Policy Assurance & Implementation

Any approved document forming part of the LMI Publisher Policy Framework — a Publisher Policy, a Publisher + Journal Policy or a Journal Implementation Standard — carrying a permanent identifier, version and status.

An instrument applying directly and principally to LMI as publisher.

An instrument establishing both LMI obligations and minimum standards that journals operating under the LMI publishing framework must implement.

A publisher-defined minimum standard whose detailed operational implementation rests at journal level.

The unique, permanent code assigned to an instrument on creation (LMI-POL-NNN or LMI-STD-NNN), never reused or reassigned, independent of title, content and category. Category classification is metadata and is never embedded in it.

An identified iteration of an instrument, with its own approval record and period of effect, retained when superseded.

The date from which a published, approved version imposes obligations. Approval alone does not make an instrument Current.

A published instrument in force, on or after its effective date and not superseded or archived.

An instrument replaced by a later version of the same instrument, retained and marked as no longer current.

An instrument withdrawn without replacement, retained for historical and assurance purposes and marked as no longer current.

The system of identifiers, versions, approval records, effective dates, review dates, statuses and supersession history by which the framework is governed.

Records generated in the ordinary course of publishing that demonstrate whether a requirement was met, retained and provided for assurance purposes.

The activity of establishing, on the basis of evidence, whether policies are implemented in practice. It examines process and confers no editorial authority.

A structured, documented examination of specified activity against defined requirements, conducted proportionately to risk, producing findings and, where required, corrective action.

A documented remedy for identified non-compliance, specifying the action, the responsible role and the completion date, with verified completion.

The periodic aggregated public report of LMI’s publishing and integrity activity, accurate, non-identifying and not overstating performance.

The requirements of a national, sectoral or other body for a journal to obtain or retain recognised status, applicable to particular journals and cycles and documented at journal level.

A binding obligation imposed by law or by a body with legal authority over LMI or a journal.

A voluntary framework of guidance a journal or LMI states it follows. Following such a standard confers no membership, accreditation, recognition or endorsement by the issuing body.

A documented response that corrects identified non-compliance and, where reasonably possible, addresses its causes to reduce recurrence, with responsible roles, deadlines and verified closure.

A documented, authorised, limited and reviewable departure from a requirement where the policy permits discretion or a binding obligation requires another course. An exception cannot defeat an absolute safeguard.

Evidence that a person received, completed or acknowledged role-appropriate policy or integrity guidance, retained for assurance where the role or risk warrants it.