Bring Your Hosted Journal In-House

Overview

Your library or IT department is ready to run the journal platform itself, or institutional policy now requires it. Platform Ownership Transfer moves a hosted OJS instance onto your servers in an orderly way, with a rehearsed cutover, full documentation and hands-on training for the people who will operate it.

This is for institutions currently on NeucitePress managed hosting, on another OJS host, or on a commercial platform they wish to leave, who now have the infrastructure and staff to own the platform outright. Open Journal Systems is free, open-source software from the Public Knowledge Project (PKP), so ownership means exactly that.

What’s Included

• Readiness review — assessment of your target environment against OJS requirements, and a transfer plan with roles and dates
• Transfer — full copy of the instance (database, files, configuration, theme and plugins) deployed to your infrastructure and tested
• Cutover — DNS, SSL, email and DOI resolution moved with minimal downtime; old instance retained for a rollback period
• Documentation — architecture, configuration, backup and restore procedures, upgrade procedure, and runbooks for routine operations
• Training — sessions for system administrators and journal managers covering operation, upgrades and troubleshooting
• Verification — data checks and a sign-off checklist before the old instance is decommissioned

How It Works

1. Readiness review and transfer plan agreed with your IT and library staff.
2. Test deployment on your infrastructure; your team validates it.
3. Rehearsed cutover during an agreed maintenance window.
4. Training, documentation handover and sign-off; old instance decommissioned after the rollback period. Pricing is a fixed fee per installation.

Platform Independence

This service is the proof of it. OJS is open-source, your domain and DOI prefix are already yours, and the full instance moves with you. Leave any time with everything.

Important Limitations

• Your environment — servers, PHP, database, email relay and backup storage must be provided and maintained by your institution and must meet OJS requirements.
• Third-party hosts — if you are leaving a host other than NeucitePress, transfer depends on what that host will release. We work from the most complete export or backup obtainable.
• Ongoing operation — after transfer, upgrades, patches and uptime are your responsibility unless you take a Technical Support Plan.
• External fees — none are expected; any third-party charges are passed through at cost.

Common Questions

Will there be downtime?
A short maintenance window for the final cutover. The rehearsal on your infrastructure is done beforehand.

Can we keep NeucitePress for upgrades only?
Yes. The Technical Support Plan covers upgrades and security patches for instances you own and operate.

What happens to our data at NeucitePress after transfer?
We retain a copy only for the agreed rollback period, then delete it and confirm in writing.

Request a proposal, or begin with the Journal Health Check.