If you are thinking about starting a new journal, have a journal currently hosted elsewhere that you would like to move, or are a faculty advisor to a student-run publication, ODU Digital Commons can help.
Our journal platform offers a robust suite of editorial and publishing tools for peer-reviewed journals. These tools include:
Additional services include establishing journal policies, training on effective publishing workflows, and marketing assistance for recruiting submissions from potential authors.
Each journal’s website can utilize custom logos and branding.
Journals must be managed by an editorial board and an editor-in-chief.
New and existing journals may be published through ODU Digital Commons.
Benefits of Publishing a Journal with the Libraries:
Journals should be open-access compliant
The intention is to provide open access for all journals published in ODU Digital Commons.
Peer-reviewed journals should have an editorial board and an editor-in-chief
An editorial board should be designated to serve as the body overseeing the editorial policies and to manage the peer review procedures. If the editorial board comprises students, at least one faculty member must be on the editorial board to help ensure continuity. The editorial board members will be posted on the journal information page. We encourage that boards include faculty, staff, and students. One member of the editorial team must be designated as the managing editor. For student journals, a faculty member is required to sit on the editorial board.
Digital Commons publishing platform is recommended
We encourage and strongly recommend the full use of the publishing features available in the Digital Commons to produce new journals. Library staff will work with faculty, students, and staff for appropriate training in using all the features for electronic publishing. The review, editing, and speed of publication are greatly enhanced by using these features.
Authors retain their copyright
All authors of individual articles retain their copyright to the works submitted; however, all submissions become a permanent part of the Digital Commons collections. We cannot honor requests to remove or suppress content unless it is for reasons of copyright infringement or other intellectual property violation. All authors must sign a submission agreement before publication.
Advertising and promotion are the responsibility of the editors
Publishing entities are responsible for advertising and promoting their journal.
Library responsibilities
Upon approval, the library staff will:
Discontinuation of a Journal
If no new content or issues are produced for three consecutive years, the journal will be considered to have “ceased publication.” The Digital Commons Manager will contact the editor-in-chief and confirm that the journal is no longer being published; appropriate notices will be placed in the Digital Commons and the catalog record.
Phases of Journal Development
Phase 1: Meet with ODU Digital Commons Manager to discuss parameters for your journal
Discuss institutional policies for hosting journals in Digital Commons, desired launch date, rights management/copyright, etc.
Phase 2: Design
In consultation with Digital Commons manager, journal editors will provide detailed design specifications for the journal. This includes colors, logo, typography, and layout. Digital Commons journals are based on a template.
Bepress, the Digital Commons vendor, provides design services and will create a journal site design based on the design specifications provided by the editors and within the template parameters. Bepress designers will provide 3 iterations of the design at no cost to the journal editors. Therefore, it is important to be as specific and provide as much design direction as possible. The designers will provide a mockup of the site and editors will have an opportunity to review and provide additional feedback to the designers.
Review the Design Customization Guide for Sites, Journals, and Events: https://www.bepress.com/reference_guide_dc/design-customization-guide/
Complete the Digital Commons Journal Setup Form: https://www.bepress.com/reference_guide_dc/journal-setup-form/
Phase 3: Demo and Training
Once the design has been approved by the editors, a demo site is created. This demo site will provide editors an opportunity to work and test the site. This demo site will also be used for training purposes. All editors will receive training on the demo journal site before it is launched.
Site text, including “about the journal”, submission instructions, information about the editorial board, and journal policies should be added to the demo site before launch.
See resources below.
Phase 4: Launch
Once the editors have been trained and the site text has been added, the journal is ready to be launched. After the journal is launched, it is ready to receive submissions.
Resources: See Below
An editor alone cannot manage a journal.
Essential personnel:
Editor-In-Chief:
Responsible for oversight of all operations leading to publication of the journal. Works with Associate Editors to define the scope and structure of the journal. Works with Editorial Assistant to review all submissions and assign peer reviewers. Oversees journal editing and proofreading done by the Managing Copy Editor. Consults with the Marketing Assistant on marketing and communications related to the journal. Utilizes bepress/Digital Commons "How-to" guides to manage submissions and publication.
Editorial Assistant (Managing Editor):
Partners with the Editor-in-Chief to facilitate the article submission and review process. Peer Reviewers are selected from the Editorial Board and are subject experts who will provide unbiased and rigorous peer-review.
Managing Copy Editor:
Recruits and oversees all copy editors. Partners with the Editor-In-Chief in the editing process by ensuring that articles and other materials are free of errors, easy to read, conform to the submission guidelines, and conform to designated style guidelines.
Marketing Assistant:
Partners with the Editor-In-Chief on marketing and communications related to the journal. Oversees and promotes online presence of the journal including Digital Commons, social media, and the ODU.edu website. Monitors Digital Commons Dashboard Tools for download rates.
Below are links to peer-reviewed and undergraduate research journals published through ODU Digital Commons.
Green Humanities: A Journal of Ecological Thought in Literature, Philosophy & the Arts: Green Humanities aims to place the humanities on the frontlines not only of cutting edge eco-criticism, but also of the environmental debates that will shape and determine our very world. We envision varied collaborations and juxtapositions of scholarship within the humanities as well as environmental sciences and related fields–all with the overarching goal of coaxing our global society toward a more sustainable future.
Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration: The Journal of Human Services Scholarship and Interprofessional Collaboration (JHSSIC) is a no-fee open-access peer-reviewed scholarly journal spanning professions and highlighting interprofessional practice. Interprofessional collaboration occurs when two or more individuals with distinct professional identities work together and is associated with increased quality of care and improved client outcomes. JHSSIC calls for research on helping professionals and practice from interdisciplinary professional communities comprising human services that contribute to comprehensive integrated care.
Journal of Sociotechnical Critique : The Journal of Sociotechnical Critique is a no-fee open-access peer-reviewed scholarly journal that seeks to support theoretically-engaged critical, public, and activist work at the intersections of philosophy of technology, internet studies, communications theory, library and information science, environmental ethics, and related fields. We welcome submissions on these topics from the international scholarly community looking at sociotechnical dynamics within any cultural and geographic context.
Virginia Journal of Science : Published since 1940, the Virginia Journal of Science is an academic, peer-reviewed publication focused on all areas of science affecting the state of Virginia. As the official publication of the Virginia Academy of Science, it includes meeting minutes, notes, and reports of the Academy, as well as proceedings from annual meetings.
ODU STUDENT JOURNAL
Managing and Publishing Journals: instructions for performing common editorial and publishing tasks in a Digital Commons journal. As workflows differ, not every journal will follow all of the steps included here.
Journal Video Tutorials: covering the most common steps involved in publishing a Digital Commons journal. For a comprehensive guide, see Managing and Publishing Journals.
Journal Design:
LPC Resources Roundup: Journal Best Practices Checklist: https://bit.ly/lpcresources
There are a range of factors used when deciding whether to index a journal. It is important that these criteria are met before submitting a journal for coverage. Examples of criteria used by Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science):
PLACES TO GET INDEXED:
Each database will have its own indexing policies and criteria for inclusion. Common criteria are:
Information adapted from Guide to Applying for Journal Indexing - IU Mobile
Content for this guide is adapted from North Carolina A&T State University Bluford Library ePublishing Guide.