Site Administrator
The Site Administrator has the highest level of access in an OJS installation. This role is responsible for the technical infrastructure that supports all journals hosted on the platform.
Role scope
The Site Administrator manages the entire OJS installation — not individual journals. Each journal within the installation has its own Journal Manager.
Responsibilities
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Installation & Upgrade | Install OJS on a server and keep it updated |
| Server Configuration | PHP, database, file storage, caching, email |
| Multi-journal Management | Create, enable, or archive journals on the site |
| Plugin Administration | Install and enable site-level plugins |
| User Management | Merge accounts, reset passwords, assign roles across journals |
| Security | Apply patches, configure HTTPS, manage API keys |
| Backup & Recovery | Database and file system backups |
Sections in This Guide
- Installation & Requirements — server prerequisites and OJS setup
- Upgrading OJS — safe upgrade procedure and version notes
- Server Configuration —
config.inc.php, caching, email, storage - Multi-journal Setup — hosting more than one journal on a single install
- Security Hardening — HTTPS, CSP headers, file permissions
- Backup & Recovery — scheduled backups and restore procedures
Quick Start
- Check server requirements (PHP 8.1+, MySQL 8 / PostgreSQL 14+)
- Download the latest OJS 3.5.x release from pkp.sfu.ca
- Follow the installation guide
- Create your first journal via Administration → Hosted Journals → Create Journal
- Assign a Journal Manager to the new journal
Accessing the Admin Panel
Log in as a user with the Site Administrator role, then navigate to:
User Menu (top-right) → Administration
Or go directly to: https://yoursite.com/index.php/index/admin