The University Library as Publisher

Case Study: University of Edinburgh

Angela Laurins, Library Learning Services Manager

Angela.Laurins@ed.ac.uk

http://www.ed.ac.uk/openaccess

University of Edinburgh Journal Hosting Service

• Managed by Library Learning Services• Support from the Digital Library Development team.• Single installation (test/live sites)• LAMP set up (Linux, Apache, MySql and Php) • v.2.4.2• Cost: Negligible• Staff: No dedicated resource. Estimate 3 days per

journal + ongoing support

http://journals.ed.ac.uk

Current journals

Journal Title Academic-led

Student-led

Previously in print

Born Digital

On test

Concept Conervation|Architecture|Urbanism Forum Hydra Journal of Lithic Studies Lifespans and Styles Res Medica e-JECAR The South Asianist The Unfamiliar The Edinburgh Sinologist

Pilot project 2009

http://concept.lib.ed.ac.uk

Developing the hosting service

First issue: May 2012 First issue: June 2012

(Organic) Evolution of a service

Sept 2012: Discussions begin re digitising back issues of Res Medica

Dec 2012: Pilot journal, Critical African Studies moves to Taylor & Francis

April 2013: Library registers with CrossRef

July 2013: Digital Curation Centre’s OJS journal, IJDC migrates to UoE hosting service

Oct 2013: Res Medica publishes first batch of digitised back issues

Dec 2013: Online journal Forum migrates to OJS

Feb 2014: Academic-led Journal of Lithic Studies Studies publishes

Journal Hosting Service overview

Journal Hosting service at UoE is

FreeFree

Provides basic design using CSS

Journals have the default URL http://journals.ed.ac.uk/title – (with exceptions… of course)

Insist on default policies and page footer

Journal Hosting Service overview

• Provides training and support • Library applies for the ISSN • Library manages DOI exports• Registers journal with DOAJ• Add Google Analytics ID

The Journal Hosting Service doesn’t

1. Advise on peer review2. Proof read or copyedit 3. Check copyright4. Intervene if (some) advice is not taken5. Quality control any new journals 6. Monitor or quality check published content

New journal process

• Discuss requirements• Outline service• Managing expectations• Set timescales• Design brief • Test set up• Training & support• Design finalised on test

• 5 step set up complete on test

• Copy set up and design to live

• ISSN application• Publish when ready• Register with DOAJ • Provide ongoing support

Statistics

• COUNTER STATS– OJS plugin measures downloads

• Google Analytics– Added to each journal via plugin

COUNTER STATS: PDF Downloads 2014

Next steps

• Formalise the service – Introduce formal application & acceptance criteria – Manage increase in demand– Reinforce journals’ commitment

• Clarify policies• Encourage succession planning • Survey journal publishers • Attract more academics to service

University Library as publisher

• Hosting service v publisher- what’s in a name? • It’s not broken - keep delivering journals to

happy editorial groups• Allow users to continue to shape the service• No over thinking (at this stage)

Thinking about using OJS?

• Define your service• Manage expectations• Be prepared for the unexpected• Learn from experience• Go for it!

Please get in touch if you have any questions

Angela Laurins angela.laurins@ed.ac.uk

Janet Aucock ja@st-andrews.ac.uk

Jackie Proven jep10@st-

andrews.ac.uk