Editorial Workflow Guide

This guide outlines the standard operating procedures for Editors and Section Editors managing submissions in Open Journal Systems (OJS) version 3.4.

1. Submission Stage (Initial Screening & Assignment)

When an author submits a new manuscript, it appears in the Submissions > My Queue dashboard.

  • Initial Screening: Check the manuscript for plagiarism, alignment with the journal's Focus & Scope, and compliance with the Author Guidelines.
  • Assigning Editors: Click on the submission title. Under the Participants panel on the right, click Assign. Select the Section Editor or yourself, type an optional message, and click OK to take ownership of the submission.
2. Review Stage (Peer Review Management)

Move the submission to the Review stage by clicking Send to Review.

  • Adding Reviewers: In the Review tab, click Add Reviewer. You can search for existing reviewers or create a new reviewer account.
  • Setting Deadlines: Select the review type (Double-blind, Blind, or Open) and set the response and completion deadlines. Click Add Reviewer to send the invitation.
  • Recording the Decision: Once the reviewer recommendations are submitted, click Record Decision in the review panel. OJS 3.4 offers four standard choices:
    • Accept Submission: The manuscript is accepted as is.
    • Request Revisions: The author must make minor changes before acceptance.
    • Resubmit for Review: The author needs to make major changes, and the paper will undergo another round of review.
    • Decline Submission: The manuscript is rejected.
3. Copyediting Stage (Refining Text & Style)

Once a submission is accepted, click Send to Copyediting. This stage ensures grammatical accuracy and formatting compliance.

  • File Upload: Upload the edited version or ask the author to upload the final clean text.
  • Editorial Discussion: Use the Copyediting Discussions panel to communicate back and forth with the author or copyeditors regarding textual corrections.
  • Approval: When the text is polished, select the final copyedited file and click Send to Production.
4. Production Stage (Layout, Proofing, & Publication)

This final stage prepares the manuscript for public readers.

  • Creating Galleys: Under the Galleys section, click Add Galley. Enter a label (e.g., "PDF") and upload the final typeset layout file.
  • Metadata Verification: Click the Publication tab at the top. Double-check the Title & Abstract, Contributors (author names and affiliations), and Keywords.
  • Scheduling: Under the Issue sub-tab, assign the article to a specific Volume and Number (e.g., Vol. 5 No. 2).
  • Publishing: If you are ready to publish the whole issue, go to Issues > Future Issues, select your issue, and click Publish Issue.

Need further assistance? You can embed this HTML code directly into your journal's "Static Pages" or custom navigation block in OJS under Website Settings.