Discoverability, Indexing and Preservation

Open Christian Press works to ensure that published scholarship can be identified accurately, discovered through appropriate services, cited persistently and retained responsibly. Discoverability is built through metadata quality, open technical standards and durable publication records. It is not created by displaying unverified database logos.

Persistent identifiers

Eligible journal articles and books receive Digital Object Identifiers registered through Crossref under the Open Christian Press publishing infrastructure. A DOI identifies a publication persistently and should resolve to the official landing page containing accurate title, author, publication and access information.

Books and separately published formats receive ISBNs where appropriate. Different formats or editions may require different ISBNs in accordance with ISBN rules.

Authors and editors are encouraged to use ORCID identifiers. Institutional affiliations should use recognised organisational identifiers such as ROR where available.

Metadata infrastructure

Journal records are published through OJS and book records through OMP. Metadata should include title, subtitle, contributors, affiliations, abstract, keywords, dates, identifiers, licence, references and funding information where applicable. OMP supports book and chapter metadata, categories, series, publication formats and standards that can improve library and discovery workflows. OJS and OMP also support OAI-PMH exposure for metadata harvesting.

Search engines and AI-mediated discovery

Pages should provide clear titles, descriptive headings, concise summaries and crawlable links. Search engines and AI-enabled search systems rely on accessible web content and the underlying search index. There is no substitute for accurate, original and well-organised information.

Indexing and abstracting

The Press distinguishes among:

·       Infrastructure and registration services, such as Crossref

·       Search and discovery systems, such as Google Scholar where content is successfully crawled

·       Directories, which evaluate or list journals or books under defined criteria

·       Disciplinary indexes and citation databases, which formally select publications

·       Library catalogues and repositories, which describe or preserve records

A journal, series or book should be described as indexed only when the relevant service has confirmed inclusion. Applications, technical eligibility and future intentions should be stated separately.

Open-access book discovery

Eligible peer-reviewed open-access books may be prepared for application to the Directory of Open Access Books when the Press and titles meet its requirements. Submission should follow a documented peer-review process, clear licensing and complete book metadata.

Preservation and continuity

The Press should maintain server backups and, where feasible, participate in an independent preservation or repository arrangement. Backups protect operations, while preservation supports continued access beyond a single server or organisational failure. Published files, metadata, DOI URLs and correction notices remain maintainable even when platforms, personnel or partnerships change.

Version of record

The OJS article page or OMP book page is the authoritative publication landing page. Repository copies and commercial listings should cite and link to the version of record. Revised editions, corrections and supplementary files should be labelled clearly.

Current services and status

This section of the live website should use a dated, verified table with four columns: Service, Publication Programme, Confirmed Status and Verification Link. Remove any logo or claim that cannot be verified from the service itself.