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OJS for EveryoneThe Practical GuidebookRSYN Research LLP

Galley Proofing

Galley proofing is the final quality-check stage before your article is published. The Layout Editor has typeset your article into a publication-ready format (PDF, HTML, etc.) and you are asked to review it for accuracy and approve it for publication.

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Not all journals include an author proofing step. Some publish directly after production without author review. Check the decision notification email or contact the editor if you are unsure whether you need to take action.

Receiving a Proofing Request​

You will receive an email notification from the editor when galleys are ready for your review. The email will:

  • Explain what you need to check.
  • Provide a link directly to the submission in OJS.
  • State a deadline for your response.

Accessing Your Galleys​

  1. Log in and go to Dashboard → My Queue.
  2. Click the submission that requires proofing.
  3. Click the Production tab.
  4. In the Galleys section, click on each galley file to download or view it.

Depending on the journal's setup, you may also find a link directly to the proofing discussion thread in your notifications.

What to Check​

When reviewing the galley, focus on:

Content Accuracy​

  • Title, subtitle, and running head are correct.
  • All author names and affiliations are spelled correctly.
  • The abstract matches the final approved version.
  • All in-text citations are present and match the reference list.
  • The reference list is complete and correctly formatted.

Figures and Tables​

  • All figures appear in the correct location and are legible.
  • Figure captions and table titles are accurate.
  • All tables are complete and correctly formatted.

Text​

  • No text is missing, truncated, or duplicated.
  • Section headings are present and correctly nested.
  • Equations and special characters render correctly.

Metadata (for HTML galleys)​

  • The DOI link on the article page resolves correctly.
  • Keywords and subject classifications are correct.
  • Author ORCID iDs are linked (if applicable).
warning

Proofing is not the time for new edits. Only flag genuine errors introduced during typesetting — not changes to your original writing. If you want to make substantive changes to the text at this stage, contact the editor first to discuss whether it is appropriate.

Reporting Corrections​

  1. In the Discussions panel of the Production stage, click Add Discussion (or reply to the existing proofing thread).
  2. List each correction clearly and specifically:
    • Page and line number (for PDF galleys).
    • "Should read: …" vs "Currently reads: …" format.
  3. Add all participants who need to see the corrections (editor, layout editor).
  4. Click OK to send the message.

The Layout Editor will make corrections and upload revised galleys. You will be notified when the revised version is ready.

Approving the Galleys​

When you are satisfied that the galleys are correct:

  1. Reply to the proofing discussion thread with a brief approval message (e.g., "Proofread and approved — no corrections required").
  2. The editor sees your approval and proceeds to schedule the article for publication.

Multiple Proofing Rounds​

If the Layout Editor makes significant corrections, you may be asked to proof again. This is less common but can occur when there are many corrections or when a complex figure needed reworking.

What Happens Next​

After you approve the galleys:

  1. The editor schedules the article to an issue.
  2. When the issue is published (or when the article is published ahead-of-print), you receive a publication notification by email.
  3. The article appears on the journal's website with all galley files available for download.

Further Reading​