Preservation and Archiving Policy

Knowledge is fragile when left unattended. To honor the trust of authors and readers, this policy ensures that every article published here will endure—protected against loss, technological change, and the erosion of time. Preservation is not only about storage; it is about stewardship, safeguarding the intellectual contributions of today for the scholars, practitioners, and citizens of tomorrow.

Commitment to Permanence

The commitment to archiving is both practical and ethical. Practical, because scholarship must remain discoverable across evolving platforms. Ethical, because researchers who share their insights deserve the assurance that their voices will not fade. This policy is a pledge to protect and preserve each article as part of the shared human record of scientific inquiry.

Archiving Framework

Preservation relies on multiple, complementary systems designed to prevent single points of failure:

• LOCKSS and CLOCKSS: Distributed global networks ensure that “lots of copies keep stuff safe,” providing redundancy against loss.
• Publisher Infrastructure: Secure servers with mirrored backups guarantee continuity during system upgrades or unforeseen disruptions.
• Repository Deposits: Articles are indexed and archived in institutional and subject repositories, expanding reach and resilience.
• Format Sustainability: Content is published in archival formats such as PDF/A and XML JATS, ensuring readability long into the future.

Values Guiding Preservation

The principles guiding this policy go beyond technology. They are grounded in values that reflect what preservation truly means:

• Continuity: Protecting scientific work so it can inform future generations of research and practice.
• Accessibility: Ensuring that preservation is not hoarding but sharing—keeping articles both safe and discoverable.
• Equity: Archiving systems are designed to support global access, not limited to wealthy institutions or regions.
• Trust: Readers and authors can rely on a publishing process that treats longevity as a sacred responsibility.

Integration With Global Systems

Preservation efforts are embedded within broader scholarly ecosystems. Metadata deposits with CrossRef and compliance with OAI-PMH protocols ensure that articles are harvested by libraries, repositories, and indexing services worldwide. This interconnectedness transforms individual works into part of a global tapestry of knowledge, reducing isolation and increasing discoverability.

Digital Continuity

Technology changes, but scholarship must remain stable. To achieve digital continuity:

• Articles are stored in standardized formats resistant to obsolescence.
• Persistent identifiers (DOIs) guarantee that even as web addresses shift, citations remain unbroken.
• Automated checks monitor file integrity and trigger repairs if corruption is detected.
• New technologies for preservation are continuously evaluated and, when suitable, adopted.

These measures ensure that readers a century from now will encounter today’s work as faithfully as it was published.

Responsibility and Accountability

Preservation is not a passive act but a responsibility that requires vigilance. The editorial office oversees compliance with international archiving standards and conducts regular audits of storage systems. Transparency in this process assures the community that preservation is not assumed but actively maintained.

Beyond Articles: Preserving Context

Preserving research is not only about the article itself but also about its context. Supplementary files, datasets, and ethical declarations are archived alongside the article whenever possible. This ensures that future readers not only access findings but also understand the circumstances and evidence that shaped them.

Why Preservation Matters

To preserve is to respect the labor of discovery. It is to acknowledge that ideas travel across time, often finding significance in moments unforeseen by their authors. Preservation transforms fleeting insight into enduring wisdom, enabling new generations to build upon the shoulders of those before them. In biotechnology and biomedicine—fields that shape health, food, and environment—the importance of memory is profound. Losing such knowledge would not only diminish the scholarly record but risk humanity’s collective progress.

Looking Ahead

The policy is not static. As new tools for archiving emerge, from blockchain verification to AI-driven curation, we will adapt. Preservation is an evolving journey, guided by a simple truth: science deserves permanence, and society deserves access to it. By continually refining our approach, we keep faith with the authors who entrust us with their work and the readers who depend on it.

Conclusion

Preservation is, at its core, an act of respect—towards authors, towards readers, and towards the human pursuit of knowledge itself. By embedding resilience, openness, and accountability into our archiving practices, we ensure that the contributions shared today will remain alive in the imagination and endeavors of tomorrow. The archive is not a graveyard for papers; it is a living testament to human curiosity and creativity.