Archive Policy

The archive policy for Innovations in Midwifery & Child Health Practices (IMCHP) outlines how the journal manages and preserves past publications to ensure continued access to research articles over time. Here's a structured outline for an archive policy:

  1. Objective:

    • Statement of the journal's commitment to preserving and providing access to past publications in perpetuity.
    • Explanation of the importance of archiving for scholarly communication and long-term preservation of research.
  2. Archiving Infrastructure:

    • Description of the archival systems and platforms used by IMCHP to store and maintain digital copies of published articles.
    • Identification of trusted third-party archives or repositories where journal content is also preserved (e.g., PubMed Central, CLOCKSS, Portico).
  3. Access Policy:

    • Statement on the accessibility of archived content, including whether access to past publications is open or restricted.
    • Description of any embargo periods for open access to archived articles, if applicable.
  4. Formats and Versions:

    • Explanation of the file formats used for archiving articles (e.g., PDF, XML).
    • Policy on preserving different versions of articles, such as preprints, accepted manuscripts, and final published versions.
  5. Metadata Standards:

    • Guidelines for metadata creation and standards used to describe archived content (e.g., Dublin Core, CrossRef Metadata Schema).
    • Commitment to ensuring metadata quality and interoperability for discoverability and indexing purposes.
  6. Preservation Strategies:

    • Description of preservation strategies employed to ensure the long-term integrity and accessibility of archived content, including regular backups, file migration, and format migration.
    • Contingency plans for mitigating risks to archival integrity, such as data loss, technological obsolescence, or organizational changes.
  7. Copyright and Licensing:

    • Statement on copyright ownership and licensing agreements for archived content, including any changes to licensing terms over time.
    • Information on how copyright and licensing affect access to and reuse of archived articles by users.
  8. Communication and Updates:

    • Procedure for communicating updates or changes to the archive policy to stakeholders, including authors, readers, and institutional subscribers.
    • Contact information for inquiries related to archived content or access issues.

An effective archive policy ensures that IMCHP's scholarly contributions remain accessible and preserved for future generations of researchers, practitioners, and the public.