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OJS for EveryoneThe Practical GuidebookRSYN Research LLP

Basic OJS Training — 1 Hour

Training Duration: 1 Hour
Training Method: Online (via Zoom)
Level: Beginner — no prior OJS experience required

Who Should Attend​

This training is designed for:

  • New journal administrators setting up OJS for the first time
  • Editorial assistants taking over journal management responsibilities
  • Institutional library staff supporting journal editors
  • Anyone who needs to understand the OJS interface and roles before diving into daily tasks

What You Will Learn​

By the end of this training, you will be able to:

  • Navigate the OJS site administration panel and journal dashboard
  • Create and configure a new journal on an existing OJS installation
  • Understand and configure core website settings
  • Explain the different user roles in OJS and their responsibilities

Training Coverage​

Module 1 — Managing the Site & Journal Control Panel​

Duration: 15 minutes

  • Overview of the OJS interface
  • The difference between Site Administration and Journal Management
  • Accessing the Site Administration panel
  • Navigating the Journal Manager dashboard
  • Understanding the Settings menu structure:
    • Journal (identity, masthead, sections)
    • Website (appearance, plugins, navigation)
    • Workflow (submission, review, copyediting, production)
    • Distribution (indexing, access, payments)

Module 2 — Creating and Configuring a New Journal​

Duration: 15 minutes

  • Creating a new journal from the Site Administration panel
  • Entering basic journal information: title, initials, description
  • Setting up the journal's contact information
  • Configuring the default language and supported languages
  • Enabling and disabling the journal for public access

Module 3 — Understanding Website Settings​

Duration: 15 minutes

  • Customising journal appearance: logo, colour scheme, homepage image
  • Configuring navigation menus
  • Setting up the journal's About pages (editorial policies, peer review statement, open access policy)
  • Enabling and configuring plugins (introduction)
  • Setting up announcements

Module 4 — Understanding Journal Roles​

Duration: 15 minutes

  • Overview of all OJS user roles:
    • Site Administrator
    • Journal Manager
    • Editor / Section Editor / Guest Editor
    • Reviewer
    • Author
    • Copyeditor / Layout Editor / Proofreader
    • Subscription Manager / Reader
  • How roles are assigned and what each role can access
  • Creating a new user and assigning a role
  • Best practices for role assignment in small teams

Prerequisites​

  • Access to an OJS installation (test/sandbox recommended)
  • Web browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge recommended)
  • No programming or technical skills required

What You Need to Prepare​

Before the session:

  1. Confirm you have admin or journal manager access to an OJS instance.
  2. Note any specific questions about your journal's setup.
  3. Have your journal's basic details ready: title, ISSN (if obtained), contact email.

After the Training​

Recommended next steps:

  1. Complete the Set Up a New Journal tutorial.
  2. Add your editorial team as users and assign their roles.
  3. Explore the Intermediate Training to learn submission and issue management.

Further Reading​