Managing Transitions to OJS and Journal Growth
Location
Taylor Library Instruction Room
Event Type
Presentation
Start Date
11-3-2024 2:05 PM
End Date
11-3-2024 2:15 PM
Description
Last year, 'Tulips: The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Undergraduate Journal' transitioned from self-published to published through the OJS platform. Though this student-run journal is a smaller faculty-driven publication and has previously struggled to garner attention and submissions, the journal team has now been forced to adapt our practices to accommodate a growing number of submissions from our expanding faculty. Adaptation for ‘Tulips’ meant publishing through OJS, creating new roles within the publication team, and a more rigorous submissions vetting process. This session aims to describe the challenges of learning a new system and how to manage a journal that is expanding in size. First, the presentation will provide an overview of the primary issues the journal faced: a greater number of submissions, professionalization, size of editorial team, learning how to use OJS effectively, and a lack of transitional documentation. Then, our previous Junior Editor and current Journal Manager Kaylee Dunn will describe the strategies implemented to manage and maintain the journal’s growth and what this year’s team is doing to ensure a smoother transition for the future of ‘Tulips’. After participating in this session, attendees should have a better understanding of the challenges smaller journals will face as they begin to grow and the value of comprehensive transition documentation. Furthermore, the presentation will provide examples for how to implement strategies that can overcome and curtail the difficult aspects of journal growth, how to identify if your team needs additional roles, and how to create their own records/transition documents. This presentation will improve the attendees' organizational and management skills, which will be applicable beyond this journal.
Managing Transitions to OJS and Journal Growth
Taylor Library Instruction Room
Last year, 'Tulips: The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Undergraduate Journal' transitioned from self-published to published through the OJS platform. Though this student-run journal is a smaller faculty-driven publication and has previously struggled to garner attention and submissions, the journal team has now been forced to adapt our practices to accommodate a growing number of submissions from our expanding faculty. Adaptation for ‘Tulips’ meant publishing through OJS, creating new roles within the publication team, and a more rigorous submissions vetting process. This session aims to describe the challenges of learning a new system and how to manage a journal that is expanding in size. First, the presentation will provide an overview of the primary issues the journal faced: a greater number of submissions, professionalization, size of editorial team, learning how to use OJS effectively, and a lack of transitional documentation. Then, our previous Junior Editor and current Journal Manager Kaylee Dunn will describe the strategies implemented to manage and maintain the journal’s growth and what this year’s team is doing to ensure a smoother transition for the future of ‘Tulips’. After participating in this session, attendees should have a better understanding of the challenges smaller journals will face as they begin to grow and the value of comprehensive transition documentation. Furthermore, the presentation will provide examples for how to implement strategies that can overcome and curtail the difficult aspects of journal growth, how to identify if your team needs additional roles, and how to create their own records/transition documents. This presentation will improve the attendees' organizational and management skills, which will be applicable beyond this journal.