Scholarly publishing comes with its own vocabulary. This glossary defines key terms you'll encounter when managing academic journals, working with OJS, applying for indexing, or navigating the publishing landscape. Terms are organised alphabetically for easy reference.
A
Abstract
A brief summary (typically 150-300 words) of a research article's purpose, methodology, findings, and conclusions. Abstracts help readers quickly assess relevance and are critical for indexing and discoverability.
Altmetrics
Alternative metrics measuring scholarly impact beyond traditional citations. Includes social media mentions, news coverage, policy citations, downloads, and saves. Provides broader view of attention received by research.
APC (Article Processing Charge)
Fee charged by some open access journals to cover publication costs. Paid by authors, institutions, or funders. Varies widely from zero (diamond OA) to several thousand dollars. Should be clearly disclosed before submission.
Archiving
Long-term preservation of published content. Digital archiving services (LOCKSS, CLOCKSS, Portico, PKP PN) ensure content remains accessible even if a journal ceases publication. Important for indexing applications.
Author Guidelines
Journal documentation explaining manuscript requirements, formatting standards, submission procedures, and editorial policies. Essential for authors preparing submissions and for demonstrating journal professionalism.
B
Back Issue
Previously published issue of a journal, as opposed to current or forthcoming issues. Complete backfiles (archives of all past content) demonstrate journal history and provide research continuity.
Blind Review
See Peer Review. In single-blind review, reviewers know author identity but not vice versa. In double-blind review, neither party knows the other's identity. Aims to reduce bias in evaluation.
C
CC License (Creative Commons)
Standardised copyright licenses allowing authors to grant specific usage rights. Common types include CC BY (attribution required), CC BY-NC (non-commercial use), CC BY-SA (share-alike). Required for DOAJ indexing.
Citation
Reference to a source in scholarly work. When Author B cites Author A's paper, Author A receives a citation. Citation counts are used (controversially) to assess impact of articles, authors, and journals.
CiteScore
Journal metric calculated by Scopus/Elsevier. Measures average citations received per document over a four-year period. Alternative to Impact Factor with different calculation methodology.
CLOCKSS
Controlled LOCKSS. Dark archive network preserving scholarly content. Content is accessible only if a journal ceases publication or content is no longer available from original publisher. Provides preservation assurance.
COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics)
Organisation providing guidance on research and publication ethics. Publishes guidelines for editors, peer reviewers, and journals. COPE membership signals commitment to ethical publishing practices.
Copyright
Legal rights controlling reproduction and distribution of creative works. In publishing, refers to who holds these rights—authors, publishers, or shared. Copyright terms should be clearly stated in journal policies.
Corresponding Author
Author designated to handle communication regarding a manuscript—during submission, review, and after publication. Listed with contact information on published articles.
Crossref
Non-profit organisation running the primary DOI registration system for scholarly publications. Provides citation linking, reference matching, and metadata services. Membership required for DOI registration.
D
Diamond Open Access
Open access model where journals charge no fees to authors or readers. Funded by institutions, societies, or grants rather than APCs. Also called Platinum Open Access.
DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)
Community-curated index of quality open access journals. DOAJ inclusion signals legitimacy and improves discoverability. Journals must meet quality criteria and complete an application process.
DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
Permanent, unique identifier for digital objects (articles, datasets, etc.). Format: 10.xxxx/xxxxx. Resolves to current location even if URLs change. Essential for citation tracking and increasingly expected by authors.
DSpace
Open-source software for creating institutional repositories. Designed for archiving and providing access to digital collections—theses, research papers, datasets. Different purpose than OJS (repository vs. journal publishing).
Dublin Core
Metadata standard with 15 core elements for describing resources (title, creator, subject, description, publisher, date, etc.). Widely used in repositories and digital libraries. Supported by OJS.
E
Editorial Board
Group of scholars advising on journal policy, scope, and sometimes handling manuscripts. Board composition (expertise, institutional diversity, international representation) affects journal credibility and indexing prospects.
Editor-in-Chief
Senior editor with overall responsibility for journal content and policy. Makes final publication decisions, sets editorial direction, represents journal publicly.
Embargo
Period during which access to content is restricted after publication. Some subscription journals allow self-archiving only after embargo periods (e.g., 6-12 months). Open access journals typically have no embargo.
eISSN
ISSN assigned specifically to electronic/online publication of a serial. Distinct from print ISSN (pISSN). Journals with both print and online versions have both identifiers.
G
Galley
Final formatted version of an article ready for publication. In OJS, galleys are the files (PDF, HTML, XML) that readers access. Articles may have multiple galleys in different formats.
Gold Open Access
Open access model where the final published version is immediately and freely available from the publisher. May involve APCs or be funded otherwise. Contrasts with Green OA (self-archiving).
Google Scholar
Google's search engine for scholarly literature. Indexes articles from journals, repositories, and academic websites. Major source of discoverability. Proper metadata helps inclusion.
Green Open Access
Open access achieved through self-archiving—authors deposit copies in repositories (institutional or subject-based). May be preprints, accepted manuscripts, or published versions depending on publisher policy.
H
h-index
Metric measuring productivity and citation impact. A researcher with h-index of X has X papers with at least X citations each. Can also be applied to journals. Balances quantity and impact.
Handle
Persistent identifier system, particularly used by DSpace repositories. Similar purpose to DOIs—permanent identification regardless of URL changes. Format: handle.net/xxxxx/xxxxx.
Hybrid Journal
Subscription journal that offers open access for individual articles upon APC payment. Authors can choose between subscription access (readers pay) or open access (authors pay). Controversial due to "double-dipping" concerns.
I
Impact Factor
Journal metric calculated by Clarivate Analytics. Measures average citations to recent articles. Calculated only for Web of Science-indexed journals. Widely used but also widely criticised. See our detailed article on Impact Factor.
Indexing
Inclusion of a journal in a database or directory (Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, PubMed, etc.). Improves discoverability, provides quality signals, and may be required for career evaluation. Different indexes have different criteria.
Institutional Repository
Digital archive collecting and preserving an institution's intellectual output—research papers, theses, datasets. Typically managed by university libraries. DSpace is common repository software.
ISSN (International Standard Serial Number)
Unique eight-digit identifier for serial publications (journals, magazines, newspapers). Assigned by national ISSN centres. Required for indexing applications. Print and online versions have separate ISSNs.
J
JATS (Journal Article Tag Suite)
XML vocabulary for describing scholarly articles. NISO standard used by PubMed Central and many publishers. Enables format flexibility, preservation, and data exchange. See our detailed article on JATS/XML publishing.
JCR (Journal Citation Reports)
Annual report from Clarivate Analytics containing Impact Factors and other metrics for journals indexed in Web of Science. The source of official Impact Factor data.
K
Keywords
Terms assigned to articles describing their content and topics. Help with indexing and discoverability. Usually 4-8 specific, relevant terms. Both author-assigned and controlled vocabulary terms may be used.
L
LOCKSS
Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe. Distributed digital preservation system. Participating libraries maintain copies of content, ensuring preservation if original sources fail. Important for archiving requirements.
LTS (Long-Term Support)
Software release designated to receive extended support (security updates, bug fixes) over longer period. OJS LTS versions preferred by journals prioritising stability over newest features.
M
Manuscript
Author's submitted work before publication. Progresses through stages: submission, review, revision, acceptance, production. The term "article" typically refers to the published version.
Metadata
Data about data—information describing content. Article metadata includes title, authors, abstract, keywords, publication dates, identifiers. Quality metadata is essential for discoverability and indexing.
O
OAI-PMH
Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting. Technical protocol allowing databases to harvest metadata from repositories and journals. Enables aggregation and discovery services. Supported by OJS and DSpace.
OJS (Open Journal Systems)
Free, open-source software for managing and publishing scholarly journals. Developed by PKP. Handles submission, peer review, editing, publication, and indexing support. Used by 25,000+ journals globally.
Open Access
Immediate, free online access to research articles with minimal reuse restrictions. Contrasts with subscription-based access. Major types include Gold, Green, Diamond/Platinum, and Hybrid.
ORCID
Open Researcher and Contributor ID. Unique identifier for researchers (format: 0000-0000-0000-0000). Distinguishes researchers with similar names, links works to creators. Increasingly integrated into publishing systems including OJS.
P
Peer Review
Evaluation of manuscripts by subject experts before publication. Core quality control mechanism in scholarly publishing. Types include single-blind, double-blind, and open review. Process and timeline should be documented.
PKP (Public Knowledge Project)
Research initiative developing open-source software for scholarly publishing and access. Based at Simon Fraser University. Creates OJS, OMP (Open Monograph Press), and OPS (Open Preprint Systems).
Plagiarism
Using others' work without proper attribution. Includes copying text, ideas, data, or images. Journals should have plagiarism detection policies and may use software like iThenticate or Turnitin for checking.
Predatory Journal
Publication exploiting the open access model—collecting fees without providing proper editorial services, peer review, or editorial oversight. Signs include aggressive solicitation, fake metrics, poor quality control, and hidden fees.
Preprint
Manuscript shared publicly before peer review and formal publication. Preprint servers (arXiv, bioRxiv, etc.) provide rapid dissemination. Journal policies on preprints vary—check before submission.
PubMed Central (PMC)
Free archive of biomedical and life sciences literature maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Requires JATS XML for deposits. Inclusion indicates quality and improves discoverability in medical fields.
R
Retraction
Removal of published article from the scholarly record due to serious errors or misconduct. Retraction notices explain reasons and remain linked to original. Distinct from corrections (errata) for minor errors.
ROR (Research Organization Registry)
Registry of research organisations providing unique identifiers (ROR IDs). Used for standardising institutional affiliation data. Integrated into OJS 3.5 for better affiliation identification.
S
Scopus
Abstract and citation database operated by Elsevier. Covers more journals than Web of Science. Provides CiteScore metrics. Scopus indexing is sought by many journals as quality indicator.
Self-Archiving
Authors depositing copies of their work in repositories. Policy specifies which version (preprint, accepted manuscript, published) can be archived and any embargo periods. See Green Open Access.
Submission
Author's act of sending a manuscript to a journal for consideration. In OJS, the online system guiding authors through uploading files, entering metadata, and confirming submission.
T
Theme
In OJS, the visual design template controlling journal appearance. Themes can be customised to match journal branding. OJS 3 uses a flexible theming system different from OJS 2.
U
UGC-CARE
University Grants Commission - Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics. Indian government initiative listing quality journals. UGC-CARE List journals are approved for academic credit in Indian institutions.
V
Volume/Issue
Organisational units for journal content. Volumes typically correspond to years; issues are subdivisions within volumes (e.g., Volume 5, Issue 2). Some journals now use continuous publication without traditional issues.
W
Web of Science
Citation index and database operated by Clarivate Analytics. Includes Science Citation Index (SCI), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), and others. Source of Impact Factor calculations. Prestigious but selective indexing.
X
XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
Structured format for encoding documents. In publishing, enables content to be repurposed across formats (HTML, PDF, ePub). JATS is the XML standard for scholarly articles.
