The Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology (JCMC) is committed to ensuring that the research published in the journal remains accessible and preserved for future generations. Our repository policy outlines the strategies and mechanisms we employ to archive, preserve, and make available all published content in a way that is secure, compliant with global standards, and aligned with the requirements of major indexing databases. This policy ensures that our authors, readers, editors, and reviewers can confidently rely on the integrity and availability of the research we publish.

Repository and Archiving Practices

At the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology (JCMC), we have implemented a comprehensive archiving and preservation strategy that includes depositing all published articles in SHERPA/ROMEO (https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/id/publication/31672), a renowned repository that ensures long-term preservation of academic content. By archiving our content with SHERPA/ROMEO, we guarantee that the research is stored in a trusted repository that adheres to the best practices for digital preservation.

SHERPA/ROMEO offers several advantages for ensuring the continued accessibility of our published content:

• Long-term preservation: SHERPA/ROMEO ensures that articles are preserved in perpetuity, protecting them from the risks associated with technological changes, server failures, or journal platform transitions.
• Wide accessibility: Articles archived in SHERPA/ROMEO are accessible to institutions, researchers, and the public, enhancing the reach and impact of the research.
• Compliance with open-access mandates: Many funding bodies and institutions require that research outputs be archived in repositories like SHERPA/ROMEO to comply with their open-access policies.

By archiving with SHERPA/ROMEO, we ensure that the research published in JCMC remains accessible to the global scientific community regardless of future technological developments. Furthermore, we are actively exploring additional archiving services to expand the availability and reach of our content in line with the best practices recommended by major indexing bodies such as DOAJ, SCOPUS, and Web of Science.

Self-Archiving by Authors

At JCMC, we strongly encourage authors to self-archive their manuscripts in institutional or subject-based repositories in compliance with our open-access policy and licensing terms. Self-archiving helps authors increase the visibility of their research, reach a broader audience, and comply with the open-access mandates of their institutions and funders. Authors are permitted to self-archive different versions of their manuscripts at different stages of the publication process, as outlined below:

• Pre-print version: Authors may deposit the pre-print version of their manuscript (the version submitted to the journal before peer review) in institutional repositories, pre-print servers, or other publicly accessible repositories. Authors should clearly label the version as a pre-print and indicate that the manuscript is under consideration at the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology.
• Post-print version: Once the manuscript has undergone peer review and the revisions have been accepted, authors are allowed to deposit the post-print version (the final peer-reviewed manuscript before typesetting and formatting by the journal) in institutional or subject-based repositories. Authors should acknowledge the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology as the original place of publication.
• Published version: Authors may also archive the final published version of their manuscript (the formatted PDF provided by the journal) in institutional repositories. When depositing the published version, authors must include a link to the article on the journal’s official website to ensure that readers can access the definitive version of the article.

By allowing authors to self-archive their work, JCMC supports the dissemination and impact of the research while ensuring that the journal remains compliant with open-access mandates from indexing databases and funding bodies. Authors are advised to familiarize themselves with the self-archiving policies of their institutions and funding agencies to ensure compliance with all relevant requirements.

Licensing and Access

JCMC operates under a Gold Open Access model, ensuring that all published articles are freely accessible to the public immediately upon publication. Our commitment to open access aligns with our mission to disseminate high-quality cardiovascular research to the widest possible audience. To support this, all articles published in JCMC are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).

The CC BY license allows users to:

• Share: Copy, distribute, and transmit the article in any format.
• Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon the article for any purpose, even commercially.

The only requirement for users is that they give appropriate credit to the original authors and source. This open licensing model encourages the broad dissemination and reuse of published research, fostering collaboration and innovation within the cardiovascular research community. It also ensures compliance with the licensing requirements of major indexing databases such as DOAJ, SCOPUS, and PubMed Central, which mandate open-access licensing for indexed content.

Compliance with Privacy Standards

The Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology takes the privacy and security of its users’ data seriously. We comply with all major privacy regulations, including:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Ensures the protection and privacy of personal data for all individuals within the European Union.
• CAN-SPAM Act: Governs the privacy and security of users' data and email communications within the United States.
• Other international regulations: We comply with relevant data protection laws from other regions to ensure the privacy of our global readership.

In addition to these privacy laws, we maintain strict data management policies to ensure that personal information collected from authors, reviewers, and readers is securely stored and protected. We do not share personal information with third parties without consent, and all data handling practices are conducted transparently and ethically.

Data Availability and Accessibility

JCMC ensures that all data associated with published articles are available for readers, researchers, and institutions globally. The data is stored securely in SHERPA/ROMEO and will continue to be accessible for future reference. In addition to archiving articles, we are committed to maintaining the integrity of the research data associated with published articles. This includes ensuring that any supplementary data, materials, and additional research outputs associated with an article are preserved and accessible to the scientific community.

Instructions for Authors, Editors, and Reviewers

To ensure compliance with the repository policy and maximize the visibility and impact of published research, we encourage all members of our community to follow these guidelines:

• Authors: Ensure that any self-archived versions of your manuscript comply with the licensing terms of the journal. Pre-print, post-print, and published versions should be clearly labeled, and proper attribution should be given to the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology.
• Editors and Reviewers: During the review process, support authors in adhering to the journal’s repository policies. Ensure that the correct versions of manuscripts are archived in accordance with the self-archiving guidelines.
• Readers: All archived articles are freely accessible via SHERPA/ROMEO. Readers are encouraged to share, reuse, and distribute articles under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), ensuring proper citation of the original authors and source.

Future Plans for Repository Expansion

JCMC is actively pursuing partnerships with additional archiving services to enhance the accessibility and long-term preservation of its content. We recognize the importance of being indexed in major databases such as DOAJ, SCOPUS, and Web of Science, and we are committed to expanding our repository practices in line with the requirements of these indexing bodies. This commitment ensures that the research published in JCMC remains available to the global scientific community and adheres to the highest standards of academic publishing.

For further information or queries regarding our repository policy, please contact the editorial team.