Resources for Editors of Scholarly Journals: Using Open Journal Systems (OJS), version 3.0

Digital Publishing Services at the University of Kansas Libraries have created this guide to assist those thinking of starting a new journal or working with an existing journal. Contact Marianne Reed (mreed@ku.edu) if you have any questions.

OJS and the Public Knowledge Project (PKP)

Open Journal Systems (OJS) is an open-source journal management system that is used by many institutions.   It was developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), "a multi-university initiative developing (free) open source software and conducting research to improve the quality and reach of scholarly publishing."  PKP has developed instructional materials to support those who use OJS to publish their journals.

If you're a new user to OJS, we suggest you start with the following resources from PKP:

OJS for Journal Managers (PKP School on YouTube)

Journal Managers in OJS are responsible for setting up the basic functions of the journal and its web site and for managing users. 

For those that prefer to learn how to use OJS from short YouTube videos, PKP School is also available through the PublicKnowledgeProject channel. Here is the listing of PKPSchool videos for Journal Managers. 

Setting up a Journal in OJS 3

OJS for Editors (PKP School on YouTube)

Editors in OJS are responsible for the editorial workflow from submission to publication.  Editors accept submissions, assign reviewers, oversee copyediting and layout functions, and publish the completed issues. 

For those that prefer to learn how to use OJS from short YouTube videos, PKP School is also available through the PublicKnowledgeProject channel. Here is the listing of PKPSchool videos for Editors. 

Editorial Workflow for OJS 3

OJS for Authors and Reviewers (PKP on YouTube)

OJS Journal editors and managers may wish to make available to authors and reviewers links to these YouTube videos from the PublicKnowledgeProject channel:

Information for Authors:

Information for Reviewers: