Archiving Policy

International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education (IEJEE) is committed to the long-term preservation, accessibility, integrity, and availability of its scholarly content. As an open access journal, IEJEE recognizes the importance of ensuring that published articles remain permanently accessible to researchers, educators, institutions, and the wider public.

This Archiving and Digital Preservation Policy describes the measures adopted by the Journal to safeguard its published content and maintain the scholarly record.

1. Long-Term Digital Preservation

IEJEE seeks to ensure that all published scholarly content remains available over the long term, including in circumstances where the Journal's website experiences technical problems, platform migration, organizational changes, or discontinuation.

Published content may be preserved through appropriate digital archiving services, institutional repositories, indexing databases, library systems, and other recognized preservation mechanisms.

Where applicable, the Journal may participate in established digital preservation initiatives such as LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe), CLOCKSS, PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), Portico, or comparable preservation services.

Participation in a specific preservation service should be stated on the Journal website only when an active archiving arrangement with that service is in place.

2. Open Access Preservation

As an open access journal, IEJEE is committed to maintaining free and continuous access to its published scholarly content.

Articles are made available electronically through the Journal's official website without subscription barriers. The Journal aims to preserve the accessibility of published articles independently of changes to its publishing platform or website infrastructure.

3. Institutional and Subject Repositories

Authors are encouraged to preserve and disseminate their published articles through appropriate repositories, subject to the Journal's copyright and licensing policies.

Authors may deposit the permitted version of their articles in:

  • Institutional repositories

  • University repositories

  • Subject-specific repositories

  • Research organization repositories

  • Personal academic websites

  • Other recognized non-commercial scholarly repositories

Repository deposits should include complete bibliographic information and, where available, a link or DOI directing readers to the official published version.

4. Self-Archiving Policy

IEJEE supports author self-archiving as part of its commitment to open access and the broad dissemination of scholarly research.

Subject to the Journal's applicable copyright and licensing terms, authors may archive appropriate versions of their manuscripts in institutional or subject repositories.

Where the final published Version of Record is permitted to be deposited, authors are encouraged to include the article's DOI and citation to the official publication.

No embargo period is required where immediate self-archiving is permitted under the Journal's applicable open access licence.

5. Preservation of the Version of Record

The final published version of an article constitutes the Version of Record.

IEJEE is committed to maintaining the integrity and permanence of the Version of Record. Published articles should remain available even when subsequent corrections, retractions, or other post-publication notices are issued.

Changes to the scholarly record will be handled transparently and in accordance with the Journal's Publishing Ethics Policy.

6. Persistent Identification

Where applicable, published articles are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or another recognized persistent identifier.

Persistent identifiers help maintain stable links to scholarly content even when website structures or hosting arrangements change.

The Journal seeks to maintain accurate article metadata, including:

  • Article title

  • Author names and affiliations

  • Abstract and keywords

  • Publication date

  • Volume and issue information

  • Pagination or article number

  • DOI or other persistent identifier

  • Copyright and licensing information

7. Metadata Preservation

In addition to full-text articles, IEJEE seeks to preserve the bibliographic metadata associated with published content.

Metadata may be distributed to relevant scholarly services, indexing and abstracting databases, DOI registration agencies, repositories, library discovery systems, and digital preservation services.

The distribution of metadata across multiple scholarly systems contributes to the discoverability and long-term preservation of the Journal's content.

8. Website and Data Backup

The Journal maintains appropriate backup procedures for its publishing platform and digital content.

Backups may include:

  • Published articles

  • Article metadata

  • Journal issues and volumes

  • Supplementary materials

  • Website content

  • Editorial and publishing records

  • Relevant database information

Backup procedures are intended to reduce the risk of permanent data loss resulting from technical failure, accidental deletion, cybersecurity incidents, or other unexpected events.

9. Preservation Following Journal Discontinuation

If IEJEE ceases publication, the Journal will make reasonable efforts to ensure that previously published scholarly content remains accessible through its designated digital preservation arrangements, repositories, libraries, or other appropriate archival services.

The discontinuation of new publication should not result in the removal of previously published scholarly articles from the academic record.

10. Corrections and Retractions in Archived Content

The Journal recognizes that preservation must maintain both the availability and integrity of the scholarly record.

When an article requires a correction, retraction, expression of concern, or other post-publication amendment, the Journal will seek to ensure that:

  • The original scholarly record remains appropriately identifiable.

  • The correction or retraction notice is clearly linked to the affected article.

  • Relevant metadata is updated where appropriate.

  • Archived and preserved versions accurately reflect the publication status whenever technically possible.

Retraction does not normally mean complete deletion of an article from the scholarly record. Retracted articles should remain identifiable and clearly marked as retracted except in exceptional circumstances where removal is legally or ethically required.

11. File Formats and Accessibility

IEJEE seeks to publish and preserve scholarly content using commonly recognized and accessible digital formats.

Where appropriate, preservation copies may include formats such as PDF, PDF/A, XML, HTML, or other formats supported by the Journal's publishing and preservation infrastructure.

The Journal may migrate content to newer formats or publishing systems when necessary to maintain accessibility and usability.

12. Responsibility for Digital Preservation

The Journal and publisher share responsibility for implementing reasonable measures to protect published scholarly content from permanent loss.

Authors are also encouraged to maintain copies of their manuscripts, research materials, and published articles and to use appropriate institutional or subject repositories for additional preservation.

13. Commitment to Permanent Scholarly Access

IEJEE considers digital preservation an essential component of responsible open access publishing. The Journal is committed to protecting the scholarly record and promoting the long-term availability, discoverability, accessibility, and integrity of its published research.

Through appropriate digital preservation, repository deposit, persistent identification, metadata dissemination, backup procedures, and author self-archiving, IEJEE aims to ensure that its published scholarly content remains accessible to present and future generations of researchers.