Good Governance (GG) maintains an electronic filing and digital archiving policy to support the secure, organized, and sustainable management of manuscripts, peer review records, editorial correspondence, publication files, and related documents. The journal uses the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform for online submission and editorial workflow management, supported by an internal cloud server for digital file storage and backup, subject to the technical arrangements established by the journal and its publisher. This policy is informed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Core Practices and its guidance on journal management.

OJS serves as the journal's primary platform for managing electronic submissions and editorial workflows. Manuscript submissions, revisions, editorial decisions, peer review reports, and relevant correspondence should be recorded and managed through the appropriate OJS functions whenever supported by the platform and the journal's configuration.

The journal's OJS interface and file-management features, referred to internally as “Look and Clooks OJS,” may be used to help authorized editorial personnel identify, access, and manage files associated with a submission. Access and file-handling procedures must follow the journal's editorial workflow, confidentiality requirements, and assigned user permissions.

Authors must submit manuscripts and supporting documents through the official Good Governance submission system, unless an alternative procedure has been authorized by the editorial office.

In addition to the records maintained in OJS, the journal may use its internal cloud server as a supplementary repository for authorized digital archives and backup copies. Depending on the journal's operational needs, archived materials may include submitted manuscripts, accepted versions, final publication files, supplementary materials, editorial documents, peer review records, publication metadata, and relevant administrative records.

The internal cloud server is intended to support file availability, continuity of editorial operations, and recovery in the event of accidental deletion, file corruption, system failure, or other disruptions. Its use must be consistent with the publisher's information technology policies, applicable data protection requirements, and the journal's confidentiality obligations.

Files stored on the internal cloud server must be organized using a consistent folder structure and identifiable file names. Where appropriate, folders or records should be associated with the manuscript title, OJS submission identifier, publication year, issue, or other relevant identifiers to support retrieval and traceability.

OJS and the internal cloud server serve complementary purposes. OJS supports submission processing, editorial workflow management, and the association of files with individual submissions, while the internal cloud server provides supplementary storage and backup where configured and authorized by the journal.

Storing a file on the internal cloud server does not automatically mean that the file has been synchronized with OJS. Authorized journal personnel must follow the established procedures for uploading, updating, verifying, and retrieving files. Where synchronization or automated backup is available, the journal should periodically verify that the process operates as intended.

The final published article and its bibliographic metadata should remain accessible through the journal's official website in accordance with its publication policies. Digital archival copies should support, rather than replace, the official published record.

Electronic files should be named and organized consistently so that editorial personnel can distinguish original submissions, revised manuscripts, accepted manuscripts, publication proofs, and final published versions. Where appropriate, file names may include the manuscript identifier, document type, version number, and date.

Revised manuscripts should be submitted through the appropriate OJS revision workflow. If copies are also stored on the internal cloud server, the archive should clearly identify the relevant version and avoid unintentionally replacing the approved or published file with an earlier or unapproved version.

Version control and reliable editorial records support responsible journal management and the integrity of the scholarly record, consistent with the principles described in COPE's Core Practices.

Access to OJS and the internal cloud server must be limited to authorized individuals according to their editorial, reviewing, production, or administrative responsibilities. Access permissions should be assigned according to the principle of least privilege, so that users can access only the information required for their duties.

Unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial discussions, author declarations, and confidential correspondence must not be disclosed to unauthorized persons. Editors, reviewers, journal staff, and other authorized users must protect their login credentials and must not share accounts or grant access without authorization.

These confidentiality provisions are informed by COPE's peer review guidance and Core Practices.

The journal and its publisher should establish appropriate backup procedures for important editorial and publication records held in OJS and on the internal cloud server. Backup arrangements should account for the files and metadata necessary to continue editorial operations and preserve the published scholarly record.

Where technically feasible, backup copies should be protected against unauthorized modification or deletion and stored separately from the primary records to reduce the risk of simultaneous data loss. The journal or its designated technical administrator should periodically verify backup availability and assess whether files can be restored when needed.

Backup frequency, storage capacity, retention periods, recovery procedures, and responsibility for technical maintenance must be determined by the journal and its publisher according to the actual infrastructure and institutional requirements. These operational details should not be presented as specific technical requirements prescribed by COPE.

Authorized personnel should take reasonable measures to ensure that archived files remain complete, readable, identifiable, and associated with the correct manuscript or publication record. When files are replaced, transferred, or migrated, appropriate checks should be performed to reduce the risk of accidental loss, corruption, duplication, or misidentification.

Access logs, file histories, or other audit records should be retained where supported by the system and appropriate to the journal's operational needs. Any suspected unauthorized access, unexplained alteration, or loss of editorial records should be reported to the responsible editor, publisher, or technical administrator for assessment and appropriate action.

The journal should retain electronic records for periods appropriate to its editorial needs, publication practices, applicable laws, and institutional recordkeeping requirements. Records associated with published articles, corrections, retractions, complaints, authorship disputes, or investigations may require continued preservation to support the integrity and traceability of the scholarly record.

Records should not be deleted or altered in a manner that compromises an unresolved complaint, investigation, or legitimate publication recordkeeping requirement. Any deletion, transfer, or disposal of electronic archives must follow authorized procedures and applicable confidentiality and data protection obligations.

COPE's post-publication guidance informs the journal's responsibility to address publication concerns and preserve the integrity of the scholarly record. Specific retention schedules should be established by the journal and its publisher.

Editors and editorial staff are responsible for using OJS and the internal cloud server in accordance with authorized procedures, maintaining appropriate confidentiality, and ensuring that relevant editorial records are properly associated with submissions and publication records.

Technical administrators or designated personnel are responsible for maintaining the systems assigned to them, managing access permissions, monitoring the operation of configured backup processes, and reporting technical incidents in accordance with institutional procedures.

Authors and reviewers must use the journal's electronic systems appropriately and protect confidential files and information obtained during submission or peer review. Reviewers must not distribute unpublished manuscripts or review materials to unauthorized parties.

The journal and its publisher should periodically review the effectiveness of OJS file management, internal cloud storage, access controls, and backup arrangements. Procedures should be updated when the platform, infrastructure, institutional policies, or applicable legal requirements change.

This policy describes the intended management of electronic records and supplementary digital archives. Before publication, the editorial team and publisher should confirm that references to the internal cloud server, “Look and Clooks OJS,” automated synchronization, access logs, and backup procedures accurately reflect the systems and features actually in use.