Publication Frequency and Open Access Policy

 

Online-First and Continuous Publication Model

AJHMS operates under an Online-First publication model, allowing accepted manuscripts to be published immediately after successful peer review and final editorial approval—without waiting for an issue to be finalized.

Benefits of this model include:

·         Accelerated dissemination of new research and timely access for clinicians, policymakers, and scholars.

·         Enhanced citation potential through early online availability.

·         Greater flexibility for authors with time-sensitive publications, including studies tied to grants, conferences, or academic evaluations.

·         Immediate digital archiving, indexing, and DOI assignment to maximize global discoverability.

Once compiled into an issue, Online-First articles are assigned final pagination, volume, and bibliographic metadata to ensure accurate citation and referencing.

Open Access Policy

AJHMS is a fully open-access journal, ensuring that all published content is freely and universally available online without subscription or paywall restrictions.

Core principles of the open-access policy:

·         Articles are immediately accessible upon publication with no embargo period.

·         Readers can download, share, and reuse content for academic, clinical, and educational purposes.

·         There are no institutional, regional, or financial restrictions on access.

·         Each article receives a unique DOI to ensure persistent citation and global traceability.

This approach reflects AJHMS’s commitment to the principle that knowledge in health and medicine is a public good—a resource that should benefit society as a whole. The journal’s open-access policy aligns with the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI) and the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, ensuring that AJHMS contributes to a more equitable global research ecosystem.

Licensing Terms

All AJHMS articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). This licensing framework ensures both academic freedom and author protection while encouraging the responsible use of published work.

Under this license, readers are permitted to:

·         Share – copy and redistribute articles in any medium or format.

·         Adapt – remix, transform, and build upon the material, including for commercial purposes.

·         Attribute – properly credit the original author(s), provide a citation to the license, and indicate if any changes were made.

This model allows authors to retain copyright while granting the global community the freedom to engage, translate, and extend their research, thereby increasing visibility and impact across disciplines and borders.

No Reader Fees or Subscription Costs

AJHMS is completely free for readers and institutions. The journal imposes no fees or restrictions for access.

·         No subscriptions, logins, or registrations required.

·         No pay-per-article or per-issue charges.

·         No hidden fees or institutional access costs.

This model ensures equitable global access, particularly benefiting researchers, students, and medical practitioners in developing regions and resource-limited institutions.

Author Benefits from Open Access

Authors who publish in AJHMS enjoy several important advantages associated with open-access dissemination:

·         Maximum global visibility and readership, enhancing citation and academic impact.

·         Compliance with major open-access funder mandates, including Horizon Europe, NIH, UKRI, and the Gates Foundation.

·         Expanded reach through inclusion in global academic databases, medical repositories, and research networks.

·         Permanent DOI assignment for reliable citation and tracking.

·         Wider societal relevance, as articles inform not only academia but also healthcare practice, policymaking, and patient advocacy.

Through these advantages, AJHMS ensures that authors’ contributions are not only preserved but also amplified across global medical and scientific communities.

Archiving and Digital Preservation

AJHMS is committed to the long-term preservation and accessibility of all its publications. The journal partners with leading digital archiving organizations to safeguard the scholarly record:

·         LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) – ensures redundancy by distributing copies across multiple institutions.

·         CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS) – guarantees secure, community-governed preservation against data loss or obsolescence.

·         PKP Preservation Network (PN) – provides long-term digital archiving for journals using the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform.

·         Internet Archive – maintains public-facing archival access for permanent retrieval.

These preservation partnerships ensure that all AJHMS content remains accessible, authentic, and citable indefinitely, even in the event of platform migration or technological change.

Compliance with International Mandates

AJHMS’s open-access policy complies with major global and national research-funding requirements, including:

·         Plan S and Horizon Europe (European Union)

·         National Institutes of Health (NIH) (United States)

·         UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) (United Kingdom)

·         Australian Research Council (ARC) (Australia)

·         Canadian Tri-Agency Open Access Policy (Canada)

Authors are permitted to deposit the final published version of their articles in institutional or subject repositories immediately upon publication, with no embargo period, ensuring full compliance with funder mandates and open-access policies.

Article Versioning and Corrections

To maintain transparency and protect the integrity of the academic record, AJHMS implements rigorous version control policies. All updates to published work are clearly identified and documented.

·         Corrigenda – issued for minor corrections that do not alter the scientific validity of the paper.

·         Errata – published for significant factual or production-related corrections.

·         Retractions – issued in cases of proven ethical violations or major methodological errors, accompanied by a clear explanatory statement.

Each version is assigned an updated DOI and metadata record, ensuring accurate citation and continuity for readers and indexers.

Partnerships and Accessibility Tools

AJHMS collaborates with global academic networks, libraries, and open-access organizations to enhance discoverability and reader engagement. Ongoing initiatives include:

·         Integration with OpenAIRE and OAI-PMH metadata harvesting for comprehensive indexing.

·         Implementation of Altmetric tracking to assess research influence through online engagement, media mentions, and social impact.

·         Development of multilingual metadata and accessibility tools to ensure inclusivity for international scholars and readers.

Through these partnerships, AJHMS reinforces its mission of advancing open, equitable, and globally connected medical research that transcends traditional academic boundaries.