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OJS Features for Open Access Journal

The Internet has disrupted our life, specifically in “How we access information?”. Open access journal is not immune to this groundbreaking innovation. Research is a field that is largely affected by the WWW. Documentation of the novel findings or alteration suggestions in existing findings is changed entirely. Open Journal System (OJS) has provided tremendous capabilities to its user for establishing the open access journal website in 2-3 weeks.

OJS & Internet
OJS & Internet

Entry of the OJS into the WWW makes the research digitization very efficient and manageable. As a result, many like to have these research articles at their fingertips, which means in the form of journal websites, specifically open-access journals. Access to research documentation in the form of a research article has become much easier than 10 years ago.

Research & Innovation
Research & Innovation

Therefore, we cannot overlook the open access journal’s website performance and features. In this blog, I would like to discuss the most important features provided by Open Journal System (OJS) to host open access journal websites.

Before moving into the discussion, I would like to spare some time for the elephant in the room, an “open access journal.” If you are new to the research world, you might not have heard about this group of words before. So, please read the below section to understand the background theory well so that advanced learnings become very easy.

What is an open access journal?

Anything which doesn’t require any prior permission, license, subscription, or fee payment is called open access. The same phenomenon is applied to put this into the perspective of open-access journals. 

Open Access Journals
Open Access Journals

Open access journals are open to all research communities and normal human beings. To access the published research articles in such journals, you are not required to purchase a subscription or any special license. The most beautiful thing about these categories of journals is that they are “free.”

Note: Open-access journals are free for readers; however, they can charge some amount for publishing the articles.

Open Access Journal
Open Access Journal

Open access journals were not very popular as there were no dedicated online infrastructures. Journals were in print form only. However, after the entrance of the Internet, many publishers have developed open-access journal websites. In continuation, I would add that Open Journal System (OJS) is a robust open-sourced platform to establish such open access journals website quickly.

Open-access journals website can be accessed by anyone having a good internet connection. So, you might be clear now that this is a very generous arrangement to accelerate the research and development by subtracting the cost hurdles.

Top Features of the Open Journal System (OJS):

1. Efficient OJS Themes:

With the recent upgrade, OJS has ready-to-use themes with endless color options. These themes are not just about looks but also agile in performance. These themes will allow you to set up your journal website quickly. Drag and drop facility is there for you in case you need to be made aware of HTML and CSS. Earlier themes were not easy to change as they required many template files. A recent upgrade has solved this problem by making template files stand alone. Get exciting OJS Themes

Apart from the basic layout, the latest OJS allows customizing the theme per the individual test and requirements. Many OJS hosting service providers are available who can help you make your journal website more interactive and user-friendly with full customization.

2. Responsive Nature of OJS Theme

As mobile phone becomes the mode of internet access, the OJS website is no exception. Many researchers love accessing such websites via mobile phones, tablets, or handheld devices. These devices are of different screen sizes. So to put this variable display environment, OJS has provided responsive layout themes.

3. Fragmented and Bifurcated stepwise procedure

The entire workflow has been divided into small parts, making it easy to work with and manage. Primarily this division consists of Accommodation {where novel requirements are entertained by affirmation or negation}, Survey {where peers check the content and revert to the creators so that they can edit the content} and Copyediting{where foreseen contents are stored for the final revision and ready to enter into the production}.

The great thing about the above-discussed steps is that each step can be accessed individually and left to visit, which means jumping the sequence. This edition allows you to enroll the creator at any step for proper correction.

4. Dynamic User Swap

Generally, software systems are of a nature in which they do not allow the user role to change without reentering the credentials. OJS, on the other hand, allows you to change the user if you have logged in with the master credentials. This facility is very convenient for changing roles and doing tasks with rapid response. For example, you can become a reviewer and journal manager in one login. You do not require to log out from the system to change the role.

5. Interaction regarding publication

As you know, OJS has divided the entire journal management task into various stages: Accommodation, Survey, copyediting, and production. The different user roles can collaborate via a simple messaging system during this phase. Apart from this, robust email facilities are also there for logging activity status. Peers can review each other’s work and comment also. This facility ensures that each stakeholder can take an interest in all activities. This is possible only and only due to the OJS new theme advancement.

6. Simple Registration

Enrolling in a new user’suser’s biome is very easy with this upgrade. The new registration form includes very few and extremely important fields to be filled in by the user. The user with no extra information can fill out this form. It can be submitted with handy or memorized basic information. After the form submission, new clients are informed via well formatted prescribed email.

7. Easy Task Assignment Mechanism

Another significant benefit of OJS is that you can swap between two different users who are experts. Swapping is straightforward, and configuration options are available in the left sidebar. As a result, it has made the assignment of dual obligations easier.

Upgrade to the latest OJS 3.3.0-13 for New Features

You might be running a journal website on old OJS, so you might not have the new features. I request you upgrade your OJS to the latest OJS 3.3.0-13. Ensure you take enough care during the upgrade because an OJS upgrade is complex and demands expertise. One should take a full system backup before upgrading because sometimes the upgrade may go wrong, and data can be lost. If possible, then higher experts for OJS upgrade.

We at OJSCloud provide end to end hosting solutions for open access journal on OJS.

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OJS Service Providers

Conclusion

To wind up the discussion, I would definitely rate the current OJS version along with the discussed features on the higher side of the weight scale, as it provides extraordinary functionalities for the user. All the discussed functionality make the journal management task very efficient. I recommend upgrading to this version to maximize the new features.

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How to Upgrade Open Journal System from OJS 3.x to OJS 3.3.0-13

Welcome to the step-by-step guide for Upgrade Open Journal System (OJS) version 3. x to OJS-3.3.0-13. This process requires a lot of care, time, and patience as it involves much complexity. An expert must do this upgrade, as you might need some help. There are many chances of losing valuable information, so I urge you to hire an expert agency with good experience in this field.  

Prerequisite: Have you gone through the head-to-tail of my other blog on the “What is Open Journal System (OJS) upgrade? Why upgrade is necessary for the Open Journal System (OJS)?” Because this blog contains all the basic understandings needed for the upgrade. So please go through it and come back here. 

Steps for Open Journal System upgrade from OJS 3.x to OJS 3.3.0-13

Step-1

Take Full Backup: Copy all the directories (Open Journal System Files Folder, Public Folder, Current database) of the existing Open Journal System and store them well for full backups. The backup will be crucial if anything goes wrong in the upgrade process. Because Open Journal System upgrade is a process having a higher rate of failure.

Step-2

Download the Latest version Folder. You can visit the website:https://pkp.sfu.ca/software/ojs/download/, (and directly jump onto the step-3, you can skip step-2.1 to step-2.6) or you can do this from your website’s back panel. Please follow the below screenshot for the process.

Step-2.1: Log in to your back panel and go to the “Dashboard“.

open journal system

Step-2.2: Click on “Administration” in the left corner.

How to Upgrade Open Journal System from OJS 3.x to OJS 3.3.0-13 1
OJS Upgrade

Step-2.3: Click on “System Information”.

How to Upgrade Open Journal System from OJS 3.x to OJS 3.3.0-13 2
OJS Upgrade

Step-2.4: Now you can check your current version and click “check for the updates“.

How to Upgrade Open Journal System from OJS 3.x to OJS 3.3.0-13 3
OJS Upgrade

Step-2.5: Click on “download” to get the latest Open Journal System version zip folder.

How to Upgrade Open Journal System from OJS 3.x to OJS 3.3.0-13 4
OJS Upgrade

Step-2.6: This step will take you to the website of PKP, where you can download the latest Open Journal System version by clicking on the below-stated button.

How to Upgrade Open Journal System from OJS 3.x to OJS 3.3.0-13 5
OJS Upgrade

Step-3

Extract the downloaded Folder. In our case, that Folder will be default named “ojs-3.3.0-13“. You can change the name of the Folder, but keep it as it is because it will be easy to identify it as the latest version’s Folder.

Step-4

Upload the extracted Folder (ojs-3.3.0-13 in step-3) to the concerned server where your Open Journal System website is being hosted.

Step-5

Bring from OLD and Put it new Folder: Bring the following two things from the old backup (created in step-1): (1) config.inc.php (2) public/ and upload the above two things to the new version folder (named ojs-3.3.0-13 in step-3).

Step-6

Alter, one file settings in a new Folder:

For this, do as directed below:

  • Find “config.inc.php” file.
  • In this file, find “General Settings”
  • Find installed = On and replace with installed = Off.
  • Save this file.
  • See the below screenshot for better clarity.
How to Upgrade Open Journal System from OJS 3.x to OJS 3.3.0-13 6
OJS Upgrade: config.inc.php file change

Step-7

Go to your journal’s website, where you will find below mentioned text along with one hyperlink. “If you are upgrading an existing installation of OJS, click here to proceed.” Please click on the words “click here”.

Now wait for the message given below: “Upgrade of the Open Journal System to version 3.3.0-13 has been completed successfully” (it might take 20-30 minutes to pop. Depending upon the size of your database)

Step-8

Alter one file set in a new Folder:

For this, do as directed below:

  • Find “config.inc.php” file.
  • In this file, find “General Settings”.
  • Find installed = Off and replace with installed = On,
  • Save this file.
  • See the below screenshot for better clarity.
How to Upgrade Open Journal System from OJS 3.x to OJS 3.3.0-13 7

Step-9

Task Completed:

Congratulations…..!!!! Your Open Journal System has been upgraded to version OJS 3.3.0-13. You can check by refollowing step 2.4

Note: Above mentioned steps do not promise a successful upgrade. You might face trouble upgrading if you have installed a customized theme and plugin. These steps are derived from the actual documentation of the Open Journal System. You are requested to higher expert for this task. In case of any destruction to your database, I am not liable for that.

Precaution Steps for Open Journal System upgrade:

(a) Find the perfect time to upgrade

In a software world, the upgrade is an ongoing process. As a result, PKP continuously releases new minor versions of OJS. It is not advisable that each time you need to keep on updating the OJS each day because it is a time-consuming and complex task. So to solve this confusion, one should keep track of new features available in new releases. Analyze your requirements against the newly released features; if those are necessary, please go for them. However, security point of view, you should upgrade at least once a year. 

(b) Check plugins & important features Compatibility

At the time of the upgrade, ensure that any plugin important to your user is compatible with the OJS 3. If not, you need to wait until the new bug-free version of OJS has been released. Because some of the immediate new version releases may not support all plugins, this care is not only limited to the plugins but must also be kept in mind for other essential features. So it is better to chat with editorial teams before going for an upgrade.

(c) Which version to go for? (i.e. OJS 3.1.0, OJS 3.2.0, or OJS 3.1.0-1; OJS 3.2.0-1)

Generally, it is good to go for the latest version. On the contrary, you must know the type of the latest version. Is it a major or minor update release? Because if you go for the immediate major release, it might contain some bugs, which will be addressed during the subsequent minor release. So my advice is to always go for the latest minor release.

(d) Making Aware the editorial team and other concerns

As this upgrade procedure will affect many areas, relevant entities must be aware of this for a seamless user experience. Before the upgrade announces, all involved parties, like an editorial team, editors, and section editors, must be aware of the upgrade procedure. Though the reviewer and author will not face significant issues with the upgrade.

(e) Make necessary changes to the server to meet the requirements of OJS 3.

You need to focus on the below-mentioned requirements. These have been generated by PKP from users’ feedback, so you may need some extras apart from the below-mentioned.

  • PHP >= 7.2
  • MySQL >= 4.1 
  • PostgreSQL >= 9.1.5
  • Apache >= 1.3.2x or >= 2.0.4x 
  • Microsoft IIS 6
  • Operating system: Any OS that supports the above software, including Linux, BSD, Solaris, Mac OS X, Windows

(f) Prepare a list of items automatically moving to the new version or requiring manual efforts. 

  • Submissions
  • Users
  • Roles/Permission setting
  • Announcements
  • Sections
  • The following items will need manual efforts for moving to OJS 3:
  • Journal Information – Masthead, Editorial Team, Permissions, etc.
  • Customizations – CSS, images, color codes
  • Journal setup settings and textual information
  • Plugins
  • Pages/ Menus
  • Links
  • Files
  • Customized email templates
  • Reviewer Forms
  • Custom blocks
  • PDF uploads

(g) Deletion of the existing database.

This step will wipe out all spam users. So take this as an opportunity to clean up unwanted users from the database. You can manually identify the spam users present in your system by SQL query. This query utilizes email domains fetched during the new user registration.

(h) Perform sandbox testing.

A sandbox is an isolated testing environment that enables users to run programs or open files without affecting the application, system, or platform on which they run. The upgrade task is very intensive, so it is better to be double-sure before going to the war zone.

(i) Evaluate, test, and troubleshoot your sandbox OJS 3 site

This is the right time to test the website involving all stakeholders (Journal Managers, Editors, and Section Editors) in a secure environment. Collect the feedback from the users and, if necessary, go back to the drawing board for changes. This is where you can test the workflow and train the stakeholders.

(j) Adjust your theme (If the custom theme is applied)

After the upgrade, it is most important to check the applied theme. Because the older version theme might not work correctly in the new OJS 3, I suggest checking for the OJS 3 themes to overcome this option.

Please click below to book an appointment for an OJS upgrade.

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Open Journal System Upgrade
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What is a Free Open Journal System (OJS) Upgrade?

Open Journal System (OJS) is an open-source software, developed by Public Knowledge Project (PKP). This journal management system gaining enormous popularity in the last 7-8 years. Many research scholars and renowned institutes throughout the world use this open-source software for accessing open-access journals. It would not be cliche to cite here that the Open Journal System is the home of more than 10000 open-access journals. 

So, by looking at its serving volume and popularity it is in the list of giant software systems like Dspace. Looking at this giant software architecture it definitely requires the addition of new features in form of upgrades.

This article will answer all your queries regarding the Open Journal System (OJS) upgrade, and throw light on the importance of upgrading the Open Journal System (OJS) version along with the upgrade procedure of Open Journal System (OJS). So, tighten your seat belt and have an exciting journey in the world of Open Journal System (OJS) upgrades.

So, What is Open Journal System (OJS) upgrade?

OJS Upgrade is a process of migrating from the older version to the latest version, to make the hosted websites function very well in the area of security, reliability, responsiveness, GUI, and communication.

The main focus of the upgrade procedure is always better security and reliability. Shortly, you can say that this is the exercise to keep the system up to date for upcoming challenges and demands.

Click below to book an appointment for an OJS upgrade.

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Open Journal System (OJS) upgrade

Why upgrade is necessary for the Open Journal System (OJS)?

open journal system

As we know that software is a thing that cannot be delivered in one go. The software requires constant feedback from the possessors or relevant user communities. The upgrade is very important for any software system in order to keep on user engagement for a longer period.

For Security

OJS Security

The most important aspect of upgrading any software is security concerns. Security is the most talked about topic in recent eras as far as World Wide Web (WWW) is concerned.

As your software grows in terms of active user base it also grabs the attention of the dark web practitioners, known as crackers (unethical hackers). As discussed in the preamble of this article, OJS is gaining popularity as the research industry grows. It has more than 10000 active open-access journals. Many hosted journals involve financial transactions for publishing work. So the risk is very high if the system is not up to date. In order to make the system tough enough it required frequent care in analyzing the threats and effective protection against them.

For New Functionality

As time passes by the user of the system needs something extra from the existing system. Adding new features which were not there at the time of the earlier version release, requires frequent upgrades. Such upgrades increase the usability of the system at a very rapid pace.

For Website Performance

OJS Website Performance

As the number of users and data grows, it hinders the overall performance of the hosted journal websites. Nowadays, nobody like slow software which takes more than 5 seconds to load the pages. If your system keeps on underperforming in the area of response time, that might happen you will lose your user base. To make it responsive OJS keeps on upgrading its structure and tries to make it optimized.

For Efficient GUI

OJS Website GUI

As Open Journal System (OJS) is not software that is only developed for information technocrats, it has a larger user base from a nontechnical background as well, like the Field of Medicine, Field of Education, etc. Such nontechnical use needs a user-friendly and nonredundant Graphical User Interface, which makes their relevant task very easy. Such efficient GUI required rigorous efforts and frequent upgrades to the system based on user experience and feedback. 

For enhanced Compatibility

OJS Website Compatibility

Open Journal System (OJS) setup is server intensive job. Simply speaking, Open Journal System (OJS) needs to talk with the server environment frequently. The technology used on the server side keeps on upgrading very often. To match the steps with such a frequently upgrading server environment Open Journal System (OJS) itself requires to be up to date.

What care should be taken during the Open Journal System (OJS) upgrade?

OJS Upgrade Care

Upgrading Open Journal System (OJS) is not as easy as upgrading a WordPress website. This upgrade procedure just does not involve clicking a single “upgrade” button. It is an expert task and needs extra care before going for the step. There is a scope of marginal error that can ruin your hard work by corrupting structural files or publishing articles. To avoid any mishap, the below-listed area must be taken into account while upgrading. 

  • Complete backup of database and essential files.
  • Selection of correct timings, as it might take 1-2 days.
  • Making aware the users for not accepting any workflow during the upgrade.
  • Post-upgrade testing and troubleshooting.
  • Open Journal System (OJS) login must be disabled to avoid any ambiguity between the current instance and the upgraded one.
  • Installed plugins may lose compatibility with earlier versions. So better to check it after the upgrade.
  • Choose the web-based method to upgrade only if your database is less than 300 MB and you have access to CPanel. Otherwise, go for a command-based system.
  • Use staging servers for the process.

Generic Steps for Open Journal System (OJS) upgrade:

  • 1. Set Environment Variables
  • 2. Enter Maintenance Mode
  • 3. Create Backups
  • 4. Create a Sandbox
  • 5. Download the Release Package
  • 6. Check System Requirements
  • 7. Install Release Package
  • 8. Run the Upgrade
  • 9. Remove Maintenance Mode
  • 10. Test the Upgrade
  • 11. Restore Custom Plugins
  • 12. Cleanup Backup Files

Why do you need to upgrade OJS 2 to OJS 3?

Since the inception of OJS, PKP has released two major versions that are OJS 2.x and OJS 3.x. Currently, both versions are doing extremely well in terms of managing scholarly research work publications throughout the world.

As you know, current circumstances demand constant upgrades and novelty in each thing. So that OJS is not the exception over here. The developer of OJS, known as the Public Knowledge Project (PKP) keeps on pushing the boundaries of OJS to meet the user’s demands. 

In continuation, I would say PKP is pouring the new features and functionalities in OJS in form of frequent upgrades. As a result in recent times (the year 2022), the new version, OJS 3.x has been released with great features and enhanced security functions. So, to take the advantage of the new add-ons everyone must need to upgrade from the older version to the latest.

Upgrade OJS 3.X to OJS 3.3.0-13 >>

You might ask a question:

If OJS 2 is working perfectly fine, then why should I move on to OJS 3? Your question is not at the wrong place, as a counterargument, I would like to add that, OJS 2 is lacking in many areas such as look and feel, security, and functionality. 

Time Change

If you do not migrate to the latest version, you will not be able to enjoy the extra benefits from the latest offerings of OJS 3. For better clarity please refer subsequent section that describes the additional features and benefits provided by OJS 3.

What are the features provided by OJS version 3 and 3.2.x compared to OJS 2.x?

  • Existing OJS users are more comfortable with OJS 3.
  • OJS management feature
  • Flexible editorial workflow
  • Author Plugins also recommend this upgrade.
  • Support a “draft” option for reviews.
  • Easy compatibility with third-party plugins.
  • New default themes
  • Statistics reports
  • More responsive in terms of page loading speed and mobile-friendly.
  • Author records can be deleted very easily by submission deletion.
  • Multilingual author name support
  • Support for thematic collections or categories of articles
  • Submissions from removed journals can be counted.

Important: Things to consider before upgrading OJS 2 to OJS 3 :

  • The OJS 2 Theme or the design template you used before, may no longer support the latest OJS version
  • Some plugins no longer support OJS 3, including Books for Review and Dataverse Please note that for you to take an inventory of your useful and frequently used plugins and features, you should check and trace details regarding their availability for newer OJS versions before you decide to upgrade.
  • Some data is not included as a result of the OJS upgrade. We have listed the exclusion of data that be found.
  • The pop-up that shows the detail of each editorial team won’t be supported. The solution for this issue is to create a custom static page or custom design for each of the Editorial members including their affiliation.

Conclusion

To summarize, I would say that an OJS upgrade is a very necessary thing to do if you want your hosted journal more secure, efficient, responsive, and reliable. However, this process is not an easy task for a normal human being. It requires expert knowledge. So, I would suggest you to higher an expert agency for the said purpose.