Creating a New Journal
I would like to create a new journal using Open Journal Systems. How do I get started?
It is suggested that you look over the list of questions at the bottom of this page to get an idea of the types of decisions you will need to make about your journal.
You will also need to register for an ISSN. Registration is quick, an ISSN is usually received with 24 hours. Here is a presentation detailing the ISSN registration process, and here is a link to the ISSN registration site.
Note: A separate ISSN is required for print and electronic versions. See these links for details: http://www.loc.gov/issn/e-serials.html and http://www.issn.org/node/327
Registering with Ulrich’s Periodical Directory will help your journal gain exposure. Ulrich’s is the most authoritative and comprehensive online database of journals, magazines, newspapers, and full-text electronic resources from over 200 countries. By exploring this site, you will be able to see which databases should be indexing your journal.
We recommend finding a mentor who is involved with an established journal in your subject area. A mentor can help guide you through the various steps of creating a journal such as assembling a board of directors and a pool of peer reviewers. Here is a sample breakdown and explanation of the different roles involved in the publishing of a journal.
Note: We do host some graduate student-run journals. For a student journal proposal to be considered by YDJ, we require that at least at least one faculty advisor/sponsor be associated with the journal.
We are here to help you with the process of publishing your journal online, and can try to help answer any other questions you may have. Please contact Andrea Kosavic akosavic@yorku.ca for more information.
The following is a list of resources that can help you plan for the creation of your new journal.
Journal Planning and Support
The Online Guide to Open Access Journals Publishing
If you’re looking to see what’s involved in starting a new journal, look no further, this is the document for you. Its a concise guide to all the steps involved in starting an online open access journal.
Developing OA journals: a practical guide by David J. Solomon, PhD
“This is an abridged version of the original book published by Chandos Publishing, Oxford England.” This document gives you a taste of Dr. Solomon’s book on Developing OA Journals. The book is highly recommended reading if you’ve decided to create or work with an online journal.
York Digital Journals
“York University Libraries are working with Open Journal Systems (OJS) software to help York University journal creators publish their journals online quickly and easily.”
Peter Suber’s Open Access overview
“This is an introduction to open access (OA) for those who are new to the concept. I hope it’s short enough to read, long enough to be useful, and organized to let you skip around and dive into detail only where you want detail. It doesn’t cover every nuance or answer every objection. But for those who read it, it should cover enough territory to prevent the misunderstandings that delayed progress in our early days.”
Best Practices for Publishing Journal Articles: National Federation for Advanced Information Services
“The NFAIS Working Group that drafted these best practices began by identifying key problems
related to article-by-article publishing…”
Public Knowledge Project collected scholarly works and Scholarly Publishing Guide
“The Public Knowledge Project is a research and development initiative directed toward improving the scholarly and public quality of academic research through the development of innovative online publishing and knowledge-sharing environments.”
Scholarly Editing by York Arts Faculty
A list of York Faculty members involved in the publication of scholarly journals.
Canadian Association of Learned Journals
“The Canadian Association of Learned Journals (CALJ) was organized in 1990 to ensure the well-being of learned journals in Canada as important disseminators of scholarly work. Representing over 100 Canadian journals, CALJ concentrates its efforts on three main areas: education, promotion and lobbying.”
SSHRC Aid to Scholarly Journals
Journal of Scholarly Publishing
“The Journal of Scholarly Publishing addresses the age-old problems in publishing as well as the new challenges resulting from changes in technology and funding. Some articles suggest ways to get effectively published in books and journals, while others address such topics as editorial and publishing policy, computer applications, electronic publishing, effective marketing and business management.”
Dissemination and Impact
Ulrich’s International Periodical Directory
Related Resources
Freeculture.org Students for Free Culture
“Students for Free Culture is an international chapter-based student organization that promotes the public interest in intellectual property and information & communications technology policy.”
Open-access Journal Publishing Resource Index
A variety of resources are available to guide the launch and operation of an open-access journal. To promote awareness of these resources, and to facilitate their efficient use, this section provides a high-level index to these guides by topic. Also included are links to example documents for key planning elements, such as new journal prospectuses, bylaws, sample editorial policies, and others.
Digital Campus Podcast Episode 40: Supermodels
“In a freewheeling news roundup we discuss the significance of a number of major changes in academic publishing, including MIT going open access, the University of Michigan Press going digital, Sony putting 500,000 books on their digital reading device, and the impact of budget cuts on presses and journals. We explore new models for academic publishing in the face of the economic downturn and the digital revolution. Picks of the week include a way for new Twitter users to find others in their discipline, documents from the National Security Archive, and a deadline for an unconference.”
