Publishing with Open Journal Systems (OJS)

Open Journal Systems (OJS) was developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP) and first released in 2001. PKP stats show 34.072 journals using the OJS platform during 2021.

OJS is a roles-based system. Editorial staff are assigned roles and perform specific tasks within those roles. The same person can have multiple roles and switch from one to another to accomplish workflow tasks.

Editorial roles used in our open access model include Journal Manager, Editor, Section Editor, Author, Reviewer, Copyeditor, Layout Editor, and Proofreader.

Workflows within OJS can be simple or complex. A few examples:

• The simplest way to use OJS is as a publishing platform only. This workflow requires only the Journal Manager and Editor roles (i.e., to create an issue, upload PDFs, and publish). All other tasks are performed outside OJS.
• A more complex workflow might also include Author submissions through OJS and perhaps also tracking the Review process through OJS.
• Many journals treat the Editor position as a kind of managing editor or editor-in-chief and assign Section Editors to perform the day-to-day management of an article's progress through the editorial process.
• Especially for smaller journals, the Copyeditor/Layout Editor/Proofreader roles are often handled by the same person, either outside OJS or tracked within the system.
• Student journals often use a rolling system of editors, i.e., staff from all class years. This ensures that there are always experienced students ready to take over journal management as seniors graduate.

We will work with you to make sure your journal is set up properly in OJS for the workflow you choose.

See information on the Planning page, including a worksheet with decisions to be made, to help you determine the workflow for your journal.