In the rapidly evolving world of scholarly communication, open access publishing has transformed how research is shared, discovered, and used across the globe. Yet while accessibility often takes centre stage, one equally critical issue can sometimes be overlooked: preservation. Ensuring that open access research remains permanently accessible for future generations is essential to maintaining the integrity and continuity of the scholarly record.
At the forefront of these efforts are CLOCKSS and The University of Edinburgh through its preservation services and publishing initiative, Edinburgh Diamond.
A Diverse and Growing Diamond Open Access Publishing Platform
Edinburgh Diamond describes itself as the University of Edinburgh’s library publishing partner for books and journals owned and led by the university’s academics, staff, and students. All journals published through the platform operate under a fully Diamond Open Access model, meaning that neither readers nor authors pay fees to access or publish research.
Unlike many publishing programmes that focus on specific academic disciplines, Edinburgh Diamond’s journal collection is intentionally broad and varied. With 28 active journals currently hosted on the platform, the initiative reflects the diversity of research and scholarly interests across the university community.
This inclusive and community-driven approach aligns closely with broader goals within open scholarship: removing barriers to participation while ensuring research outputs remain accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Why Preservation Matters in Open Access Publishing
As open access publishing continues to grow, so does the need for robust digital preservation strategies. While research may be freely available online today, long-term access cannot be taken for granted.
Website migrations, platform updates, technological obsolescence, and even simple link rot can place valuable scholarly content at risk. Without proper preservation systems in place, open access research may disappear over time despite being publicly accessible at the point of publication.
Edinburgh Diamond recognises that digital preservation goes far beyond routine web hosting.
“Open access publishing opens up a world of possibilities for research. However, digital preservation can sometimes get accidentally neglected as stakeholders may assume their web hosting solution has sufficient preservation capabilities. As we know, digital preservation is so much deeper and more important than that.”
This understanding led the University of Edinburgh library and Edinburgh Diamond to participate in a recent preservation initiative launched by CLOCKSS.
An Easy Route to Long-Term Preservation
CLOCKSS recently introduced a pilot programme that offered participating libraries the opportunity to preserve their institution’s Diamond Open Access journals free of charge. The initiative was specifically designed to support library- and scholar-led publishing, helping ensure that important research remains permanently available regardless of future technological or financial challenges.
For Edinburgh Diamond, participation in the pilot was a natural step.
The University of Edinburgh has long been a strong supporter of CLOCKSS, with the university’s Director of Library and University Collections serving as Co-Chair of the CLOCKSS Board of Directors. The University also securely hosts one of 12 CLOCKSS archival nodes. Once Edinburgh Diamond formally launched, establishing a partnership with CLOCKSS quickly became a priority.
The pilot also reflects CLOCKSS’s broader commitment to supporting the libraries and institutions that sustain the preservation network itself. By reducing participation barriers for its community, CLOCKSS is reinforcing the idea that long-term preservation should be a shared community responsibility.
For Edinburgh Diamond, this support was especially meaningful because it recognised the critical role libraries play in stewarding and sustaining open scholarship.
According to the Edinburgh Diamond team, joining the pilot was “a no-brainer,” particularly because the values underpinning the initiative closely aligned with their own commitment to openness, sustainability, and scholarly stewardship.
A Simple and Supported Preservation Process
Preparing scholarly content for long-term preservation can sometimes feel technically complex, particularly for library-led publishing programmes with limited time and capacity. Edinburgh Diamond’s experience, however, was straightforward.
The workflow within OJS and OMP was quick and easy to manage, and the CLOCKSS team provided clear guidance throughout the onboarding process. Thanks to connectors with OJS/OMP, built by LOCKSS, Edinburgh Diamond content could be transferred smoothly and reliably into the CLOCKSS archive for long-term preservation.
The pilot demonstrated that preservation does not need to be burdensome: with the right support and infrastructure, it can become a natural extension of responsible open access publishing.
Strengthening the Scholarly Community
Initiatives such as the CLOCKSS Diamond OA pilot offer benefits that extend far beyond individual institutions.
By lowering practical barriers to preservation, programmes like this enable smaller publishers, library publishing programmes, and resource-constrained organisations to participate in long-term safeguarding efforts that might otherwise be inaccessible.
Importantly, the pilot demonstrates how preservation networks can actively support the communities that sustain scholarly communication. CLOCKSS’s offer to participating and supporting libraries sends a strong message about the importance of collective stewardship, collaboration, and shared investment in preserving the scholarly record.
For Edinburgh Diamond, the value is clear:
“Anything that strengthens the longevity of open access research is a win for us.”
The team also highlighted how easy preservation initiatives can have a meaningful impact across the wider scholarly ecosystem, ensuring that preservation becomes a shared responsibility rather than a privilege reserved for well-funded publishers.
Looking Ahead: Raising Awareness Around Digital Preservation
While technical infrastructure and collaborative initiatives are essential, awareness remains one of the biggest challenges in digital preservation.
Many researchers, editors, and publishing stakeholders still underestimate the importance of formal preservation systems or assume that online availability alone guarantees permanence.
Looking to the future, Edinburgh Diamond hopes to see greater understanding and advocacy around preservation practices within academia.
As open access publishing continues to expand, ensuring the long-term survival of scholarly content will require ongoing collaboration between publishers, libraries, preservation networks, and researchers themselves.
Building a Sustainable Future for Open Scholarship
The partnership between the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Diamond and CLOCKSS highlights an important evolution in scholarly publishing: openness and preservation must go hand in hand.
Making research freely available is only part of the mission. Ensuring that knowledge remains accessible, discoverable, and protected for future generations is equally important.
By participating in preservation initiatives and championing awareness around digital stewardship, Edinburgh Diamond is helping to build a more resilient and sustainable future for open scholarship.