Prepare the basic website content before launch to help visitors quickly understand the purpose of the journal. This should include the journal’s aims and scope, history, editorial board and affiliations, submission guidelines, types of articles accepted, the peer review process, publication policies and schedule, principles of AI and ethics, and contact information.

Create a visual identity that makes the journal recognizable and easy to navigate. A logo, thumbnail, color scheme, typography and consistent layout will make the journal look professional and establish its identity from the start. When using OJS, the standard templates are already tested for accessibility and usability. Make sure your custom design keeps all text readable, uses sufficient color contrast, provides clear headings and menus, and works well on mobile devices so authors and readers can find submission- and review information quickly.

Apply for an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) to give the journal a unique identifier. An ISSN helps make the journal easier to register, cite, and track. It should match the title and format of the journal. ISSN-Zentrum Schweiz

If the journal will publish articles online, arrange for DOI registration to ensure each article has a persistent identifier. DOIs improve discoverability and make it easier for readers to cite and access published content over time.

Decide which license(s) the journal will use for its articles. Examples include Creative Commons licenses (e.g. CC BY). A clear license is essential for Open Access, as it defines how others can reuse, share and adapt the work. Ensure the chosen license is clearly displayed on the website, the published PDF (if used) and in the author guidelines, so that authors know exactly what they are agreeing to when they publish.

Before implementing the editorial workflow in a system such as OJS, you should plan how to and who will manage submissions, copy-editing and publication. Also decide on the type of peer review you want to use. Define who is responsible for each step, what the timeline will look like and how communication with authors and reviewers will work. OJS includes many ready-to-use email templates for these communications that can be used directly or sent automatically at each stage of the workflow. Having a clear and realistic workflow will help the journal run smoothly and make it easier to onboard new editors and reviewers. 

Plan from the start how the journal’s content will be preserved for the future. Reliable archiving and backup solutions help ensure that articles remain accessible even if the journal changes platforms or ceases publication. OJS has a plugin that deposits publications into the LOCKSS distributed archive as a dark archive once activated.

From a technical perspective, the hosting provider requires the following information in order to configure the base URL, DNS and SSL: the journal’s short code/abbreviation (which is used in URLs); the journal path; the domain information; the full title; the publisher; the ISSN; and the contact details for editorial and technical purposes. The journal must be created using the full title, publisher, ISSN and contact details for the editorial and technical teams. At least one section (e.g. "Articles") should indicate whether submissions are peer reviewed, if there is a special policy in place, whether abstracts are required, and, if so, the maximum word limit for abstracts.

For the initial setup, the essential or recommended plugins include DOI/Crossref Manager, Google Scholar Indexing, Dublin Core Indexing, COinS Plugin, OpenAIRE, DRIVER, ORCID Profile, Citation, Citation Style Language, Usage Statistics and PKP PN for long-term preservation. Before launching the journal, the team should test submissions, reviews, issue publication, email templates (SMTP) and navigation to ensure that everything works as expected.

Journal setup checklist and timeline (OA-journals toolkit/Oct. 2025) https://www.oajournals-toolkit.org/getting-started/journal-setup-checklist-and-timeline 

Kuchma, I., Smith, I., & Ševkušić, M. (2026). Editorial Workflows in Diamond Open Access Journals: A Guide. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19569991