OJS Publication Process

This section of the guide will provide step-by-step instructions for the Editor to create issues, assign submissions to issues, formatting the table of contents for issues, and making an issue “Current” on your journal homepage.

Creating Issues

Before creating volumes or issues in OJS, make sure you consult with your Journal Manager about your journal’s publication schedule. In the Journal Setup process (“4.2, Journal Setup"), the Journal Manager will define how your journal distinguishes between volumes or issues and sets the schedule for publication.

1. In order to create an issue in OJS, log-in as the Editor and navigate to the User Home page on your journal site. On the User Home page (next to the “Editor” role) click “Create Issue” to begin.
   
   
   
2. This will take you to a page titled “Create Issue.” On this page you can also view and edit any future or back issues that you have already created in the dropdown menu at the top of the page. For the first step in Creating an Issue, you will enter some of the identifying information about your issue including the Volume, Number, Year, and a title and description. Make sure you consult with your Journal Manager and are aware of the journal’s scheduling and issue identification standards.
   
   
   
3. On this page you can also upload a custom cover images, captions, and stylesheets for your new issue, if desired. When you have entered all the desired identifying information and uploaded any supplementary images or captions, click “Save” to finish creating your issue. The issue will now automatically be available as an option when scheduling submissions.
   
   
   

Scheduling a Submission for Publication

Once you have Created a New Issue, your new issue will be available as an option for scheduling each individual submission. In OJS, scheduling is completed at the submission level and not on the issue page. At the end of the editing process for a submission, the Editor will choose which issue to assign a given submission to. Then, once submissions are added to the appropriate issue, the Editor can format the table of contents and publish the issue.

This section will show you how to schedule an individual submission for publication. You will repeat this process for each submission you want to include in an issue.

1. Log-in as Editor and navigate to the User Home page. Typically, you will receive an email from the Layout Editor (or have the link handy if you did the Layout Editing) when a submission is ready for publication that includes a direct link to the submission’s Editing Page. If you do not have the link readily available, you can clicking “In Editing” on the User Home page, which will take you to a list of all submissions that are currently in editing. Click the title of your desired submission to navigate to its Editing page.
2. On the Editing page, double-check the Galley format under the “Layout” heading. If everything looks ready for publication scroll to the “Scheduling” heading and select which issue you want to assign the submission to using the dropdown menu. You can schedule a submission for “Back Issues,” the “Current Issue,” or any “Future Issue.” After you have selected your desired issue, click “Record.”
   
   
   
3. Once you click record, a new option will appear allowing you to choose the precise date of publication (click “Record” to save any changes you make here) and OJS will provide a direct link to the editing interface for the issue’s table of contents.
   
   
   

Formatting the Table of Contents and Publishing an Issue

Once you have individually scheduled all your desired submissions for a given Volume/Issue, you can format the Table of Contents. When the issue is made current, the Table of Contents will be viewable by clicking “Current” in the navigation bar on your homepage.

1. Log-in as the Editor on your OJS installation. If you have just finished scheduling a submission for your issue, you can just click the “Table of Contents” link that appears after you “Record” your scheduling decision. Alternatively, you can navigate to the User Home page, click “Editor” to direct to the Editor’s home page, then click “Future Issues” (or “Back Issues,” if applicable).
   
   
   
2. Click on the title of the Issue that needs formatting, to direct you to the editing and publication page for your Issue. On this page you will be able to view each of the submissions assigned to this issue, and you can rearrange them by clicking the up and down arrows next to each submission. If your issue has multiple sections (i.e. Articles, Book Reviews) you can also rearrange each section as desired by clicking the up and down arrows. Finally, you can remove any submission from the issue by checking the box next to the submission title in the “Remove” column. When rearranging the submissions, journal sections, or removing submissions, make sure you click “Save” before leaving the page or your changes will not register and you will need to repeat the process.
   
   
   
3. Once you have made all desired changes to the Table of Contents for your issue, you can click “Issue Data” to add any additional information or styling to your issue (same information as in “Creating Volumes and Issues”). Before publishing your issue, make sure you click “Preview Issue” to make sure the arrangement and appearance is as desired. Once you have previewed your issue, click “Publish Issue” to make it your current issue (viewable by clicking “Current” on the navigation bar of your journal homepage.