About this Publishing System

The OJS Editorial and Publishing Process, as outlined in the roadmap, is a comprehensive workflow designed to handle academic manuscript submissions efficiently and with high quality. Here’s a detailed breakdown of each stage, reflecting the interactions between different roles involved:

1. Submission Process (Author)

  • The process begins with the author uploading their manuscript to the journal’s website. During this stage, the author is also responsible for entering relevant metadata, which is essential for indexing and discovery by systems like the Open Archives Initiative (OAI).
  • Key Action: This initial step is the author's responsibility, focusing on data entry and metadata submission, which ensures that the paper is searchable and accessible within the journal's system.

2. Submission Queue (Editor and Section Editor)

  • After submission, the Editor assigns the manuscript to a Section Editor, who will manage the submission through the editorial process. This assignment is crucial for maintaining an organized workflow.
  • The Section Editor acts as the primary overseer of the manuscript, ensuring it meets the journal’s standards and progresses smoothly through each subsequent phase.
  • Key Action: Assignment to a Section Editor initiates the formal editorial review process, linking the manuscript to an individual responsible for tracking its progress.

3. Submission Review (Section Editor)

  • a) Initial Check: The Section Editor begins by reviewing the submission to ensure it complies with the journal’s submission guidelines.
  • b) Peer Review Coordination: The Section Editor then coordinates the peer review process, where external reviewers are selected based on their expertise. This involves using the journal’s database to invite suitable reviewers with relevant interests.
  • c) Editorial Decision: Based on the feedback from reviewers, the Section Editor makes an editorial decision. This could be to accept, request revisions, or reject the manuscript. The author is notified of this decision and may be required to make revisions.
  • Key Action: This is a critical phase where the manuscript’s academic merit is evaluated, relying heavily on expert feedback to determine its readiness for publication.

4. Submission Editing (Copyeditor, Layout Editor, and Proofreader)

  • a) Copyediting: If the submission is accepted, it enters the copyediting stage. Here, a copyeditor reviews the manuscript for language, clarity, grammar, and adherence to journal style. The author also has the chance to view these edits.
  • b) Galley Layout: After copyediting, the Layout Editor formats the manuscript into galleys, which are the final publication-ready versions. These are designed in multiple formats, such as HTML, PDF, and PS, depending on the journal's publication format.
  • c) Proofreading: The proofreader performs a final check to catch any remaining errors. This is a collaborative phase, where authors review the galley proofs to ensure accuracy before final publication.
  • Key Action: Each role in this phase is crucial for maintaining high publication standards, from language precision to the visual layout, ensuring the article is ready for readers.

5. Issue Management (Editor and Section Editor)

  • a) Create Issues: The editorial team organizes the accepted articles into a scheduled issue.
  • b) Schedule Submissions: Articles are assigned to upcoming journal issues based on the editorial schedule and publication frequency.
  • c) Organize Table of Contents: The Editor finalizes the order of articles, creating a Table of Contents (TOC) that aligns with the journal’s thematic focus for that issue.
  • Key Action: This stage ensures that each article is strategically placed within an issue, optimizing its visibility and relevance to readers.

6. Publication

  • At this stage, the journal decides on the access policy, offering options like immediate open access or delayed open access depending on subscriptions or journal policies.
  • Current Issue Display: Published articles appear in the current issue, equipped with Reading Tools that link to related internal and external resources, enhancing the article's context and usability for readers.
  • Key Action: Publication not only makes the article accessible to the public but also strategically enhances its impact by integrating useful reading tools.

Additional Management and Archiving Functions

  • Journal Management: The Journal Manager handles the initial setup and maintenance of the journal, including enrolling editors, reviewers, copyeditors, layout editors, and proofreaders to ensure a seamless workflow.
  • Reviewer Selec