PKP School Free Online Courses
PKP School (pkpschool.sfu.ca) is the Public Knowledge Project's free online learning platform. It offers self-paced courses for everyone involved in academic journal publishing — editors, reviewers, authors, and journal managers.
All courses are free, self-paced, and can be completed in any order.
PKP School is maintained by the Public Knowledge Project at Simon Fraser University, the same team that develops OJS. The courses are authoritative, up-to-date, and directly aligned with OJS workflows.
Available Courses
1. Becoming an Editor
Audience: New editors and section editors
Duration: Self-paced (estimated 2–4 hours)
This course walks through the complete editorial workflow from an editor's perspective:
- Understanding the editor's role and responsibilities
- Navigating the OJS editorial dashboard
- Assigning reviewers and managing the peer review process
- Making and communicating editorial decisions
- Overseeing copyediting and production
- Scheduling articles and publishing issues
2. Becoming a Reviewer
Audience: Peer reviewers — new and experienced
Duration: Self-paced (estimated 1–2 hours)
This course covers the reviewer's role in academic publishing:
- Understanding peer review ethics and best practices
- Accepting and declining review invitations in OJS
- Downloading and reading the manuscript
- Completing the review form
- Writing constructive, useful reviewer comments
- Meeting deadlines and communicating with editors
3. Writing for Publication
Audience: Researchers and authors preparing manuscripts
Duration: Self-paced (estimated 2–3 hours)
This course helps authors prepare stronger manuscripts:
- Structuring a research article (IMRAD and other formats)
- Writing a compelling abstract and keywords
- Responding effectively to reviewer comments
- Understanding journal selection and fit
- Open access publishing and licensing
- Ethical considerations for authors
4. Setting Up a Journal in OJS
Audience: Journal Managers setting up a new journal
Duration: Self-paced (estimated 2–4 hours)
Step-by-step configuration of a new OJS journal:
- Configuring journal identity and contact information
- Setting up journal sections and policies
- Configuring the editorial workflow
- Adding users and assigning roles
- Setting up the journal's website appearance
- Enabling DOIs and indexing options
5. Authoring in OJS
Audience: Authors submitting manuscripts to OJS journals
Duration: Self-paced (estimated 1–2 hours)
Guides authors through the submission process:
- Creating an OJS account
- Completing the submission wizard
- Uploading files and entering metadata
- Tracking submission status
- Responding to revision requests
6. PKP School: Publishing Workflow Courses
Audience: All journal publishing roles
PKP School also offers a series of publishing workflow courses covering the full academic publishing process:
These courses cover:
- Submission management
- Peer review process
- Copy editing and production
- Issue assembly and publication
- Open access models
- Journal sustainability
How to Enroll
- Visit pkpschool.sfu.ca.
- Click Register to create a free PKP School account.
- Browse the course catalogue and click Enroll on any course.
- Complete lessons at your own pace — there are no deadlines.
- Download a certificate of completion when you finish.
PKP School certificates can be listed on your CV and shared on LinkedIn to demonstrate professional development in academic publishing.
Comparison: PKP School vs. This Guidebook
| PKP School | OJS Guidebook (this site) | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Interactive courses with quizzes | Reference documentation |
| Pace | Self-paced | Read at any time |
| Certification | Yes (completion certificates) | No |
| OJS version | Updated periodically | OJS 3.5+ focused |
| Best for | Structured learning and onboarding | Quick reference and role-specific guides |
Use PKP School for structured learning and this guidebook as an ongoing reference.
Further Reading
- PKP School — Enroll in free courses
- PKP Documentation Hub — All official PKP documentation
- OJS Training Programs — Our structured training tiers (Basic through Comprehensive)
- PKP Community Forum — Community support and discussion