
· DOI.
· Publication dates.
· Volume and issue.
· Article type.
· Licensing information.
· Funding information.
· References.
· Citation data.
Metadata shall be registered with Crossref and made available for indexing.
15. DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIERS (DOIs)
Every published article shall receive a unique DOI where available.
The DOI shall provide a persistent link to the Version of Record, ensuring long-term discoverability and citation.
If website URLs change, DOI records shall be updated accordingly.
16. AUTHOR SELF-ARCHIVING
Authors are encouraged to archive the published Version of Record in:
· Institutional repositories.
· University repositories.
· Government repositories.
· Personal academic websites.
· ORCID profiles.
· ResearchGate.
· Academia.edu.
· Subject repositories.
· Funding agency repositories.
Authors should cite the final published version and include the DOI.
17. PREPRINTS
TGM permits submission of manuscripts previously deposited on recognized preprint servers.
Following publication:
· The preprint may remain online.
· Authors should update the preprint record with a citation and DOI linking to the final published article.
· The published Version of Record shall remain the authoritative version.
18. ARTICLE CORRECTIONS AND RETRACTIONS
The Journal shall preserve all versions of the scholarly record.
Where corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern are issued:
· The original article shall remain archived.
· Correction notices shall be permanently linked to the original publication.
· Retractions shall not result in deletion except where legally required.
· Retraction notices shall explain the reason for retraction while maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.
19. PRESERVATION OF SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
All supplementary files shall be archived alongside the published article, including:
· Datasets.
· Statistical code.
· Software.
· Images.
· Videos.
· Audio files.
· Protocols.
· Appendices.
Where file formats become obsolete, TGM shall migrate content to sustainable formats while preserving the integrity of the original materials.
20. FILE FORMAT PRESERVATION
The Journal shall use widely accepted and sustainable file formats wherever possible.
Preferred archival formats include:
· PDF/A for documents.
· XML (JATS where applicable).
· HTML.
· CSV for datasets.
· TIFF or PNG for high-resolution images.
· MP4 for videos.
· WAV for archival audio.
Migration to newer formats shall be undertaken when necessary to ensure continued accessibility.
21. ACCESSIBILITY
Archived content shall remain freely accessible under the Journal's Open Access Policy.
No embargo period shall apply unless specifically required for exceptional legal or ethical reasons.
22. RESPONSIBILITIES
Editorial Board
The Editorial Board shall:
· Oversee implementation of this policy.
· Monitor preservation practices.
· Review preservation technologies.
· Ensure compliance with international standards.
Journal Editorial Office
The Editorial Office shall:
· Maintain archive records.
· Monitor repository deposits.
· Verify DOI registration.
· Coordinate backup activities.
· Respond to archive-related inquiries.
Information Technology Support
Technical personnel shall:
· Maintain secure servers.
· Monitor backups.
· Test recovery procedures.
· Ensure cybersecurity measures.
· Perform periodic integrity checks.
23. CONFIDENTIALITY OF UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS
This policy applies only to published scholarly content.
Editorial records, peer-review reports, reviewer identities (where confidential), rejected manuscripts, and confidential correspondence shall be retained securely in accordance with the Journal's Privacy Policy and applicable data protection requirements. Access shall be restricted to authorized personnel.
24. POLICY REVIEW
This Archiving Policy shall be reviewed at least every three (3) years or sooner where required due to:
· Technological developments.
· Changes in international preservation standards.
· Regulatory requirements.
· Indexing criteria.
· Journal operational changes.
Revisions shall be approved by the Editorial Board.
25. CONTACT INFORMATION
Editorial Office
The Gazette of Medicine (TGM)
Journal of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD)
University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH)
Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Email: [Insert Official Journal Email]
Website: [Insert Official Journal Website]
26. REFERENCES AND GUIDING STANDARDS
This policy is informed by internationally recognized standards and best practices, including:
1. Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Core Practices.
2. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.
3. Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing.
4. Public Knowledge Project (PKP). PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN).
5. LOCKSS Program. Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe.
6. CLOCKSS Archive. Trusted community-governed digital preservation.
7. Crossref. Best practices for persistent identifiers and metadata management.
8. Open Archives Initiative (OAI). Standards for metadata harvesting and interoperability.
9. ISO 14721:2012 (Open Archival Information System – OAIS Reference Model).
10. UNESCO Charter on the Preservation of Digital Heritage.
Appendix A: Archiving Workflow
Upon publication, TGM shall:
1. Publish the final Version of Record on the official journal website.
2. Assign and register a DOI with Crossref.
3. Deposit metadata with indexing services and repositories.
4. Archive the article in PKP PN (for OJS-hosted journals) and, where available, LOCKSS/CLOCKSS.
5. Preserve the article in the institutional repository of ARD-UPTH/UPTH.
6. Create daily, weekly, monthly, and annual backups.
7. Preserve all supplementary files and metadata.
8. Maintain permanent public access through the Journal website and participating repositories.
9. Monitor archive integrity through periodic audits and checksum verification.
10. Update repository records and DOI links whenever website migrations or platform changes occur.
This comprehensive Archiving Policy meets the expectations of major indexing services (including DOAJ, AJOL, Scopus, and PubMed Central, where eligible) and demonstrates TGM's commitment to the permanent preservation and accessibility of the scholarly record.
