Guidelines
For OJS
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Open Journal Systems (OJS) is an open-source journal management and publishing system developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP). It is widely used by academic institutions, universities, and independent publishers to manage peer-reviewed journals. Here’s an overview of how OJS works:
1. Installation & Setup
· OJS needs to be installed on a web server with PHP and MySQL (or PostgreSQL).
· It allows for multiple journals to be hosted on a single installation.
· Basic configuration includes journal settings, user roles, and workflows.
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2. User Roles in OJS
OJS assigns different roles, each with specific permissions:
· Journal Manager – Manages settings, workflows, and users.
· Editor – Oversees the peer review and publishing process.
· Section Editor – Manages specific sections (e.g., research articles, reviews).
· Author – Submits manuscripts for publication.
· Reviewer – Conducts peer review of submissions.
· Reader – Accesses published articles.
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3. Submission & Peer Review Workflow
· Authors submit manuscripts through the OJS portal.
· Editors assign submissions to reviewers for evaluation.
· The peer review process can be single-blind, double-blind, or open.
· Revisions may be requested before acceptance.
· Once accepted, articles go through copyediting, layout editing, and proofreading before publication.
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4. Publishing & Indexing
· OJS supports DOI registration, XML metadata, and indexing in databases like Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
· Journals can be open access or subscription-based.
· Articles are published in issues, which can be scheduled for regular publication.
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5. Plugins & Customization
· OJS supports plugins for additional functionalities, such as:
o ORCID integration
o CrossRef DOI registration
o Plagiarism detection tools
· Themes and templates allow for UI customization.
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6. Journal Metrics & Analytics
· Editors can track article views, downloads, and citations.
· OJS integrates with Google Analytics for detailed metrics.
For Journals & Publishers
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If you're a journal publisher or editor and want your journal indexed:
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1. Ensure Your Journal Meets Standards
o Your journal should have an ISSN (International Standard Serial Number).
o It should follow academic publishing ethics (COPE guidelines are a plus).
o Open-access journals are preferred, but closed-access journals can also be indexed.
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2. Provide an RSS Feed or XML Metadata
o Scilit automatically indexes journals through metadata from sources like CrossRef and PubMed.
o If your journal has an RSS feed or OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting), it makes the indexing process easier.
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3. Submit Your Journal for Indexing
o You can contact Scilit directly via their support email or contact form on their website: https://www.scilit.net.
o Include relevant journal details, such as ISSN, publisher information, and a link to your journal's website.
For Google Scholar:
Ensure Your Journal Website is Crawlable
· Use Google Search Console to check for indexing issues.
· Make sure your journal’s articles are not blocked by robots.txt.
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Follow Google Scholar’s Indexing Guidelines
· Articles must be in PDF or HTML format (preferably with DOIs).
· Ensure each article has title, author names, abstract, and references properly structured.
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Use Structured Citation Metadata
· Include meta tags (Dublin Core, Highwire, or Google Scholar-friendly metadata) in article pages.
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Submit Your Journal for Indexing
· If your journal is not yet indexed, you can request inclusion by following Google Scholar’s Publisher
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Guidelines.
Host on a Well-Indexed Platform
· If possible, use OJS (Open Journal Systems) or a reputable publishing platform that Google Scholar crawls frequently.

