Digital Archiving Policy

Journal of SPHERES is committed to the long-term preservation, accessibility, discoverability, and integrity of all published scholarly content. The journal follows a comprehensive digital preservation strategy to ensure that research outputs remain available, searchable, and accessible to scholars, educators, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and the global academic community for future generations.

Journal of SPHERES recognizes that sustainable scholarly communication requires reliable preservation systems that protect academic knowledge across diverse interdisciplinary fields, including education, philosophy, ethics, history, sociology, culture, economics, politics, arts, linguistics, psychology, geography, and related areas.

1. Digital Preservation Strategy

Journal of SPHERES employs a multi-layered digital preservation approach that includes secure hosting, systematic backups, metadata preservation, persistent identifiers, and integration with recognized scholarly preservation networks to support the long-term availability of published content.

  • Primary and Backup Servers: All journal content is maintained on secure primary servers with backup systems to ensure continuity of access. In the event of technical failure, appropriate restoration procedures are implemented to recover journal services, published articles, and associated metadata.

  • Cloud and External Backups: Regular backups of journal content, including published articles, article metadata, submission records, and essential platform information, are maintained through secure storage solutions to reduce the risk of data loss.

  • Open Journal Systems (OJS) Platform: Journal of SPHERES operates through the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform, which supports structured metadata management, editorial workflows, DOI integration, article preservation, and compatibility with scholarly preservation initiatives.

2. PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN)

As an OJS-based journal, Journal of SPHERES (JSPHERES) participates in preservation mechanisms supported by the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), where available. This infrastructure supports the long-term preservation of scholarly content by ensuring:

  • Secure archiving of published articles through distributed preservation systems.
  • Automated preservation workflows with minimal manual intervention.
  • Continued accessibility of journal content in cases of technical disruption, website failure, or platform migration.

The PKP Preservation Network provides an important preservation framework for journals using Open Journal Systems and contributes to the sustainability of open scholarly communication.

3. Manuscript and Research Material Preservation

JSPHERES maintains structured procedures for managing submitted manuscripts, published articles, and associated scholarly materials:

  • Published Articles: The final published versions of articles are permanently archived on the journal platform and preserved through recognized digital preservation systems where available. Published articles remain accessible through persistent links and DOI records.

  • Unpublished / Rejected Manuscripts: Manuscripts that are not accepted for publication are securely stored for editorial documentation, peer review records, and administrative purposes. Authors may request deletion of unpublished submissions according to applicable journal policies and legal requirements.

  • Research Data and Supporting Materials: Submitted files, supplementary materials, datasets, and associated research documents are protected through controlled access, secure storage practices, and appropriate technical safeguards.

4. Website Archiving and Disaster Recovery

To maintain continuous access to the journal platform and published scholarship:

  • The journal website is hosted on secure infrastructure with regular backups, monitoring systems, and technical maintenance procedures.

  • Routine backup procedures are conducted to support recovery in the event of technical interruptions, hardware failure, cybersecurity incidents, or other operational challenges.

  • Additional copies of essential journal information, including article metadata, publication records, and platform configuration data, are maintained through secure backup systems to enhance resilience and continuity.

5. DOI Registration and Persistent Access

Journal of SPHERES (JSPHERES) assigns persistent digital identifiers through Crossref DOI registration to support reliable citation, discovery, and long-term access to published research.

  • Each published article receives a unique DOI where applicable.
  • DOI metadata supports citation tracking, scholarly discovery, and persistent linking.
  • Changes to article information are managed through appropriate metadata updates to maintain accuracy and reliability.

6. Indexing and Third-Party Archival Support

Journal of SPHERES (JSPHERES) is committed to improving the discoverability, accessibility, and long-term visibility of published research through integration with scholarly indexing, abstracting, and metadata platforms.

The journal aims to support persistent access and citation continuity through services including:

  • Google Scholar
  • Crossref (for DOI registration and persistent digital identification)
  • ResearchGate
  • J-Gate
  • Scilit
  • Semantic Scholar
  • WorldCat

These platforms contribute to metadata preservation, global discoverability, academic networking, and continued access to published research across the interdisciplinary domains represented by the SPHERES framework.

7. Commitment to Long-Term Scholarly Access

Journal of SPHERES is committed to preserving the scholarly record and ensuring that published knowledge remains accessible beyond immediate publication. Through digital preservation practices, persistent identifiers, secure infrastructure, and collaboration with scholarly preservation networks, the journal supports sustainable and responsible academic communication.