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

Tutorial: Set Up a New Journal

Role: Journal Manager
Time: 60–90 minutes
OJS Version: 3.5+

This tutorial guides you through the complete initial setup of a new journal in OJS 3.5+. By the end, you will have a fully configured journal ready to accept submissions.

Before You Start​

  • OJS is installed and running (or your hosting provider has set it up).
  • You have been assigned the Journal Manager role by the Site Administrator.
  • You have your journal's basic information ready: full name, abbreviation, ISSN, and a brief description.

Step 1 — Complete Journal Settings​

  1. Log in and navigate to Settings → Journal.
  2. Fill in the Masthead tab:
FieldExampleNotes
Journal NameJournal of Open ResearchFull official title
Journal InitialsJORShort code used in URLs and metadata
Journal AbbreviationJ. Open Res.Abbreviated title for citations
PublisherYour InstitutionWill appear on article metadata
ISSN (Print)1234-5678Leave blank if online-only
ISSN (Online)8765-4321Assign one via https://portal.issn.org/
Journal SummaryBrief description (1–2 sentences)Shown in journal listings
About the JournalFull description with scope, aimsAppears on the About page
  1. Click Save.

Contact Information​

  1. Still in Settings → Journal, click the Contact tab.
  2. Set Principal Contact (editor's name and email) and Technical Support Contact.
  3. Click Save.

Step 2 — Configure Submission Sections​

Journal sections (e.g., Articles, Reviews, Short Communications) define the types of content your journal publishes.

  1. Navigate to Settings → Journal → Sections.
  2. Click Create Section.
  3. Fill in:
    • Title (e.g., Research Articles)
    • Abbreviation (e.g., ART)
    • Indexed — tick if this section should be included in indexing
    • Peer reviewed — tick for sections that require peer review
    • Word count / abstracts settings as appropriate
  4. Click Save.
  5. Repeat for each section your journal needs.
Common Sections

Most journals need: Articles (peer-reviewed), Reviews (book/software reviews), and Editorials (not peer-reviewed, editor-only submission).

Step 3 — Configure Workflow Settings​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Workflow → Submission.
  2. Set Author Guidelines — explain what authors should submit and how.
  3. Add a Submission Preparation Checklist — list items authors must confirm (e.g., "The manuscript has not been previously published").
  4. Set a Copyright Notice for authors.
  5. Click Save.

Review Settings​

  1. Click the Review tab in Workflow Settings.
  2. Configure:
SettingRecommended Value
Default Review ModeDouble-Blind
Restrict File AccessEnabled — reviewers can only see files after accepting
Review Deadline28 days
Reminder Days7 days before deadline
Review Completion GuidelineAdd instructions for your reviewers
  1. Click Save.

Step 4 — Configure Distribution Settings​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Distribution.
  2. On the Indexing tab:
    • Add a Description (2–3 sentence journal summary for search engines)
    • Add Custom Tags (keywords that describe your journal's scope)
  3. On the Access tab, choose your access model:
    • Open Access — all content freely available (most journals)
    • Subscription — requires payment (see Subscription Manager role)
    • Delayed Open Access — free after an embargo period
  4. Click Save.

Step 5 — Set Up the Journal Website Appearance​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Website → Appearance.
  2. Select a Theme from the dropdown (e.g., Default Theme, Manuscript, Health Sciences).
  3. Upload your Journal Thumbnail (small square logo, ~150×150 px).
  4. Upload a Page Header Logo (the main header logo, ~600×150 px).
  5. (Optional) Upload a Homepage Image for the journal homepage banner.
  6. Set Sidebar configuration — choose which blocks appear in the sidebar.
  7. Click Save.

Step 6 — Create Navigation and Static Pages​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Website → Navigation.
  2. Review the default navigation menu (Primary Menu and User Menu).
  3. Add custom pages if needed:
    • Settings → Website → Static Pages (requires the Static Pages plugin — enable it under Settings → Website → Plugins)
    • Example pages: Author Guidelines, Ethics Statement, Peer Review Policy
  4. Add custom navigation items linking to these pages.

Step 7 — Configure Email Templates​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Workflow → Emails.
  2. Review the prepared email templates for each stage of the workflow.
  3. Customise templates to match your journal's tone and policies:
    • Click a template name (e.g., Review Request)
    • Edit the subject and body
    • Use {$authorName}, {$journalName}, {$submissionTitle} placeholders
  4. Click Save for each customised template.

For SMTP configuration, see Tutorial: Configure Email in OJS.

Step 8 — Add Editorial Team Members​

  1. Navigate to Users & Roles → Users.
  2. Click Add User.
  3. Invite an editor, section editor, or other staff:
    • Enter their email address.
    • OJS can send them a registration invitation if they do not yet have an account.
  4. Once the user is registered, go to Users & Roles → Users, find them, and click Edit.
  5. Under Roles, add the appropriate role (e.g., Editor, Section Editor, Copyeditor).
  6. Click Save.

See Tutorial: Add Users and Assign Roles for full instructions.

Step 9 — Enable Plugins​

  1. Navigate to Settings → Website → Plugins.
  2. Enable key plugins for your journal:
PluginPurpose
CrossRef Reference LinkingAutomatic reference linking
DOIAssign DOIs to articles and issues
Google Scholar IndexingImproved Google Scholar metadata
ORCID ProfileValidate author ORCID iDs
Static PagesCreate custom information pages
Subscription BlockShow subscription link in sidebar
Usage StatisticsTrack article downloads
  1. Click the toggle next to each plugin to enable it.

Step 10 — Test the Journal​

Before announcing the journal publicly:

  • Submit a test article as an author account
  • Assign yourself as reviewer and complete a test review
  • Record an editorial decision (accept)
  • Create a test issue and publish it
  • Check that emails are delivered correctly
  • Verify the journal homepage looks correct
  • Test the article PDF download

After Setup​

  • Add the journal to indexing databases (DOAJ, Crossref, Scopus, etc.)
  • Promote the journal to potential authors
  • Set up Google Search Console to monitor indexing
  • Enable usage statistics reporting

Next Steps​