Overview

Background

In 2019, The University of Zambia (UNZA) transitioned all official print journals to an electronic format using the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform. Among the 14 journals now hosted, the UNZA Directorate of Research and Development (DRD) focuses on three—JABS, JLSS, and JONAS—as exemplar journals, ensuring consistent publication.

Problem

Despite regular publications, the three DRD journals face key challenges:

  • Workflow Delays: Technical difficulties cause delays in the submission/publishing process.
  • Poor Metadata Quality: Inadequate metadata compromises discoverability.
  • Non-Standardized Workflow: The submission/publishing process is not fully conducted using the OJS workflow.
  • Lack of Guidelines: Absence of standard guidelines results in critical operational omissions.

Proposed Workstreams

  • Editorial Support Team: Establish a team to manage all editorial issues, ensuring the quality of journal outputs.
  • Capacity Building: Develop editorial processes and procedures, create journal templates (Word and LaTeX), and provide training to enhance the skills of the editorial teams.
  • Technical Enhancements: Design OJS templates, manage journal content, and develop software toolkits to improve article discoverability and overall platform efficiency.

Objectives

  • Establish an Editorial Support Team: Form a dedicated team responsible for handling journal editorial issues to guarantee the quality of journal outputs.
  • Develop Editorial Process Guidelines: Create comprehensive documentation of journal editorial processes and procedures to standardise usage of the online journal platform.
  • Design Journal Article Templates: Develop Word/LaTeX templates to enhance the formatting quality of journal articles.
  • Manage OJS Journal Templates: Design OJS templates and descriptive content for the journals to improve user experience and consistency.
  • Enhance Discoverability: Develop software toolkits to improve the discoverability of journal articles, ensuring wider visibility and impact.

By addressing these objectives through the proposed workstreams, the project aims to create sustainable and efficient online journal ecosystems at UNZA, leveraging the DRD journals setting a standard for other UNZA journals.