Data & Digital Preservation Policy
1. Data Availability Statement
All original research articles submitted to JORMAR must include a Data Availability Statement (DAS) as a distinct section in the manuscript, placed after the Conclusions and before the References. The DAS must clearly state where the data supporting the findings of the study can be accessed.
Acceptable DAS formulations include:
- "The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request."
- "All data are contained within the article and its supplementary materials."
- "The dataset used in this study is available at [repository name and URL/DOI]."
- "The data are not publicly available due to [specific reason — e.g., participant confidentiality], but may be accessed with appropriate permission from [institution]."
2. Data Sharing Expectations
JORMAR strongly encourages authors to deposit supporting data in a recognised public data repository prior to submission, and to provide the dataset DOI in the DAS. Recommended repositories include:
- Zenodo — general research data (free, open access)
- Figshare — figures, datasets, code, presentations
- Dryad — scientific and medical data
- Mendeley Data — research datasets
- Institutional repositories maintained by the authors' home institutions
Upon request from an editor or reviewer, authors must be prepared to provide raw data, samples, or records to verify the validity of results presented. Sensitive or confidential data — including proprietary industrial data — may be exempted, but the basis for non-disclosure must be clearly stated.
3. Informed Consent
Where data was collected from human participants, authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained and documented prior to data collection, in accordance with applicable ethical standards. Anonymisation of participant data is required before public deposit.
4. Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)
All articles accepted and published in JORMAR receive a permanent Digital Object Identifier (DOI) registered through CrossRef. DOIs ensure that published articles remain findable and citable even if URLs change. Authors are encouraged to use DOIs when citing datasets, software, and preprints in their reference lists.
5. Long-Term Digital Archiving
JORMAR is committed to the long-term preservation of all published content. Published articles are preserved through:
- CrossRef DOI registration and metadata deposit
- PKP Private LOCKSS Network (distributed archiving through the LOCKSS protocol)
- Institutional server backups maintained by RMRDC
Authors and readers are assured that published articles will remain accessible even in the event of journal discontinuation.
6. Metadata Standards
JORMAR deposits article-level metadata — including title, author names, affiliations, abstracts, keywords, and DOIs — to CrossRef and to relevant indexing databases. Metadata follows international standards to support discoverability in Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, AJOL, DOAJ, and other academic databases.
7. Version Control
JORMAR publishes the Version of Record (VoR) — the final, peer-reviewed, copyedited, and formatted version — as the definitive version of each article. Where a correction or retraction is issued, the VoR is updated and clearly marked. Previous versions may be retained for reference but are clearly identified as superseded.
Policy effective: 2026 | Reviewed annually | Questions: [email protected]