Index Academic Repository aims to maintain a stable, clear, and verifiable scholarly record of deposited materials.

Documents, metadata, and relationships between versions are managed so that the academic history of a work can be traced over time and so that corrections, updates, or withdrawals do not result in the unjustified loss of essential bibliographic information.

1. Principle of Scholarly Record Stability

After a material is published in the Repository, its record should remain as stable as possible.

This stability is important for:

  • citation;
  • identification;
  • maintaining DOIs and other identifiers;
  • linking to subsequent publications and versions;
  • verifying the history of the document;
  • preserving the integrity of the scholarly record.

Accordingly, materials are not arbitrarily deleted or replaced merely because a newer version becomes available or because the author requests minor changes.

2. Preservation of Materials

Index Academic Repository aims to preserve over the long term:

  • deposited files;
  • metadata;
  • identifiers;
  • version information;
  • licenses and access rights;
  • relationships with other versions or publications;
  • the history of relevant changes.

Depending on the available technical infrastructure, the Repository may use:

  • backups;
  • file redundancy;
  • migration to newer formats;
  • file integrity checks;
  • URL updates;
  • maintenance of DOIs and other persistent identifiers.

Long-term preservation is pursued within the limits of the available technical, legal, and institutional resources.

3. Recommended Formats for Preservation

For text documents, the preferred format is PDF, preferably in a form suitable for archiving and indexing.

For other types of materials, standard and widely used formats may be employed depending on the nature of the content.

The Repository may preserve:

  • the original file;
  • an access-optimized copy;
  • a technically migrated preservation copy.

A technical conversion carried out for preservation purposes must not alter the intellectual content of the document.

4. Identification of the Version

For each material, the deposited version should be indicated where possible.

It may be:

  • Preprint;
  • Accepted Author Manuscript (AAM);
  • Version of Record (VoR);
  • revised version;
  • corrected version;
  • another clearly identified version.

Version information forms part of the document metadata.

5. Multiple Versions of the Same Work

The Repository may preserve multiple versions of the same work where this is justified.

For example, there may be:

  • a preprint;
  • an accepted manuscript;
  • a published version;
  • a corrected or revised version.

These versions should be linked through clear metadata.

If a later version becomes the recommended version for citation, this may be explicitly indicated in the record.

6. Relationship Between a Preprint and the Final Publication

If a deposited preprint is later published in a journal or by a publisher, the preprint record may be updated with:

  • the title of the final publication;
  • the bibliographic citation;
  • the DOI of the Version of Record;
  • a link to the original publication;
  • information that a published version exists.

The preprint should not be deleted merely because the final version has appeared.

The two versions may remain distinct, with their relationship clearly indicated.

7. Updates and New Versions

A new version may be added when:

  • the author makes substantial changes;
  • an accepted version becomes available;
  • the Version of Record becomes available;
  • significant errors are corrected;
  • the document is substantially expanded;
  • a newer official version appears.

The new version should be identified so that it is not confused with the previous one.

The Repository aims to avoid silent replacement of files where changes are substantial.

8. Minor Corrections

Minor errors may be corrected without creating a new record.

These may include, for example:

  • spelling errors;
  • formatting errors;
  • corrections to affiliation;
  • addition of ORCID;
  • correction of a URL;
  • addition or correction of metadata;
  • minor typographical errors.

If the academic object remains the same, the DOI should not be changed solely because of such corrections.

9. Substantial Corrections

If changes substantially affect the content or conclusions of the document, the Repository may:

  • publish a new version;
  • retain the previous version;
  • explicitly link the two versions;
  • indicate which version is the most recent;
  • publish a correction notice.

The purpose is to preserve transparency and avoid retroactive alteration of the scholarly record.

10. Errors in the Original Publication

If the deposited material is a copy of a work published elsewhere and the error originates in the original publication, formal correction of that publication remains the responsibility of the original publisher.

Index Academic Repository may:

  • update metadata;
  • add a link to a correction;
  • indicate the existence of an erratum, corrigendum, or retraction notice;
  • update the relationship with the published version.

The Repository should not make unauthorized alterations to another publisher’s Version of Record.

11. Withdrawal of Materials

Withdrawal of a material from the Repository is an exceptional measure.

It may be justified in situations such as:

  • copyright infringement;
  • deposit without authorization;
  • personal or confidential data published without a lawful basis;
  • a legal obligation;
  • serious plagiarism;
  • fabrication or falsification of data;
  • academic fraud;
  • major errors rendering the document unreliable or misleading;
  • serious risks to individuals;
  • a justified request from the rights holder;
  • other significant legal or ethical reasons.

12. Temporary Restriction of Access

Where the situation has not yet been clarified, the Repository may temporarily restrict access to the file.

This measure may be used, for example, in cases involving:

  • a copyright complaint;
  • an authorship dispute;
  • a complaint concerning personal data;
  • suspected academic misconduct;
  • a legal request.

During the review, metadata may remain public where circumstances permit.

13. Withdrawal of the File and Retention of the Record

Wherever possible, withdrawal of a document should not mean complete deletion of its bibliographic trace.

The Repository may retain:

  • title;
  • authors;
  • year;
  • DOI;
  • other essential metadata;
  • a statement indicating that the document has been withdrawn.

The file itself may become inaccessible.

This practice helps preserve the integrity of citations and the scholarly record.

14. Withdrawal Notice

When a material is withdrawn, its page may display a notice such as:

Withdrawn

Where lawful and appropriate, the notice may include:

  • date of withdrawal;
  • general reason;
  • information on whether the withdrawal was requested by the author, rights holder, or administrator;
  • links to corrections or related publications.

Confidential details or unverified allegations should not be published.

15. Withdrawal at the Author’s Request

An author may request withdrawal of a material, but such a request does not automatically imply complete deletion.

The request is assessed taking into account:

  • the reason for withdrawal;
  • existence of a DOI;
  • existing citations;
  • rights status;
  • preservation obligations;
  • integrity of the scholarly record;
  • possible third-party rights.

Purely personal reasons or the author’s preference for another platform do not automatically justify complete removal of the record.

16. Materials with a DOI

If a withdrawn material has a DOI:

  • the DOI is not deleted;
  • the DOI is not reused;
  • the identifier must remain associated with that material;
  • where possible, the DOI should resolve to the withdrawal page.

This rule protects existing citations and the persistence of the identifier.

17. Materials Without a DOI

For materials without a DOI, the Repository may still retain the bibliographic record and stable URL where justified.

The aim is to prevent the complete disappearance of a resource that may already have been cited or used.

18. Withdrawal versus Deletion

The Repository distinguishes between:

Withdrawal – the document is no longer accessible, but the record and history may be retained.

Complete deletion – the file and, in some cases, the record itself are removed.

Complete deletion should be reserved for situations where retaining even the metadata would be unlawful, dangerous, or incompatible with applicable obligations.

19. Corrections After Withdrawal

If the issue that led to withdrawal can be remedied, the Repository may accept:

  • a corrected version;
  • a new version;
  • republication;
  • a new record, if the academic object is substantially different.

The relationship with the withdrawn version should be indicated where relevant.

20. Duplicate Materials

If the same version has been deposited multiple times by mistake, duplicate records may be consolidated or removed.

The Repository should preserve, as far as possible:

  • the main record;
  • the correct DOI;
  • existing citations;
  • the relevant URL or redirect.

A technical duplicate is not equivalent to a new academic version.

21. Continuity of Access

Index Academic Repository aims to reduce the risk of access loss by:

  • keeping backups;
  • updating infrastructure;
  • carrying out controlled file migration;
  • preserving metadata;
  • updating addresses associated with DOIs;
  • monitoring file integrity.

Absolute uninterrupted availability cannot be guaranteed, but the objective is long-term preservation of the scholarly record.

22. Technical Migration

If the platform, domain, server, or technical format changes, Index Academic aims to preserve:

  • DOIs;
  • identifiers;
  • metadata;
  • relationships between versions;
  • the history of withdrawals and corrections;
  • access to files where possible.

Technical migration should not unnecessarily create new bibliographic identities for the same objects.

23. Change History

For significant changes, the Repository may retain information regarding:

  • date of change;
  • type of change;
  • previous version;
  • current version;
  • reason for the update;
  • relationship between versions.

It is not necessary to publicly display every minor technical change.

24. Responsibility of the Author and Depositor

Authors and depositors should inform Index Academic when they become aware that:

  • a document requires significant corrections;
  • a copyright issue exists;
  • a published version has appeared;
  • a new DOI has been assigned to the final publication;
  • the original publication has been corrected or retracted;
  • the material contains a serious error;
  • access should be restricted for legal reasons.

25. Responsibility of Index Academic Repository

The Repository aims to manage preservation, versions, corrections, and withdrawals in a manner that is:

  • transparent;
  • consistent;
  • documented;
  • proportionate to the nature of the issue;
  • compatible with the integrity of the scholarly record.

The main objective is to preserve the clearest possible bibliographic history without continuing to provide access to materials that cannot legally be distributed or that present serious integrity concerns.

26. General Principle

In Index Academic Repository, correcting a work should not mean erasing its history, and a new version should not make the previous version impossible to identify.

Withdrawal is used only where there are sufficient reasons, and stability, transparency, and integrity of the scholarly record take priority in the long-term management of materials.