Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS)

Access, Licensing, and Safeguard Policies

Access, Licensing and Safeguard Policies

Publication Frequency

Open Access and Copyright Policy

Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy

CrossMark Policy for Content Integrity and Updates

Repository Policy and Self-Archiving Guidelines

Policy on Article Processing Charges and Waivers

Accessibility Statement

Environmental Sustainability Policy

 

Publication Frequency

Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS)

The Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS), published by Axis Academics Limited (UK), is committed to the regular and timely dissemination of high-quality research at the intersection of medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health and human behaviour. To ensure a rigorous peer-review process and maintain the highest standards of academic publication, AJMBS operates on a biannual publication schedule.

  • Release Schedule: The journal will publish two (2) issues per calendar year. The first issue is scheduled for release on 20 July of each year (covering the first half of the publication cycle). The second issue is scheduled for release on 20 January of the following year (covering the second half of the publication cycle). The inaugural issue was published on 20 July 2024.

  • Continuous Online Publication: While issues are compiled biannually, the journal leverages a continuous publication model. This means that all accepted articles are published online in their final, citable form on the journal's website (https://axisjmbs.com/) as soon as the production process (copyediting, typesetting, proofing) is complete, without waiting for the entire issue to be finalized. This significantly reduces the delay between acceptance and public availability, ensuring that research reaches the community promptly.

  • Benefits of a Biannual Schedule: This publication frequency allows for a thorough and unhurried editorial and double-blind peer-review process, ensuring each published manuscript meets our stringent criteria for scientific validity, methodological rigour, originality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the medical and biosocial fields. It also provides authors with a clear and predictable timeline for the appearance of their work, facilitating career planning and research dissemination.

  • Scope of Content: Each biannual issue will feature a curated collection of original research articles, comprehensive systematic reviews, narrative reviews, insightful case reports, methodological papers, brief communications, and commentaries that collectively advance knowledge within the broad and interdisciplinary fields of medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health. All content is published under the CC BY 4.0 license, with copyright retained by the authors.

  • Archival and Permanent Access: AJMBS ensures permanent archival and continued access for all articles published in every biannual issue via the PKP-PN (Public Knowledge Project Preservation Network), guaranteeing that the scholarly record remains secure and accessible in perpetuity.

 

Open Access and Copyright Policy

Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS)

1.0 Commitment to Open Access

The Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS), published by Axis Academics Limited (UK), is a fervent advocate for the global and barrier-free dissemination of scientific knowledge at the intersection of medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health and human behaviour. We are committed to the principles of open science, believing that immediate, unrestricted access to research findings fosters greater collaboration, innovation, and impact within the medical and biosocial sciences community and for the public good. As a true open-access journal, all content published by AJMBS is made freely available to read, download, copy, print, search, link to, and distribute without subscription fees or other access barriers.

2.0 Licensing Terms: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0

To facilitate this open exchange of knowledge, all articles published in AJMBS are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

This license allows others to:

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.

  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

Under the following condition:

  • Attribution — Users must give appropriate credit to the original author(s), provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if any changes were made. This must be done in a reasonable manner but does not suggest that the licensor endorses the user or their use.

3.0 Author Rights and Copyright

  • Author Retains Copyright: Upon acceptance for publication, authors retain the copyright of their article. Instead of transferring copyright to the journal or publisher, authors grant AJMBS (Axis Academics Limited, UK) a non-exclusive license to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.

  • Author Posting Rights: Authors are permitted and encouraged to deposit the final published PDF version of their article (the "Version of Record") in their institutional repository, on their personal website, on preprint servers, or other relevant platforms immediately upon publication, with proper citation, acknowledgment of AJMBS as the original publisher, and a link to the article on the journal's website (https://axisjmbs.com/).

4.0 Benefits of Open Access

This open-access model ensures that research published in AJMBS achieves:

  • Maximum Visibility and Readership: Freely available content is downloaded, read, and cited more frequently compared to subscription-based content.

  • Public Accessibility: Practitioners, clinicians, researchers, policymakers, educators, students, patients, and the general public can immediately access and benefit from the latest medical and biosocial research without restriction.

  • Compliance with Mandates: Meets the requirements of most major institutional and funder open-access mandates worldwide (e.g., UKRI, NIH, Wellcome Trust, Horizon Europe, cOAlition S).

  • Accelerated Impact: Open access facilitates faster translation of research into practice, policy, and further discovery.

5.0 Article Publishing Charges (APCs)

To cover the costs associated with the rigorous double-blind peer-review process, professional copyediting, typesetting, XML formatting, hosting on the OJS platform, and long-term digital preservation via PKP-PN, AJMBS levies an Article Processing Charge (APC) on accepted manuscripts. The APC amount is detailed on the journal's Author Instructions page. Waivers or discounts may be available for authors from low-income economies or those who demonstrate genuine financial hardship, ensuring that the ability to pay does not become a barrier to publication. Authors are encouraged to contact the editorial office at Admin@Axisacademics.uk to inquire about waiver opportunities prior to submission.

This policy ensures that AJMBS operates sustainably while upholding its core mission of making high-quality research in medical and biosocial sciences a freely accessible public resource under the CC BY 4.0 license.

 

Digital Archiving and Defense Policy

Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS)

The Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS), published by Axis Academics Limited (UK), is committed to the perpetual preservation of the scholarly record in the fields of medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health and human behaviour. To ensure this, the journal's content is archived using the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN) , a decentralized digital preservation strategy. This system ensures that all published articles are securely stored and will remain accessible for future researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the public, even in the event of the journal ceasing publication. The PKP-PN backup ensures long-term access beyond the journal's live website, safeguarding the intellectual legacy of all authors published in AJMBS.

CrossMark Policy for Content Integrity and Updates

Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS)

1.0 Preamble: Commitment to Scholarly Record Integrity

The Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS), published by Axis Academics Limited (UK), is dedicated to maintaining the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of its published scholarly record at the intersection of medical, biological, and social sciences. We recognize that the scientific process is iterative and that published content may occasionally require correction, clarification, or updating in light of new evidence or identified errors. This policy outlines our formal framework for managing post-publication changes to articles, ensuring transparency and providing readers with clear information about the current status of any publication.

2.0 Permanent Identifiers and Content Permanence

  • Persistent Identifiers: Every article published in AJMBS is assigned a unique and persistent identifier that provides a permanent link to the definitive version of the record on our website (https://axisjmbs.com/).

  • Version of Record: The final published version of an article, after completion of peer review, copyediting, and proofing, is designated as the "Version of Record" (VoR). This version is permanently archived via PKP-PN and is the official citable version.

3.0 Participation in the CrossMark Service

AJMBS participates in the CrossMark service, a multi-publisher initiative from Crossref designed to standardize the communication of updates to scholarly content and help readers verify that they are accessing the most current version of a document.

  • The CrossMark Logo: The CrossMark logo is displayed prominently on the HTML and PDF versions of all AJMBS articles. Clicking on the CrossMark logo will provide readers with the current status of the document (e.g., "up-to-date," "corrected," "retracted," "expression of concern") and direct them to any applicable update information, correction notices, or retraction statements.

4.0 Policy on Updates and Corrections

This policy categorizes the types of post-publication changes and the corresponding actions AJMBS will take, in alignment with COPE guidelines:

  • Corrigendum (Erratum): Issued to correct significant, unintentional errors in the Version of Record that affect the scientific interpretation, the metadata (e.g., author list, affiliations), or the reproducibility of the work. A formal notice of correction is published in the next available issue of AJMBS and is bi-directionally linked to the original article. Minor typographical errors that do not affect meaning or interpretation are corrected without formal notice.

  • Addendum: Published to add information to the Version of Record, such as an additional analysis, supplementary data, or contextual information that does not contradict the original findings. The original article remains unchanged, and the addendum is published as a separate, citable document linked to the original.

  • Expression of Concern: A temporary notice attached to an article to alert readers that serious concerns have been raised about the integrity of the work. This is typically issued while an investigation by the journal or the authors' institution is ongoing. The article remains available but is marked with the expression of concern.

  • Retraction: Permanently marks an article as invalid and removes it from the scientific discourse due to pervasive error, unethical research practices (e.g., data fabrication, plagiarism), fraudulent data, or failure to disclose a major conflict of interest. The original article remains available for historical and legal purposes but is watermarked prominently as "RETRACTED." A detailed retraction notice explaining the reason, in accordance with COPE guidelines, is published and linked to the retracted article.

  • Article Versioning: AJMBS generally does not publish new versions of an article. Instead, significant updates or evolutions of research findings are published as new, citable articles (e.g., a follow-up study, replication study, or meta-analysis) that cite the original work. Corrections are handled exclusively via the corrigendum mechanism described above.

5.0 Reader Guidance

Readers are strongly encouraged to always click on the CrossMark logo appearing on any AJMBS article to check for any updates, corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions that may affect their use of the content. This ensures that researchers, clinicians, and policymakers are always accessing the most current, accurate, and reliable information associated with any publication in medical and biosocial sciences.

6.0 Journal Commitment

AJMBS commits to:

  • Promptly investigating any concerns raised about published content, including allegations of research misconduct, data errors, or authorship disputes.

  • Taking appropriate action in accordance with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines and flowcharts.

  • Ensuring all updates, corrections, and retractions are clearly communicated to readers and permanently linked to the original article.

  • Maintaining the integrity of the scientific record with transparency, diligence, and fairness to all parties involved.

  • Permanently archiving all correction notices, retraction notices, and expressions of concern alongside the original record via PKP-PN.

This policy, facilitated by the CrossMark service, underscores our pledge to uphold the highest standards of scholarly publishing and to provide a trustworthy, reliable, and permanently preserved archive of research in medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health and human behaviour.

 

 

Policy on Article Processing Charges and Waivers

Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS)

1.0 Preamble: Sustainable Open Access

The Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS), published by Axis Academics Limited (UK), is committed to diamond open access, ensuring that all published research at the intersection of medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health and human behaviour is immediately and permanently free for everyone to read, download, share, and distribute. To cover the essential costs associated with the rigorous double-blind peer-review management, professional copyediting, typesetting, XML formatting, online publication, hosting on the OJS platform, and long-term digital preservation via PKP-PN, AJMBS levies an Article Processing Charge (APC). This model allows us to maintain high-quality publishing standards without relying on subscription fees or paywalls, thus removing access barriers for readers globally, including clinicians, policymakers, researchers, students, and the public.

2.0 Article Processing Charges (APCs)

  • Fee Structure: A predetermined APC is applicable upon acceptance of a manuscript for publication. The current fee schedule is prominently displayed on the journal's website (https://axisjmbs.com/) under the "For Authors" or "Author Instructions" section. Fees are subject to periodic review and will be clearly communicated to authors prior to submission.

  • Cost Coverage: The APC is a one-time, non-refundable fee that covers the entire publication process from acceptance to final dissemination. This includes editorial coordination, plagiarism screening, reviewer management, copyediting, language polishing (where applicable), typesetting, figure preparation, PDF and HTML generation, DOI registration, CrossMark participation, website hosting, and permanent archiving. The APC ensures that the article is made freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0 International License, with copyright retained by the authors.

  • No Submission or Review Fees: AJMBS does not charge any fees for manuscript submission, editorial screening, or peer review. The APC is only applicable after a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication.

3.0 Waiver Policy: Equity and Inclusion

AJMBS is dedicated to ensuring that the ability to pay does not present a barrier to publication for researchers from under-resourced backgrounds, institutions, or regions. We therefore offer a transparent and equitable waiver program that reflects our commitment to global inclusivity in medical and biosocial research.

  • Eligibility: Full or partial waivers (discounts) are available to corresponding authors who can demonstrate genuine financial need. Priority is given to:

    • Researchers from low-income and lower-middle-income economies (as defined by the World Bank classification at the time of submission).

    • Early-career researchers (e.g., graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or researchers within five years of completing their terminal degree) without institutional or grant funding.

    • Independent scholars (unaffiliated researchers) without access to institutional research budgets.

    • Authors from low-resource institutional settings where no dedicated publication funds exist.

  • Basis for Decision: Waiver decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, considering a combination of:

    • The author's geographic location and institutional resources.

    • A sincere, written declaration of lack of funding to cover the APC, including an explanation of available resources.

    • The scientific merit and quality of the submitted manuscript (as determined by the double-blind peer-review process). Note that waiver requests do not influence editorial decisions on acceptance or rejection.

  • Request Process: Authors can request a waiver or discount during the manuscript submission process by completing a brief waiver request form or by contacting the editorial office at Admin@Axisacademics.uk prior to submission. Requests must be made before the manuscript is formally accepted to be considered. Retrospective requests after acceptance will not be honoured. All requests are treated confidentially and are reviewed by the editorial office without involving peer reviewers to avoid bias.

  • No Stigma: Requesting a waiver or discount has no negative impact on the editorial evaluation of a manuscript. AJMBS evaluates all submissions solely on their scholarly merit, regardless of funding status or waiver request.

4.0 Payment Terms

  • Invoicing: The APC is invoiced only after the manuscript has been formally accepted for publication. Payment instructions are sent to the corresponding author via email. Payment is not required to submit, screen, peer review, or revise a manuscript.

  • Payment Timeline: Payment is typically due within 30 days of the invoice date. Extensions may be granted upon reasonable request. Failure to pay may delay final publication of the accepted manuscript.

  • Payment Methods: Details on available payment methods (e.g., credit card, bank transfer, institutional purchase order, online payment gateway) are provided with the invoice. AJMBS uses secure payment processing systems.

  • Refund Policy: APCs are non-refundable once an article has been published online. In the rare event that a manuscript is retracted after publication due to author-generated error (but not misconduct), the APC is not refunded. In cases of journal error, refunds may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

5.0 Transparency and Reporting

AJMBS is committed to transparency regarding its financial practices. The journal will:

  • Publicly disclose its APC amount and waiver criteria on its website.

  • Report annually on the number of waivers granted and the percentage of waived APCs, without identifying individual authors.

  • Ensure that waiver decisions are documented and auditable.

This policy ensures that AJMBS can operate sustainably and uphold the highest quality standards while remaining committed to its core principles of equity, inclusivity, and barrier-free access to scientific knowledge in medical and biosocial sciences.

 

 

Repository Policy and Self-Archiving Guidelines

Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS)

1.0 Policy Objective

The Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS), published by Axis Academics Limited (UK), strongly supports the principles of open science and is committed to maximizing the dissemination, visibility, and impact of research published in our journal at the intersection of medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health and human behaviour. This policy explicitly encourages and grants automatic permission for authors to self-archive their work in institutional, disciplinary, or other open repositories without any embargo period, ensuring that valuable research reaches the widest possible audience as quickly as possible.

2.0 Permitted Versions for Deposit

Authors may deposit the following versions of their manuscript in any repository immediately upon the occurrence of the specified event:

Preprint (Pre-submission Version):

  • Definition: The original version of the manuscript prior to submission for peer review, representing the authors' own work before any journal-based review or editing.

  • Deposit Timing: May be deposited at any time on preprint servers (e.g., arXiv, medRxiv, bioRxiv, OSF Preprints, SSRN) or institutional repositories.

  • Requirement: Upon eventual publication in AJMBS, authors are required to update the preprint metadata to include a full citation and a persistent link to the final published article (Version of Record) on the AJMBS website (e.g., "Published in Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS), [Year], [Volume], [Issue], [Page Range]. Available at: https://axisjmbs.com/article/[article-id]").

Author's Accepted Manuscript (AAM) / Postprint:

  • Definition: The final version of the manuscript after double-blind peer review and incorporation of all reviewer feedback and editorial suggestions, but before the publisher's copyediting, typesetting, and final formatting.

  • Deposit Timing: May be deposited immediately upon official acceptance for publication by the Editor-in-Chief. No waiting period applies.

  • Recommended Citation: The deposited AAM should include an acknowledgement of publication and a persistent link to the Version of Record on the AJMBS website, formatted as follows: "This is the author's accepted manuscript of an article published in the Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS). The final Version of Record is available at: https://axisjmbs.com/article/[article-id]."

Version of Record (VoR):

  • Definition: The final, published version of the article, fully copyedited, typeset, paginated, and branded by AJMBS, including all figures, tables, and supplementary materials as they appear in the journal.

  • Deposit Timing: Authors are expressly encouraged to deposit the final published PDF immediately upon publication, without any embargo.

  • License: The VoR is published under a Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0 International License, which actively encourages sharing, redistribution, adaptation, and reuse for any purpose, provided proper attribution is given to the authors and the original source of publication.

3.0 Conditions and Requirements

Authors depositing any version of their AJMBS-published work must adhere to the following conditions:

  • Attribution: For any deposited version (preprint, AAM, or VoR), proper attribution must be given to AJMBS as the original source of publication, including the journal name, year of publication, volume, issue, and page range (where applicable).

  • Persistent Link: All deposited versions must include a persistent, active link to the final article's permanent location on the AJMBS website (https://axisjmbs.com/). This ensures that readers can always access the authoritative Version of Record.

  • No Embargo: There is no mandatory waiting period (embargo) for depositing any version of the article. Authors may deposit preprints before submission, the AAM immediately upon acceptance, and the VoR immediately upon publication.

  • No Fee: Self-archiving is free of charge and does not require permission from the publisher. Authors need not request special authorization from Axis Academics Limited (UK) to deposit their work.

4.0 Benefits of Self-Archiving

This liberal repository policy is designed to provide authors with significant professional and scholarly benefits, including:

  • Increased Visibility and Readership: By placing articles in multiple repositories (institutional, disciplinary, national, or general), research reaches a wider audience beyond the journal's own website, including scholars, clinicians, policymakers, and the public in regions with limited journal access.

  • Compliance with Funder Mandates: Meets the immediate open access requirements of major research funders worldwide (e.g., UKRI, NIH, Wellcome Trust, European Research Council, Horizon Europe, and many others) without the need for additional permissions or waivers.

  • Enhanced Impact: Facilitates faster dissemination of research findings, which can lead to higher citation rates, increased altmetrics (e.g., downloads, shares, mentions), and broader scholarly and public engagement with the research.

  • Long-Term Preservation: Depositing in institutional or disciplinary repositories provides an additional layer of long-term preservation beyond the journal's own PKP-PN archiving, safeguarding the scholarly record.

  • Career Advancement: A visible and accessible publication record enhances an author's professional profile, supports funding applications, and demonstrates commitment to open science principles.

5.0 Journal Commitment

AJMBS is committed to supporting author rights and the open access movement. This repository policy empowers our authors to share their work freely and widely, accelerating the pace of scientific discovery and its application in the fields of medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health. We believe that removing barriers to self-archiving benefits everyone: authors gain visibility, readers gain access, and science advances more rapidly.

For any questions regarding the deposition process, appropriate repositories, or this policy, authors are encouraged to contact the editorial office at Admin@Axisacademics.uk or visit the journal's website at https://axisjmbs.com/.

 

 

Accessibility Statement

Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS)

1.0 Our Commitment to Inclusive Publishing

The Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS), published by Axis Academics Limited (UK) from our office at 8 Greaves Avenue, Walsall, West Midlands, England, is deeply committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including individuals with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities. We believe that removing barriers to access is a core principle of open science and is especially critical in disseminating research related to medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health and human behaviour. We strive to conform to the highest standards of web accessibility to provide an equitable and inclusive experience for every reader, author, reviewer, and member of the global community.

2.0 Conformance Target

AJMBS is actively working to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. These guidelines are a set of internationally recognized standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to make web content more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, limited movement, speech disabilities, photosensitivity, and cognitive limitations.

3.0 Ongoing Accessibility Efforts

To fulfill our commitment, we continually implement and improve the following features on our website (https://axisjmbs.com/) and within our published content, which is hosted on the OJS platform and permanently archived via PKP-PN:

Perceivable:

  • Text Alternatives: We provide alternative text (alt text) descriptions for all meaningful images, figures, charts, and graphs within our articles and on our website to ensure compatibility with screen readers and other assistive technologies.

  • Multimedia: Where multimedia content (e.g., video abstracts, audio interviews) is published, we require authors to provide accurate captions for videos and transcripts for audio content to ensure accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments.

  • Adaptable Content: Our content is structured using proper semantic HTML (e.g., headings, lists, tables) to be presented in different ways (e.g., with a simpler layout or via screen readers) without losing information or structure.

Operable:

  • Keyboard Navigation: All website functionality, including submission forms, search features, and article navigation, is operable through a keyboard interface alone, without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes. Users should not need a mouse to access any core function.

  • Clear Navigation: We provide clear and consistent navigation mechanisms across the entire journal website, including meaningful page titles, logical heading structures, and a sitemap, to help users orient themselves and find content easily.

  • Seizure Safety: We strictly avoid content that is known to cause seizures or physical reactions (e.g., flashing animations or strobe effects). Any multimedia content is reviewed for compliance.

Understandable:

  • Readable: We strive to make text content readable and understandable. While the scientific nature of medical and biosocial research dictates the use of technical language, we encourage authors to write clearly, define specialized terms where appropriate, and avoid unnecessarily complex sentence structures.

  • Predictable: Our web pages operate in predictable ways, with consistent navigation menus, button placements, and labeling conventions across the entire site. No unexpected changes of context occur without user initiation.

  • Input Assistance: We provide clear instructions, labels, and error messages for all forms used during manuscript submission, reviewer login, and other interactive processes. Error messages clearly explain the issue and suggest corrections.

Robust:

  • Compatible: We aim to maximize compatibility with current and future user tools, including a wide range of assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, voice recognition software, screen magnifiers). Our website is tested regularly with common assistive technologies.

4.0 File Format Accessibility

We are committed to ensuring that the Portable Document Format (PDF) files we publish as the final Version of Record are as accessible as possible. We encourage authors to submit accessible source documents (e.g., using proper heading styles in Word or LaTeX) and employ internal processes to enhance the accessibility of final published PDFs, including:

  • Tagging for logical reading order appropriate for screen readers.

  • Setting a specified document language (e.g., English) to assist pronunciation and translation tools.

  • Ensuring meaningful hyperlinks (not just "click here") and alt text for all figures, tables, and images.

  • Using high-contrast colour schemes and avoiding colour as the sole means of conveying information.

5.0 Feedback and Continuous Improvement

We welcome feedback from our users on the accessibility of the AJMBS website and published content. If you encounter any accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us at Admin@Axisacademics.uk or by phone at +92 320 3129120. We will make all reasonable efforts to address your concerns promptly and will escalate accessibility issues to our technical team for resolution.

6.0 Our Pledge

Accessibility is an ongoing journey, not a one-time achievement. AJMBS pledges to dedicate the necessary resources to continually review, assess, and improve the accessibility of our digital presence. We conduct periodic internal audits and will respond proactively to user feedback. This statement will be updated regularly to reflect our progress and current conformance status, with the date of the most recent update clearly noted.

This commitment to accessibility ensures that the valuable research we publish at the intersection of medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health can reach and benefit the widest possible audience, in alignment with our mission to advance interdisciplinary knowledge for the public good and for all members of society, regardless of ability.

 

 

Environmental Sustainability Policy

Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS)

1.0 Preamble: Our Environmental Responsibility

The Axis Journal of Medical and Biosocial Sciences (AJMBS), published by Axis Academics Limited (UK) from our office at 8 Greaves Avenue, Walsall, West Midlands, England, recognizes the profound interconnection between planetary health and human health. As a member of the global scholarly community operating at the intersection of medical sciences, biological sciences, and social determinants of health, we are committed to minimizing our ecological footprint and operating in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. This policy formalizes our dedication to integrating sustainable practices into all aspects of our operations and promoting ecological awareness within our field.

2.0 Digital-First, Low-Impact Operations

Our primary strategy for reducing environmental impact is a commitment to a fully digital workflow, which aligns with our identity as an online-only open-access journal.

  • Paperless Publishing: AJMBS operates exclusively as an online, open-access journal hosted on the OJS platform. We have completely eliminated print production and the associated paper use, ink consumption, physical waste, packaging materials, and transportation emissions that accompany traditional print publishing.

  • Digital Workflow Management: All editorial, double-blind peer review, author revision, and production processes are conducted entirely through our online manuscript submission and tracking system, drastically reducing the need for physical correspondence, paper-based record-keeping, and postal or courier services.

  • Remote Collaboration: Our editorial team, reviewers, and authors are globally distributed, collaborating remotely via digital communication tools to eliminate unnecessary travel and its associated carbon emissions. This distributed model also reduces the need for physical office space and its associated energy consumption.

3.0 Sustainable Infrastructure and Vendor Selection

We believe in leveraging our influence as a publisher to promote sustainability throughout the publishing supply chain and to partner with like-minded organizations.

  • Green Hosting: Our journal website (https://axisjmbs.com/) and associated digital infrastructure, including the OJS platform and PKP-PN archiving servers, are hosted with service providers who demonstrate a verifiable commitment to using renewable energy sources (e.g., wind, solar, hydroelectric) for their data centers. We prioritize carbon-neutral or carbon-negative hosting solutions where available.

  • Responsible Procurement: When selecting vendors and service providers (e.g., for technical support, website maintenance, marketing, design, or copyediting), we prioritize those who uphold strong environmental policies, demonstrate measurable sustainability practices, and maintain transparent environmental reporting. We favour local providers where feasible to reduce transportation emissions.

  • Minimal Hardware Footprint: AJMBS encourages the use of energy-efficient computing equipment and promotes practices such as device longevity, responsible e-waste disposal, and the minimization of unnecessary hardware upgrades.

4.0 Advocacy and Promotion of Environmental Research

As a journal spanning medical and biosocial sciences, we have a unique platform to highlight the critical link between environmental health and human well-being, including the social determinants that mediate this relationship.

  • Special Issues and Sections: We actively encourage and will facilitate the publication of cutting-edge research, reviews, commentaries, and methodological papers on topics including but not limited to:

    • The impact of climate change on health outcomes, disease patterns, and healthcare delivery.

    • Sustainable healthcare practices, green hospitals, and low-carbon clinical pathways.

    • The role of natural environments, biodiversity, and green spaces in promoting physical and mental health and recovery.

    • Environmental justice and the unequal distribution of environmental health risks across populations.

    • The intersection of environmental degradation, social determinants of health, and human behaviour.

    • Sustainable practices within rehabilitation medicine and community health settings.

  • Educational Content: We commit to raising awareness by disseminating research that explores and evaluates sustainable practices within clinical, community, and biosocial research settings. We encourage authors to discuss the environmental implications of their findings where relevant.

  • Author Guidance: AJMBS encourages authors to consider the environmental footprint of their own research activities (e.g., laboratory energy use, travel for fieldwork, data storage energy demands) and to report any sustainability measures implemented in their methodologies where applicable.

5.0 Continuous Improvement and Accountability

We view environmental stewardship as an ongoing commitment that requires regular evaluation, transparent reporting, and a willingness to adapt.

  • Policy Review: This Environmental Sustainability Policy will be reviewed annually by the editorial team in consultation with the publisher (Axis Academics Limited, UK) to identify new opportunities for reducing our environmental impact, to address emerging challenges, and to align with evolving best practices in sustainable publishing.

  • Carbon Literacy: We encourage our editorial team, board members, reviewers, and authors to engage with resources on carbon literacy, sustainable scholarly communication, and climate-aware research practices. We may offer informational resources or links to relevant training materials on our website.

  • Transparency and Reporting: We will report on our environmental initiatives, progress, and challenges through our website and, where appropriate, in annual reports or editorial communications. We maintain this accountability to our community to demonstrate that our commitments are backed by action.

  • Community Engagement: AJMBS invites feedback from its community of authors, reviewers, readers, and institutional partners on how we can further improve our environmental sustainability efforts. Suggestions can be sent to Admin@Axisacademics.uk.

By implementing this policy, AJMBS aims not only to reduce its own environmental impact but also to inspire and empower our community of researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and readers to consider and adopt more sustainable practices in their own work, laboratories, institutions, and daily lives, thereby contributing to a healthier planet and, consequently, healthier populations.