Accessibility Remediation Resources
Accessibility Regulations and Standards Understanding and adopting accessibility standards can help ensure that your journal reaches and benefits a broad audience with diverse abilities. This is crucial to open science because it guarantees that research is truly available to all, removing barriers that exclude people with different abilities. In addition, using accessibility standards to guide […]
Long-term digital archiving and preservation
To preserve scientific research results for access in future generations, independent preservation is of utmost importance, Journals may cease to exist, databases may become corrupted or other events may destroy access to published research. Next to the journal’s own preservation activities (for example by local backup),, five major systems for the preservation of digital content […]
Developing author guidelines
Author guidelines are an expression of the journal’s editorial policy and workflow and should be presented transparently. Prior to submitting their manuscripts, authors typically check author guidelines, so these should leave little to no questions left. Author guidelines are also used by journal staff and the editorial board to check that submitted papers are compliant. […]
Article selection criteria
One of the key responsibilities of editorial board members is to define article selection criteria. These criteria may change over time depending on the editors’ research interests, social or cultural changes in the publishing landscape, emerging guidelines as well as new discoveries. The journal should keep article selection criteria up to date and present them […]
Building and maintaining a profile
Academic journals need to build and manage their profile to attract submissions from reputable researchers and to appear credible to readers. Having a strong profile helps academic journals establish authority in their field, which can lead to increased readership and impact. An effective profile can help journals differentiate themselves from competitors, highlighting their strengths and […]
Software and technical infrastructure
Many open access journals run on open source software. This software is freely available online and needs to be installed on a suitable server to be run. Examples of leading solutions to manage open access journals include the Open Journal Systems, Kotahi, Janeway and PubPub Platform, all of which are open source software. A software […]
Scope, aims and focus
Clearly outlining a journal’s aims and scope enables readers to swiftly grasp its relevance and ensures prospective authors submit relevant manuscripts. This streamlines the process, saving time and effort for both authors and the journal’s editorial team. Key components of an aims and scope statement Typically, online journals have a dedicated ‘Scope’ or ‘Aims & […]
Roles and responsibilities
The scholarly publishing landscape is undergoing rapid transformation driven by open science mandates, technological innovation, and evolving research practices. This has resulted in new roles and the evolution of traditional positions. Contemporary journal teams must balance conventional editorial excellence with expertise in areas as data management, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, accessibility, and digital […]
Publication ethics and related editorial policies
Editorial policies are essential for maintaining the quality, integrity and credibility of academic journals. They provide guidelines for authors, reviewers and editors to ensure that the publication process is consistent, transparent and fair. It is the duty of editors and publishers to preserve the integrity of their journals: they must clearly communicate editorial policies and […]
Recruiting journal staff
Building a strong journal team and editorial board is challenging. Successful journals develop tailored, regularly reviewed recruitment strategies aligned with their needsWhen starting, a small team is often appropriate, but recruitment should grow with publication volume. Under limited budgets, volunteers can be valuable. Editors can leverage their prestige and contacts to find volunteer researchers willing […]