Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy

The Journal of Pak International Medical College (JPIMC) is committed to ensuring the long-term preservation, accessibility, and integrity of all published content. To achieve this, the journal maintains multiple strategies for secure archiving and digital preservation.

1. Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)

  • All published articles are assigned a unique DOI (Digital Object Identifier) to ensure permanent identification, discoverability, and citation tracking.

  • DOIs guarantee that even if web addresses change, articles remain accessible through persistent links.

2. Institutional Repository and OJS Archiving

  • All published content is securely stored within the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.

  • The OJS system provides automatic backup, metadata preservation, and export capabilities in standardized formats (XML, PDF, HTML).

  • Articles are additionally archived in the institutional repository of Pak International Medical College to ensure redundancy.

3. External Digital Preservation Services

JPIMC participates in recognized international preservation initiatives to safeguard published content:

  • LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe): Ensures decentralized archiving by preserving content across a network of libraries.

  • CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS): Provides a dark archive with long-term preservation and ensures content remains accessible even in the event of catastrophic loss.

4. Indexing and Database Preservation

  • All articles are deposited with major indexing and abstracting services to ensure wide dissemination and secure archiving.

  • Metadata is shared with repositories such as CrossRef and regional indexing databases for preservation and discoverability.

5. Preservation of Integrity

  • Once published, articles remain part of the permanent scholarly record.

  • If errors, corrections, or retractions occur, the original article will remain accessible with appropriate labeling to maintain transparency and accountability.

6. Author Self-Archiving

  • Authors are permitted to deposit their submitted, accepted, or published versions of manuscripts in institutional or subject repositories, in compliance with the journal’s open access policy (CC BY-NC 4.0).

  • Self-archived versions must include proper citation and a link to the official version on the JPIMC website.