Starting a new scholarly journal involves many complex decisions that must be made before accepting submissions and publishing the first issue. This page offers resources to guide editors and boards through the process.
Key Considerations When Starting a New Journal:
- Journal’s Purpose and Niche:
- Define the journal’s purpose and identify the unique niche it will fill in the academic landscape.
- Administrative Structure:
- Decide on the administrative structure, including the roles of the editorial and advisory boards.
- Management Succession:
- Determine who will manage the journal if the current editor becomes unable to continue.
- Standards for Article Selection:
- Establish the criteria for judging articles to ensure high-quality content.
- Copy Editing and Proofreading:
- Decide who will be responsible for copy editing and proofreading the articles.
- Journal Format:
- Choose whether the journal will be in print, online, or both.
- Access Model:
- Decide if the journal will be Open Access, subscription-based, or a combination.
- Hosting and Printing:
- Determine where the journal will be hosted or printed and create a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to outline expectations.
- ISSN Registration:
- Assign someone to obtain the journal’s ISSN from the Library of Congress.
- Publication Agreements: Define the terms for publication agreements with authors.
- Funding:
- Plan for initial funding and sustainable financial support for the journal.
- Peer Review Process:
- Develop a strategy for recruiting and managing peer reviewers.
- Content Solicitation:
- Create a plan for soliciting high-quality content from authors.
- Marketing: Develop strategies to advertise and promote the journal.
Tips for Getting Started:
- Look for Inspiration: Review other journals for ideas on website design, issue arrangement, and article formatting. Save links and examples to share with your support team.
As you consider various Open Access publishing options, there are numerous groups and resources available to assist you. Some of these include:
- Library Publishing Coalition
- Free Journal Network (FJN)
- Society Publishers’ Coalition
- Purpose-led Publishing Coalition
- Scholarly Publishing Collective
Additional Resources:
- Getting Started: Michigan Publishing’s wiki provides numerous resources for editors and scholarly societies starting a new journal.
- A Baker’s Dozen of Issues Facing Online Academic Journal Start-ups: This issue of the Web Journal of Mass Communication Research includes a history of online publishing and a guide to starting a new academic journal, along with a comprehensive list of references.
- How to Start an Open Access Journal: The Hybrid Publishing Lab’s infographic offers a visual overview of key steps, covering scope and content strategy, people and workflows, journal management, design, marketing, financing, and licenses.
By considering these factors and utilizing the provided resources, you can successfully navigate the process of starting a new scholarly journal. If, after evaluating these steps, you decide to launch your journal through a publishing service, here are the key steps for publishing with our publishing house:
