Completing Copyediting

When you are satisfied that the manuscript is fully copyedited, all Author Queries have been resolved, and the final file is uploaded, you need to formally notify the editor so they can advance the submission to Production.

Pre-Completion Checklist

Before signalling completion, verify each of the following:

• The copyedited manuscript is uploaded to the Copyedited Files section (not just attached to a discussion).
• Track changes is still visible in the uploaded file — do not accept all changes before uploading unless the editor has explicitly asked for a clean copy.
• All Author Query comments (AQ:) in the file have either been resolved or are still awaiting author response.
• If the author was contacted with queries, their responses have been incorporated into the uploaded file.
• The file is in the correct format (e.g. .docx) as required by the journal.
• The file name is clear and descriptive (e.g. manuscript-copyedited-final.docx).
• You have re-read the file one final time for any remaining errors.

Final read-through

After a full editing session it can be easy to miss errors introduced during revision. Print or export the file to PDF and read it fresh — or use a text-to-speech tool to catch anything your eyes skip over.

Notifying the Editor

OJS does not have a dedicated "Mark Copyediting Complete" button for copyeditors in all configurations. The standard method is to use a Discussion thread to notify the editor directly.

Method 1: Create a Completion Discussion Thread

1. Open the submission and click the Copyediting tab.
2. Scroll to the Discussions panel and click Add discussion.
3. Click Add Participant and select the Editor (or Section Editor).
4. Use a subject such as: Copyediting Complete — [Article Title].
5. Write a brief message confirming completion, for example:

Dear [Editor name],

I have completed copyediting for "[Article Title]". The copyedited manuscript has been uploaded to the Copyedited Files section. Track changes are visible throughout.

All Author Queries have been addressed — please see the AQ thread for the author's responses. The manuscript is ready to proceed to Production at your convenience.

Best regards,
[Your name]

6. Click OK to send the message. The editor will receive an email notification.

Why a discussion thread?

The discussion thread creates a timestamped record that copyediting was completed and by whom — this is valuable for editorial auditing and helps the editor know the file is ready to act on.

Method 2: Use a "Notify Editor" or "Participant Action" Button

Some OJS installations may display a Notify Editor button or a participant-action mechanism at the bottom of the Copyediting panel. If this button is present:

1. Click Notify Editor (or the equivalent button label used by your journal).
2. A pre-populated message dialog may appear — review the text and personalise it if needed.
3. Click OK or Send to dispatch the notification.

Journal-specific configuration

The presence and label of this button depends on how the journal's workflow is configured. If you are unsure whether your journal uses this button, ask the editor during your first copyediting assignment.

What Happens Next

Once the editor receives your completion notification, the typical next steps are:

Step	Who acts	Description
1. Editor reviews the copyedited file	Editor	The editor checks the copyedited manuscript and author query responses
2. Author review (if configured)	Author	Some journals route the copyedited file back to the author for final approval before production
3. Editor sends to Production	Editor	The editor clicks Send to Production, advancing the submission to the Production stage
4. Layout/typesetting begins	Layout editor	A layout editor typsets the manuscript using the copyedited file as the source

Your role after completion

Once you have notified the editor, your active responsibilities for this submission are complete. You may still be drawn back into a discussion if the editor or author has follow-up questions, but you are not expected to monitor the submission further.

If the Editor Requests Further Revisions

Occasionally the editor or author may ask for additional copyediting after your initial submission. If this happens:

1. Download the latest version of the file from Copyedited Files (or the file attached to the editor's discussion message).
2. Make the requested changes with track changes enabled.
3. Upload the revised file to Copyedited Files again (see Uploading the Copyedited File).
4. Reply to the existing discussion thread or create a new one to notify the editor that the revised file is ready.

Summary of the Copyediting Workflow

Download manuscript from Submission Files
        ↓
Edit with Track Changes enabled
        ↓
Insert Author Query comments (AQ:) where needed
        ↓
(Optional) Contact author via Discussion thread with AQs
        ↓
Incorporate author responses
        ↓
Upload final copyedited file to Copyedited Files
        ↓
Notify editor via Discussion thread or Notify Editor button
        ↓
Editor advances submission to Production

Further Reading

• Learning OJS – Copyediting — Full Copyediting stage documentation including editor and author perspectives
• PKP Community Forum — Discuss copyediting workflows and best practices with the OJS community
• Learning OJS – Production and Publication — What happens after the editor sends the submission to Production