Skip to main content
OJS for Everyone Logo
OJS for EveryoneThe Practical GuidebookRSYN Research LLP

Managing Institutional Subscriptions

Institutional subscriptions grant access to all users connecting from a registered institution — typically a library, university, or corporate organisation. Access is authenticated by IP address or domain name, so individual users at the institution do not need their own OJS accounts.

  1. Log in as Subscription Manager or Journal Manager
  2. Click Subscriptions in the left navigation
  3. Click Institutional Subscriptions

Creating a New Institutional Subscription​

Prerequisites​

  • At least one institutional subscription type must exist (see Subscription Types)
  • You need the institution's IP ranges or domain from their library or IT contact

Steps​

  1. Click Create New Subscription
  2. Fill in the Institution Name (e.g. University of Example Library)
  3. Enter the Mailing Address (used for invoicing and correspondence)
  4. Enter the institution's Domain (e.g. university-example.edu) — optional but used as a fallback authentication method
  5. Select a Subscription Type from the dropdown
  6. Set the Start Date and End Date
  7. Set the Status (Active, Awaiting Payment, etc.)
  8. Optionally add a Note for internal reference
  9. Add at least one IP Range (see below)
  10. Click Save

Adding IP Ranges​

IP ranges identify which network addresses belong to the institution. OJS uses these to grant access automatically when a visitor's IP matches.

Single IP Address​

Enter a single address:

192.0.2.10

IP Range (Hyphen Notation)​

Enter a start and end address separated by a hyphen:

192.0.2.1-192.0.2.254

CIDR Subnet Notation​

Enter a network in CIDR notation (preferred for large institutions):

192.0.2.0/24

Adding Multiple IP Ranges​

Each institutional subscription can have multiple IP range entries. To add more than one:

  1. Click Add IP Range to add a new IP entry row
  2. Enter the additional range
  3. Repeat for each range or subnet
  4. Click Save when all ranges are entered
Collecting IP ranges

Ask the institution's library systems librarian or IT department for their full list of externally routable IP ranges. Many institutions publish these in their e-resource access documentation.

How IP-Based Authentication Works​

When a visitor requests a subscription-gated article:

  1. OJS checks whether the visitor has an active logged-in individual subscription
  2. If not, OJS checks the visitor's IP address against all active institutional subscription IP ranges
  3. If a match is found and the institutional subscription status is Active, the visitor is granted access transparently — no login required
  4. If no match is found, the visitor is prompted to log in or subscribe
Authentication methodLogin required?Notes
Individual subscriptionYes (must be logged in)Linked to a specific user account
IP range matchNoAutomatic; works from any device on the institution's network
Domain matchNoFallback; less precise than IP matching
VPN and off-campus access

Users connecting from off-campus will typically not match institutional IP ranges unless their institution provides a VPN that routes traffic through a registered IP. Advise institutional contacts to include VPN exit node IPs in their IP range list.

Institutional Subscription Fields Reference​

FieldRequiredDescription
Institution NameYesDisplay name for the institution
Mailing AddressNoUsed for invoices and correspondence
DomainNoInstitutional domain (e.g. lib.example.edu) for domain-based auth
Subscription TypeYesMust be an institutional type
Start DateYesFirst day of the subscription period
End DateYesLast day of the subscription period
StatusYesActive / Awaiting Payment / Expired
IP RangesRecommendedOne or more IP addresses, ranges, or subnets
NoteNoInternal note (not visible to institution)

Managing Institutional Subscription Expiry​

Identifying Expiring Subscriptions​

  1. Go to Subscriptions → Institutional Subscriptions
  2. Use the Expiry filter to list subscriptions expiring within a date range
  3. Note which institutions need renewal outreach

Renewing an Institutional Subscription​

  1. Click the arrow next to the institution name
  2. Select Edit
  3. Update the End Date to the end of the new subscription period
  4. Confirm the Status is Active
  5. Click Save
Renewal invoicing

OJS does not generate invoices automatically. Prepare invoices outside OJS (e.g. in your finance system) and record payment manually — see Payment Methods.

Common Issues with IP Ranges​

IssueLikely CauseResolution
Institution users cannot access contentIP range entered incorrectlyVerify the range with the institution's IT; check for typos
Access granted to wrong usersOverlapping IP ranges from different subscriptionsReview all institutional subscriptions for overlapping ranges
Off-campus users cannot accessVPN IPs not includedAsk institution to provide VPN exit node IPs and add them
IPv6 not workingOJS may not support IPv6 ranges depending on versionCheck OJS release notes; ask on the PKP Forum
Domain-based auth not workingDomain entered with leading www. or trailing slashEnter bare domain only: example.edu not www.example.edu/
Access dropped after renewalStatus left as Expired after date extensionEdit subscription and set status back to Active
Confirming access with the institution

After setting up a new institutional subscription, ask the institution's librarian to test access from a registered IP before marking the setup as complete.

Further Reading​