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How to Build a Journal Submission Website Using OJS 3.4+: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Build a Journal Submission Website Using OJS 3.4+: A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s academic landscape, having a reliable and professional journal submission website is vital for universities, colleges, and research institutions. Open Journal Systems (OJS) 3.4+, developed by the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), is a powerful, open-source solution designed specifically for managing peer-reviewed academic journals.

Whether you are launching a new journal or upgrading an existing one, this step-by-step guide will walk you through how to build a fully functional journal submission website using OJS 3.4+.

Step 1: Understand What OJS 3.4+ Offers

  • – Submission workflows for authors, editors, and reviewers
  • – Support for multiple journals on a single platform
  • – A plugin system to extend functionality (e.g. ORCID, Crossref, plagiarism detection)
  • – A responsive, user-friendly design
  • – Support for metadata standards such as Dublin Core and JATS XML
  • – Built-in publishing tools for articles and journal issues

Step 2: Set Up Your Hosting Environment

  • – A web server such as Apache or NGINX
  • – PHP version 8.0 or higher
  • – MySQL or MariaDB as your database
  • – An SSL certificate (for HTTPS and data security)
  • – Adequate storage for hosting PDFs and images

Step 3: Download and Install OJS

  • – Visit the official website: https://pkp.sfu.ca/ojs/
  • – Download the latest version of OJS 3.4+
  • – Upload the files to your server
  • – Create a MySQL database and user
  • – Open your domain in a browser to access the installation wizard
  • – Complete the setup with admin credentials and journal details

Step 4: Configure Journal Settings

  • – Set up your journal title, description, and aims and scope
  • – Upload your journal logo and choose a visual theme
  • – Select the language(s) your journal will use
  • – Configure the editorial and peer review workflow
  • – Set up email templates and notifications

Step 5: Set Up Roles and Workflow

  • – Author – submits manuscripts
  • – Editor / Section Editor – manages the editorial process
  • – Reviewer – conducts peer reviews
  • – Copyeditor / Layout Editor – refines accepted articles
  • – Journal Manager – oversees all aspects of the platform

Step 6: Install Essential Plugins

  • – ORCID Plugin – for author identity verification
  • – Crossref Plugin – to register DOIs and manage article metadata
  • – Plagiarism Check (e.g. iThenticate) – to ensure academic integrity
  • – PDF.js Viewer – for in-browser PDF viewing
  • – QuickSubmit Plugin – to manually migrate older articles
  • – JATS XML Export Plugin – for PubMed and other indexing platforms

Step 7: Customise the Design

  • – Select from built-in themes such as Default, Classic, or Bootstrap3
  • – Customise your homepage with journal cover, announcements, recent articles, and submission guidelines
  • – Consider using a WordPress frontend for greater design flexibility

Step 8: Test Submission and Editorial Workflow

  • – Create a test author account and submit a dummy article
  • – Assign it to an editor and a reviewer
  • – Run through the peer review and editorial decision process
  • – Accept the article and publish it in a test issue

Step 9: Publish Your First Issue

  • – Create a new journal issue (e.g. Volume 1, Issue 1)
  • – Add the accepted articles
  • – Assign DOIs and metadata
  • – Publish and display the issue on your journal homepage

Step 10: Improve Discoverability

  • – Export JATS XML for PubMed Central and similar indexes
  • – Enable OAI-PMH for metadata harvesting
  • – Use Google Scholar meta tags and structured metadata
  • – Register your journal with DOAJ, Crossref, and relevant databases
  • – Encourage authors to use ORCID

Step 11: Secure, Backup, and Maintain the Site

  • – Install and configure SSL
  • – Enable reCAPTCHA for spam protection
  • – Back up the site regularly using a tool such as UpdraftPlus
  • – Keep your OJS installation and plugins updated
  • – Train editors and admins on basic security best practices

Why Choose OJS 3.4+ for Your Journal?

OJS is not just a submission tool — it is a complete, open-access publishing solution designed for academic integrity, professional workflows, and global reach.

With the right setup, your journal can become more efficient, more discoverable, and more impactful in the academic world.

How Mamba Technologies Can Help You

At Mamba Technologies, we specialise in the development and support of journal submission platforms for universities, colleges, research institutions, and scholarly publishing bodies.

We offer:
– Custom OJS development for single or multi-journal platforms
– Integration with ORCID, Crossref, PubMed Central, and DOAJ
– Frontend development using WordPress for news, announcements, and article promotion
– Support for metadata structuring, including JATS XML and DOI registration
– Migration of existing content to OJS
– Full compliance with data protection laws and accessibility standards
– Training, maintenance, and post-launch support

Whether you are launching a new academic journal or upgrading your existing platform, we are here to help you build a robust, secure, and professional journal submission system that meets international standards.

To get started:
– Call us on 0721651572
– Email us at info@mambatechnologies.co.ke
– Visit www.mambatechnologies.co.ke

Let us help you bring your academic publishing vision to life.