Creating Galley Files

A galley is a publication-ready version of an article — formatted exactly as it will appear to readers. Before uploading anything to OJS you must create the galley file(s) outside OJS using appropriate desktop or online tools.

Common Galley Formats

Format	Reader experience	Best for
PDF	Fixed-layout; preserves print design	Most journals; author manuscripts
HTML	Responsive web reading	Open-access journals; accessibility
XML / JATS	Structured data; machine-readable	Indexing (PubMed, PMC, Crossref)
ePUB	Reflowable e-reader format	Humanities; long-form articles
Remote URL	Link to external hosting	OA repositories; preprint servers

Which formats should you provide?

Check your journal's policy. Most journals require at least a PDF. Adding HTML greatly improves accessibility and discoverability. JATS XML is required for PubMed Central submission.

Recommended Software Tools

PDF

Tool	Notes
Adobe InDesign	Professional typesetting; supports journal templates
Microsoft Word (Save as PDF)	Simplest route when no complex layout is needed
LibreOffice Writer (Export as PDF)	Free alternative to Word
LaTeX + pdflatex / XeLaTeX	Preferred in STEM fields; high-quality math rendering

Tips for PDF quality:

Embed all fonts before exporting
Use 300 dpi or higher for images
Set the PDF standard to PDF/A-1b for long-term archiving
Include bookmarks for sections to aid navigation

HTML

Tool	Notes
Pandoc	Command-line converter from Word/LaTeX/Markdown to HTML
Word → Save as Web Page (Filtered)	Quick but produces verbose HTML; clean up afterwards
Manual authoring	Full control; suitable if you know HTML/CSS

Tips for HTML quality:

Use semantic elements (<article>, <section>, <figure>)
Include alt text for all images
Reference a CSS stylesheet for consistent journal branding
Test in multiple browsers before uploading

Pandoc conversion example

pandoc manuscript.docx -o article.html --standalone --self-contained

XML / JATS

Tool	Notes
Pandoc	Can output JATS from Markdown or Word
OxGarage (online)	Converts Word documents to TEI/JATS
JATS4R validator	Online validator for JATS XML compliance
oXygen XML Editor	Full-featured XML IDE with JATS schema support

Minimal JATS XML structure

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD JATS (Z39.96) Article Authoring DTD v1.2//EN"
  "https://jats.nlm.nih.gov/articleauthoring/1.2/JATS-articleauthoring1.dtd">
<article xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
         article-type="research-article" xml:lang="en">
  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Journal Name</journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Article Title</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name><surname>Smith</surname><given-names>Jane</given-names></name>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <abstract><p>Abstract text here.</p></abstract>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
  <body>
    <sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Body text here.</p></sec>
  </body>
  <back>
    <ref-list><!-- references --></ref-list>
  </back>
</article>

ePUB

Tool	Notes
Sigil	Free, open-source ePUB editor with GUI
Pandoc	Converts from Word/Markdown to ePUB
Calibre	Can convert PDF or HTML to ePUB (variable quality)

Tips for ePUB quality:

Validate with EPUBCheck before uploading
Use relative paths for images inside the ePUB container
Include a proper content.opf manifest and toc.ncx table of contents

Essential Elements to Include in Every Galley

Regardless of format, every galley should contain:

Element	Notes
Article title	Exactly as registered in OJS metadata
Author name(s) and affiliations	Including ORCID if available
Abstract	Full abstract text
Keywords	As listed in OJS metadata
DOI	Displayed prominently (see below)
License statement	CC BY, CC BY-NC, or journal's chosen licence
Received / accepted dates	If published by the journal
Page numbers	Required for PDF; use journal volume/issue pagination if assigned

Embedding DOI and Metadata in PDF

A DOI should be visible to readers on the first page of the PDF. Best practice:

Add the DOI to the article template footer or title block: https://doi.org/10.XXXX/yyyyy
Embed the DOI in the PDF document properties (File → Properties → Description in Acrobat):
- Title: Article title
- Author: All author names
- Subject: Abstract or keywords
- Keywords: Keywords list
If using XMP metadata, populate the dc:identifier field with the DOI URI

tip

Many indexing services (Crossref, Google Scholar) parse PDF metadata automatically. Accurate embedded metadata improves discoverability.

JATS XML: Key Structural Points

Use <article-type> to distinguish research articles, reviews, editorials, etc.
Place the DOI inside <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.XXXX/yyyyy</article-id>
Use <funding-group> for grant acknowledgements
Mark references with <ref-list> and individual <ref> elements
Validate against the JATS DTD before uploading — OJS and PMC will reject malformed XML

Common Galley Formats​

Recommended Software Tools​

PDF​

HTML​

Pandoc conversion example​

XML / JATS​

Minimal JATS XML structure​

ePUB​

Essential Elements to Include in Every Galley​

Embedding DOI and Metadata in PDF​

JATS XML: Key Structural Points​

Further Reading​